📈💲 Inflation is the highest it’s been in 18 years. But ODSP rates haven’t gone up in three. I spoke with advocates and a researcher about the problems this poses for people who rely on the Ontario Disability Support Program. [1/11] 
https://twitter.com/TheAgenda/status/1455346419901116420
“The rates are too low, and if you're not even giving people a meagre increase, that's just not going to work,” @hatalaandrea, who volunteers with the @ODSPAction says. Inflation rose 4.4 per cent year-over-year in September. [2/11]
A 2019 AG report states that more than half a million people received money from the program in the 2018/19 fiscal year. Barring special allowances, the maximum monthly payment for a single person is $672 for basic needs & $497 for shelter. auditor.on.ca/en/content/ann… [3/11]
Advocates say below-inflation increases are a long-term issue. In 2004, the most a single person could receive from ODSP was $930 per month, or the equivalent of about $1,266 today. That means ODSP payments now are worth less than they were 17 years ago. [4/11]
A spokesperson for Merrilee Fullerton, the minister of children, community and social services, told TVO.org the government has invested in various social supports and looks forward to the federal government creating a promised Canadian Disability Benefit. [5/11]
A @McMasterU survey showed during the pandemic, people on ODSP and Ontario Works struggled to make ends meet at a higher rate than those receiving the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit ($2,000 monthly) and people not receiving government support. labourstudies.mcmaster.ca/research/covid… [6/11]
The fact that people who received CERB reported better circumstances has not been lost on those advocating for higher ODSP rates. Jon Braithwaite, CEO of the Hope Centre in Welland says CERB's payout shows a federal recognition that people need at least that much. [7/11]
He says at the start of the pandemic, many CERB recipients stopped needing the food bank, but soon, usage increased. It was up 70 per cent year-over-year in April and eight per cent in September. He expects it to increase as federal supports end.
stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-r… [8/11]
stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-r… [8/11]
Hamilton's @anthony_frisina calls it “mind-boggling” that anyone could think it was possible to live a healthy life on ODSP. Even $2,000 per month is too little for people with disabilities, he says, noting that some may have related expenses. [9/11]
“Change is necessary so that the disability community has an equal and fair opportunity to live the life that we want to live, not something that is dictated by a handout," Frisina says.
In September, he and Hatala attended a rally calling for higher ODSP rates. [10/11]
In September, he and Hatala attended a rally calling for higher ODSP rates. [10/11]
.@ODSPAction has a list of demands including increasing rates and adjusting them for inflation. Fullerton’s spokesperson did not address repeated questions as to whether the government would consider taking any of these steps.
tvo.org/article/the-co… [11/11]
tvo.org/article/the-co… [11/11]
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