Income Security: A Roadmap for Change

More documents

Recommendations

Info

services 64 More than 68% of social enterprises surveyed in Ontario indicated that they have a poverty reduction focus 65 As just one example, in 2015–16 the United Way of Toronto and York Region invested $86 million in community programs and services, including $155 million to help meet people’s needs such as employment, shelter and food 66 Despite significant investment in the broad income security system, it is clear the system is not working well for many people, in large part because it is designed to serve the workforce of the past Excluding social assistance, most programs including Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan (Retirement and Disability) and Workplace Safety and Insurance are based on the assumption that the majority of people have long-term, well paid employment Stemming from this assumption, these programs pay the highest and longest-duration benefits to people who have enjoyed full-time, well paying jobs in the recent past However, these programs primarily work with individuals who are, by definition, ready for work or “employable” There is a need for programming that focusses on employability—working with individuals on life skills and personal development to help them become employable rather than setting them up for failure There is a different reality for the many people who face long-standing barriers to employment or who now toil in a world of work that is low paying, part-time and of limited duration From their perspective, the range and complexity of the income security system means it can be diffcult and confusing to navigate, making it harder to access programs. For each program they have to figure out where to go, how to apply and what information is required Often, the rules that are in place mean low-income workers cannot qualify for programs such as Employment Insurance in the first place and when people do access benefits, the time limits are arbitrarily short and the benefits inadequate. 64 Source: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2013-state-sector-profile-ontarios-notprofits-and-charitable-organizations-executive-summary#section-5 65 Source: https://ccednet-rcdec.ca/sites/ccednet-rcdec.ca/files/ccednet/pdfs/ inspiring_innovation-social_enterprise_in_ontario_by_ccednet-pgs.pdf pg vi 66 Please see: http://annualreport.unitedwaytyr.com/?utm_medium=website&utm_ source=uwtyr&utm_campaign=2015annualreport&utm_content=annual%20 report%20page 54 Income Security: A Roadmap for Change
The system can also seem inequitable because programs provide varying levels of support to people. For example, a single person working full time at minimum wage could qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits equivalent to $478.50 every two weeks (or $957 per four weeks) A person who falls short of the required hours or who has been unable to find a job at all can receive $721 per month through Ontario Works—that’s 25% less over roughly four weeks than EI benefits for a minimum-wage worker. As minimum wage increases, the gap between EI benefits and Ontario Works will only grow, if equivalent increases to Ontario Works are not made Moreover, the rules between programs do not always work well For example, a person receiving ODSP and living in subsidized housing is generally thought of as being in a good position relative to others receiving social assistance Yet, if that person finds a job they may see their ODSP support reduced at the same time as their rent increases, making it diffcult to get further ahead. From a system perspective, this range and complexity means careful thought must be given to how the programs affect one another Changes in one program can have consequences in another program that ultimately affect people in both good and bad ways For example, the erosion of federal Employment Insurance eligibility in the 1990s caused in part by tightened eligibility meant more reliance on provincial social assistance programs that generally (as noted above) provide less support 67 The impact of this change was predominantly felt by unemployed single individuals. In contrast, the Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) replaced a number of separate benefits for children, including many from social assistance, with a simpler income-tested program that treats children the same regardless of the family’s income source This has generally been cited as a policy success story 67 A discussion of the impact of changes to both children’s benefits and Employment Insurance can be found in John Stapleton and Vass Bender’s background paper for the Mowat Centre EI Task Force, “Trading Places – Single Adults Replace Lone Parents as the New Face of Social Assistance in Canada”: https://mowatcentreca/ trading-places/ Income Security: A Roadmap for Change 55
Page 1:
INCOME SECURITY A Roadmap for Chang
Page 4 and 5:
ACHIEVING INCOME ADEQUACY69 Setting
Page 6 and 7:
A CLOSING NOTE164 APPENDIX A: Membe
Page 8 and 9:
INCOME SECURITY: FUTURE STATE Essen
Page 10 and 11: 3. Recognizing the Experience of In
Page 12 and 13: ENGAGING THE WHOLE INCOME SECURITY
Page 14 and 15: • The federal government enhance
Page 16 and 17: • Individual choice and well-bein
Page 18 and 19: • Conduct analyses on current and
Page 20 and 21: A TRANSFORMED SOCIAL ASSISTANCE STR
Page 22 and 23: • Initially exempt 25% of Canada
Page 24 and 25: SELF-GOVERNANCE AND RESPECT FOR FIR
Page 26 and 27: • First Nations social service pr
Page 28 and 29: • The capabilities, skills and pr
Page 30 and 31: SEQUENCING REFORM The Roadmap recom
Page 32 and 33: We recommend the Province commit to
Page 34 and 35: 2015 also saw a commitment by the f
Page 36 and 37: MESSAGE FROM THE URBAN INDIGENOUS T
Page 38 and 39: Community members stressed the impo
Page 40 and 41: INTRODUCTION PURPOSE The Income Sec
Page 42 and 43: Income Security Reform in the conte
Page 44 and 45: 2. Essential needs are increasingly
Page 46 and 47: • Research by the Social Planning
Page 48 and 49: The Additional Costs of Disability
Page 50 and 51: • From 2011 to 2014, the incidenc
Page 52 and 53: • Studies also show that adult-on
Page 54 and 55: • Indigenous peoples have signifi
Page 56 and 57: A NOTE ON PREVIOUS REPORTS Over the
Page 58 and 59: ONTARIO’S INCOME SECURITY SYSTEM
Page 62 and 63: FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL INCOME SECUR
Page 64 and 65: The federal Canada Child Benefit, t
Page 66 and 67: ENVISIONING THE FUTURE VISION All i
Page 68 and 69: GUIDING PRINCIPLES The following pr
Page 70 and 71: and structural racism to ensure equ
Page 72 and 73: 3. Recognizing the Experience of In
Page 74 and 75: Critical steps must also be taken t
Page 76 and 77: areas, including remote areas In se
Page 78 and 79: DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS 1.1 The Pr
Page 80 and 81: ONTARIO HOUSING BENEFIT Recommendat
Page 82 and 83: • People must be able to access a
Page 84 and 85: “I’ve been waiting for housing
Page 86 and 87: Children who are being cared for by
Page 88 and 89: When a child is in the care of a Ch
Page 90 and 91: WORKING INCOME TAX BENEFIT Recommen
Page 92 and 93: CORE HEALTH BENEFITS Recommendation
Page 94 and 95: A key strength of Ontario’s curre
Page 96 and 97: TRANSFORMING SOCIAL ASSISTANCE OBJE
Page 98 and 99: DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 Develo
Page 100 and 101: People need to feel they have perso
Page 102 and 103: focussing primarily on eligibility
Page 104 and 105: • People are able to access servi
Page 106 and 107: • A simpler social assistance str
Page 108 and 109: 8.6 Regularly situate Ontario Works
Page 110 and 111:
We note that ODSP has many positive
Page 112 and 113:
as simple and streamlined as possib
Page 114 and 115:
9.4 Provide provincial-level assist
Page 116 and 117:
Because moving to an assured income
Page 118 and 119:
A TRANSFORMED SOCIAL ASSISTANCE STR
Page 120 and 121:
This flat-rate structure would appl
Page 122 and 123:
DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS 11.1 Trans
Page 124 and 125:
First Nations Delivery Agents of On
Page 126 and 127:
INCOME AND ASSETS Recommendation 13
Page 128 and 129:
additional costs they may have—wh
Page 130 and 131:
HELPING THOSE IN DEEPEST POVERTY OB
Page 132 and 133:
Single Non-disabled Person Fall 201
Page 134 and 135:
• Setting the Standard Flat Rate
Page 136 and 137:
The first Indian Act was passed by
Page 138 and 139:
While the recommendations noted abo
Page 140 and 141:
DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS 16.1 Based
Page 142 and 143:
16.10 Take steps to ensure that Fir
Page 144 and 145:
• Community-based initiatives spe
Page 146 and 147:
• Increasing and expediting help
Page 148 and 149:
Until further changes to the 1965 A
Page 150 and 151:
A CALL ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Th
Page 152 and 153:
The Roadmap emphasizes the need for
Page 154 and 155:
IMPLEMENTING AND MEASURING CHANGE M
Page 156 and 157:
3. The need to take a system-wide a
Page 158 and 159:
SEQUENCING CHANGE: A 10-YEAR ROADMA
Page 160 and 161:
YEAR 2 The second year of implement
Page 162 and 163:
YEARS 4 TO 10 Years 4 to 10 will ma
Page 164 and 165:
THE COST OF INACTION Poverty is int
Page 166 and 167:
• Ontario Drug Benefit costs for
Page 168 and 169:
• Social Assistance, through: •
Page 170 and 171:
A CLOSING NOTE This Roadmap holds t
Page 172 and 173:
Violet Boissoneau Linda Cobiness Jo
Page 174 and 175:
APPENDIX B: POVERTY REDUCTION STRAT
Page 176 and 177:
Canada Pension Plan - Disability (C
Page 178 and 179:
Indigenous Friendship Centres: Not-
Page 180 and 181:
Old Age Security (OAS): A pension p
Page 182 and 183:
Rent-Geared-To-Income (RGI): Financ
Page 184 and 185:
Trauma-informed practice: Practices
show all

Income Security: A Roadmap for Change

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?