Income Security: A Roadmap for Change

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WORKING INCOME TAX BENEFIT Recommendation 4: Work with the federal government to enhance the effectiveness of the Working Income Tax Benefit so that it plays a greater role in contributing to income adequacy for low-income workers in Ontario. The federal Working Income Tax Benefit (WITB) is a refundable tax credit provided to eligible low-income workers It has two stated policy objectives: 1 Help low-income individuals transition from social assistance to employment, and 2 Provide additional encouragement to low-income workers to strengthen their participation in the labour market While the WITB can play an important role in Ontario’s income security system, its significance has decreased over time because the program has remained relatively static despite changes in other areas of the income security landscape It is also too modest to play a significant role in supplementing the earnings of low-income workers. In 2016, it took a single individual without children approximately 624 hours of work throughout the year (or 12 hours of work per week) at the minimum wage to have enough earnings to reach the maximum WITB After net income of about $11,675, the amount of the benefit began to decline, tapering out after net income of about $18,529 Although the WITB will be increased to help offset the cost of additional contributions made by low-income workers to the Canada Pension Plan enhancement, much more could be done to assist individuals as they gain a stronger foothold in the labour market The bottom line is that despite the stated objectives of the WITB, it does not assist many individuals to exit social assistance As further changes that affect the income security system are anticipated (eg, the proposed changes to the social assistance rate structure as noted in this Roadmap and the recently proposed minimum wage increases in Ontario), 84 Income Security: A Roadmap for Change
the need for action on the WITB becomes even more important. Ontario should work with the federal government, consistent with the recommendations of the previously mentioned HUMA report, to enhance the WITB so that it better meets its objectives in the context of today’s labour market. Such changes will help ensure that the WITB remains an important part of the income security system In addition, it may be diffcult for some First Nations people to access the WITB. This is because individuals are required to file their income tax returns, as well as fill out the WITB Schedule, to receive the benefit. To help First Nations people better access income supports like the WITB, outreach and support about the benefits available through the tax system is required. Alternative ways of delivering the WITB also need to be considered DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 This The federal government enhance the WITB so that it better reflects the realities faced by low-income workers in Ontario. should include examining: • The level of earnings at which an individual begins receiving the WITB and how the WITB is adjusted when earnings increase, including the threshold at which the WITB begins to be reduced • The overall amount of support provided through the WITB • The net income at which individuals are no longer eligible to receive the WITB • Outreach, support and any alternative delivery required to ensure that the WITB is accessible to First Nations individuals Income Security: A Roadmap for Change 85
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INCOME SECURITY A Roadmap for Chang
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ACHIEVING INCOME ADEQUACY69 Setting
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A CLOSING NOTE164 APPENDIX A: Membe
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INCOME SECURITY: FUTURE STATE Essen
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3. Recognizing the Experience of In
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ENGAGING THE WHOLE INCOME SECURITY
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• The federal government enhance
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• Individual choice and well-bein
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• Conduct analyses on current and
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A TRANSFORMED SOCIAL ASSISTANCE STR
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• Initially exempt 25% of Canada
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SELF-GOVERNANCE AND RESPECT FOR FIR
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• First Nations social service pr
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• The capabilities, skills and pr
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SEQUENCING REFORM The Roadmap recom
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We recommend the Province commit to
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2015 also saw a commitment by the f
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MESSAGE FROM THE URBAN INDIGENOUS T
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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 60 and 61: services 64 More than 68% of socia
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 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
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DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS 16.1 Based
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16.10 Take steps to ensure that Fir
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• Community-based initiatives spe
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• Increasing and expediting help
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Until further changes to the 1965 A
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A CALL ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Th
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The Roadmap emphasizes the need for
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IMPLEMENTING AND MEASURING CHANGE M
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3. The need to take a system-wide a
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SEQUENCING CHANGE: A 10-YEAR ROADMA
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YEAR 2 The second year of implement
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YEARS 4 TO 10 Years 4 to 10 will ma
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THE COST OF INACTION Poverty is int
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• Ontario Drug Benefit costs for
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• Social Assistance, through: •
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A CLOSING NOTE This Roadmap holds t
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Violet Boissoneau Linda Cobiness Jo
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APPENDIX B: POVERTY REDUCTION STRAT
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Canada Pension Plan - Disability (C
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Indigenous Friendship Centres: Not-
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Old Age Security (OAS): A pension p
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Rent-Geared-To-Income (RGI): Financ
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Trauma-informed practice: Practices
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Income Security: A Roadmap for Change

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