Recorded on December 08, 2017 - An important new report called “Income Security: A Roadmap for Change” provides community members, advocates, and decision-makers an important opportunity to push for major new investments and transformation in Ontario’s income security system, including social assistance. This webinar introduces people to the report and its recommendations to the provincial government, which include:
- Making a commitment that income security programs should aim to lift people out of poverty
- Creating supports for low-wage workers to help them deal with the high cost of housing and extended health care coverage, like dental services and pharmacare
- Transforming social assistance programs, by moving them from punishment and coercion to client-centred and supportive
- Recognizing the unique needs of people with disabilities through the provision of services that are based on their rights under international conventions
- Recognizing the inherent jurisdiction of First Nations over the social programs that they need
- Making immediate investments in improving benefits for those who are in deepest poverty.
The webinar is required viewing for all those who are interested in poverty reduction and elimination, overhauling social assistance, and ensuring low-wage workers receive better supports, within a framework of adequacy, human rights, reconciliation, access to services, economic and social inclusion, and equity and fairness. Government is seeking feedback on the Roadmap report by January 5, 2018.
The Roadmap report is available at:https://www.ontario.ca/page/income-security-reform
ISAC’s Backgrounder and Feedback Kit are available at:http://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/a-roadmap-for-change-tools-you-can-use-to-have-your-voice-heard//
A PDF copy of the presentation slides is available below.
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Income Security Roadmap for Change: What it says, why it matters, and what you can do from CLEO Webinars on Vimeo.
About the presenters
Mary Marrone and Jennefer Laidley
Mary Marrone is the Director of Advocacy & Legal Services and Jennefer Laidley is the Research & Policy Analyst at the Income Security Advocacy Centre, a specialty community legal clinic mandated to advocate for improvements to the income security of people in Ontario. Mary was a member of one of the Working Groups that contributed to the Roadmap report. Jennefer has conducted numerous webinars through Your Legal Rights on a variety of topics related to income security.
Fiona MacCool
This webinar was facilitated by Fiona MacCool, Digital Projects Manager at CLEO. Visit Steps to Justice at stepstojustice.ca for reliable, practical, and easy to understand legal information on Social Assistance and other legal topics.