What is the Social Assistance Review?
On December 4, 2008, the Ontario government released its Poverty Reduction Strategy.
The Strategy made a commitment to “undertake a review of social assistance with the goal of removing barriers and increasing opportunity” (p30).
On December 2, 2009, the government announced an advisory panel to provide recommendations to the Minister of Community and Social Services on how to proceed with the Review.
On June 14, 2010, the Social Assistance Review Advisory Council released its report, in which it calls for a “bold vision” for a review of income security in Ontario, including but not limited to social assistance programs.
The Council stated explicitly that the Review they are recommending will be much more than simply tinkering with current program rules, changing bits and pieces here and there.
The government has been positive about the recommendations, but they haven’t yet issued an official response.
That response is not likely to come until the fall. That’s when we’ll know exactly what the government intends to do to make social assistance in Ontario work better for the people who rely on it.
The Review is urgently needed, because Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program are built on a foundation of ideas that work against the principle of poverty reduction.
It’s time for a Review that results in a transformation that promotes economic security – because that’s how poverty will be reduced.
We need a Review that:
- makes sure the voices of low-income people are heard
- identifies and addresses the most punitive elements of the system right now
- re-imagines and creates a system for the longer-term that moves people out of poverty by offering meaningful and appropriate resources and programs
- starts soon – because people who rely on social assistance can’t wait.
Get Involved
Check this website often for updates on what’s going on with the Social Assistance Review – what the government is doing, what ISAC is doing, and what activists across Ontario are doing.
We will strive to provide up-to-date opportunities for action, news from around the province, links to resources, and ideas about things you can do to influence the Review.
- Don’t forget to Tell your Story
- Here are some tips for how to Take Action
- See what the Government has done so far
- Read the latest Publications and Resources
- Check out the most recent News
