Ontario's welfare rates were cut by 21.6% and disability rates frozen in
1995 after the Tories were elected. A three per cent increase came into
effect earlier this year (the first since 1993) but with ten years'
worth of inflation to take into account the cumulative amount of the cut
probably amounts to more than 40 per cent by now.
Ontario and B.C. both have Liberal majority governments in power at this
time but it would appear their primary mandate nowadays is to out-Tory
each other.
Anyway, the small difference in rates is relative since Ontario averages
out as a more expensive place to live. Toronto in particular suffers
from prohibitively high average rents. The current rental vacancy rate
of three per cent in T.O. (which is considered to be a healthy level)
does not accurately reflect what is available to poor people. The rent
portion of a welfare cheque (about $340) doesn't begin to cover an
average rent in Toronto, especially for families of any size. This means
people are often forced to use part (or all) of the already inadequate
basic needs portion of their cheques to cover the shortfall in rent.
The people who were able to obtain the special diet allowance in Ontario
definitely enjoyed an improved quality of life while receiving this
money. This change of policy will force many folks to return to their
previous state of hunger and desperation. With this move the government
has guaranteed that levels of both hunger and homelessness (with all the
associated health issues) will spike upward as people are forced once
again to make the monthly Hobson's choice of either paying rent or
putting food on the table.
While it is clear that B.C. lags behind Ontario in terms of possible
access to supplementary programs, the basic fight in both provinces is
no different. The major variance in B.C. is that folks would be starting
more or less from scratch rather than attempting to preserve an existing
program under threat, but the goal in both places is to ensure people
have enough income to enable them to live in health and dignity. Any
government that violates this principle is clearly showing its lack of
regard for human life and must be confronted on this basis.
Just my $.02 worth - anyone requiring change can contact me offlist.
Graeme
Chrystal Ocean wrote:
> The Ontario list is generous compared to what we have in British Columbia.
>
> Not only are BC's welfare rates lower than Ontario's - for a single person,
> it's $510 vs $535.60 -, we've never had a food supplement as high as $250.
>
> In BC, the maximum diet supplement that income assistance (welfare &
> disability) recipients in BC may receive is $50/month. The following is an
> excerpt from Schedule C of BC's Employment and Assistance Act:
>
> (a) $10 for each calendar month for a person who requires a restricted
> sodium diet;
>
> (b) $15 for each calendar month for a person who has diabetes;
>
> (c) $30 for each calendar month for a person who requires kidney dialysis if
> the person is not eligible under the kidney dialysis service provided by the
> Ministry of Health;
>
> (d) $40 for each calendar month for a person who requires a high protein diet;
>
> (e) $40 for each calendar month for a person who requires a gluten-free diet;
>
> (f) $40 for each calendar month for a person who has dysphagia;
>
> (g) $50 for each calendar month for a person who has cystic fibrosis.
>
> (2) A diet supplement under subsection (1) (d) may only be provided if the
> diet is confirmed by a medical practitioner as being necessary for one of
> the following medical conditions:
>
> (a) cancer that requires nutritional support during
>
> (i) radiation therapy,
>
> (ii) chemotherapy,
>
> (iii) surgical therapy, or
>
> (iv) ongoing medical treatment;
>
> (b) chronic inflammatory bowel disease;
>
> (c) Crohn's disease;
>
> (d) ulcerative colitis;
>
> (e) HIV positive diagnosis;
>
> (f) AIDS;
>
> (g) chronic bacterial infection;
>
> (h) tuberculosis;
>
> (i) hyperthyroidism;
>
> (j) osteoporosis;
>
> (k) hepatitis B;
>
> (l) hepatitis C.
>
> *A doctor's certificate verifying the presence of any of these conditions
> won't ensure the supplement is provided. Workers make a decision on a
> case-by-case basis. I know of situations in which the supplement has been
> denied.
>
> --Ocean
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Chrystal Ocean, Coordinator.
> Wellbeing through Inclusion Socially & Economically
> http://www.wise-bc.org/
> 250-748-8093
>
> ORDER NOW! Policies of Exclusion, Poverty & Health: Stories from the Front
> http://www.wise-bc.org/CVProject/book.html
>
>
>
>
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