Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

When these activities lack co-ordination across delivery agents, gaps and duplications of effort
often result. Many programs require unique applications, apply different income tests using
various definitions of income, and produce separate payments. Moreover, some programs
assess eligibility only once while others do so monthly. Consequently, administrative efforts
are unnecessarily replicated across benefit programs, leading to inefficiencies. And those in
need are forced to navigate through a complex array of access points for the supports they
dearly need, creating significant access issues.
This array of program delivery models and eligibility criteria can lead to further unintended
consequences. Many social programs are universal, some are income-tested and still others
are based on specific need. These conflicting eligibility requirements can create inequities and
can result in barriers to seeking employment or pursuing higher earnings. In the context of
social assistance, this is commonly referred to as the “welfare wall,” where individuals face
losing supports — be they income or in-kind benefits, such as the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB)
program — shortly after finding work or when passing a specific income threshold.
There is scope to do this more efficiently:
� Income testing and payment delivery could be centralized;
� Much of the processing of applications, eligibility assessment and payments could
be automated;
� Income verification could be made more transparent and consistent through automation;
and
� Consolidating program delivery and standardizing eligibility criteria across similar programs
could reduce barriers to employment.
Positive steps have been taken towards simplifying access to Ontario’s income-tested benefit
programs. In March 2011, the Ontario Benefits Directory was launched, providing
one-stop access to information for more than 40 programs and tax credits organized by
population segment and type of benefit. Similarly, the Ministry of Community and Social
Services recently introduced a new single-window access point to developmental services and
supports; clients can find information about community resources and go through
a standardized application process for provincially funded services and supports. This must
only be the beginning: The government should move to improve client access by creating a
single point of access for benefits and a co-ordinated interface for clients.
Improving the delivery, administration and equity of the broad spectrum of Ontario’s benefits
system is critical to ensuring that strong support exists for those clients who most need it.
More and better data measuring client outcomes is also needed to determine program
effectiveness and to understand how programs interact; the utmost care must be taken to
continue to respect and protect personal information and privacy. Nevertheless, transforming
the delivery of Ontario’s benefits system into a fully integrated model represents a clear
opportunity to simultaneously make programs more effective and reduce costs in the long run.
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