Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

Chapter 8: Social Programs
In the absence of policy changes, social assistance spending is projected to grow by roughly
five per cent per year. Containing growth to 0.5 per cent annually would mean reducing total
social assistance spending by over $2 billion per year by 2017–18 relative to what it would
have been in our Status Quo projection.
Through our review, we have uncovered evidence of higher costs and reduced quality of
services due to maintaining two separate social assistance programs delivered by two levels
of government. Compared to a single program, there are clear overlaps in administration, and
variations in specific benefit levels between programs can lead to inequitable outcomes. Better
co-ordination could lead to fiscal and quality rewards, but as we have pointed out in other
program areas, efforts that support better co-ordination can themselves be an inefficient use of
time and other resources. Further, and more profoundly, the continued operation of separate
programs perpetuates the antiquated idea that all those eligible for disability supports are
unemployable. In fact, 54.9 per cent of Ontarians between the ages of 15 and 64 who selfidentified
as having a disability participated in the labour market in 2006; we believe this figure
could and should be even higher. 7
We urge the SAR <strong>Commission</strong> to examine models for improving service delivery and in
particular for improving employment services for recipients of OW and ODSP. Consolidating
OW and ODSP into a single program and delivering it at the local level seems to offer promise.
This would reduce outdated divisions between the two clienteles and facilitate the connection
to other local services. But it would also require reforms to best utilize the employment
services available from Employment Ontario (EO).
Equal attention must therefore be given to how to better integrate EO with social assistance.
This needs to be done regardless of whether OW and ODSP continue to be delivered
separately or are combined and delivered at the local level. An efficient referral system from
case workers is essential.
An advantage of integrating social assistance with EO is that all job seekers would be served
by the same entity, further reducing the stigma for people receiving social assistance.
Economies of scale could clearly be achieved by having all job seekers served by the same
employment service.
7 R. Miner, “People Without Jobs, Jobs Without People: Ontario’s Labour Market Future,” Miner and Miner Management Consultants,
downloaded from http://www.collegesontario.org/research/research_reports/people-without-jobs-jobs-without-people-final.pdf.
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