The Recession Relief Coalition was created in response to the worldwide economic meltdown to pressure the Canadian government to take specific steps to reduce the impact on the Canadian people. these steps that we propose include: URGENT NEED FOR GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS While todays recession is the worst since the 1930s, our social safety net is much weaker than in previous recessions. We call for immediate government action: SOCIAL ASSISTANCE REFORM • Increase the incomes of people on social assistance and those with low incomes • Address barriers to social assistance • Enact federal standards and increase funding to address poverty and reform social assistance UNEMPLOYMENT INCOME (EI) REFORM • Change the hours required to qualify for EI in all regions of Canada to 360 hours • Increase the duration of EI benefits to 50 weeks for all workers in all regions and provide an additional year of Special Extension benefits if national unemployment exceeds 6.5% – paid from federal general revenues • Extend EI Part 1 benefits while a worker is in approved training • Increase benefits to at least 60% of normal earnings, based on workers best 12 weeks for the previous 52-week period, and raise the maximum EI benefit level • Suspend the allocation of severance pay in calculating EI benefits • Eliminate the 2-week waiting period before EI payments begin1 1 As demanded by the Good Jobs For All Coalition. FUNDING FOR NON-PROFIT SECTOR, INCLUDING HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS • Prevent spending cuts to public and private not-for-profit agencies serving vulnerable people including: children, youth, families, racialized communities, immigrants and refugees, those who are homeless, unemployed or underemployed people, senior citizens, people with disabilities and those suffering from mental illness • Increase funding to all HRSDC (Human Resources and Social Development Canada) and newcomer settlement programs, including doubling the existing level of funding being provided through the HPI (Homeless Partnerships Initiatives) program to supplement funding that is projected to be lost from private sector sources and increase funding levels as required
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$100 would not put …
$100 would not put a great dent into the problem, but it would be a great first step in showing that the Ontario government is serious about poverty reduction. and would help people who rely on social assistance to have a little more choice.
I can’t speak for …
I can’t speak for Michael, but I believe that asking for a $100.00 increase is totally inadequate and asking for such a small increase will only set a cap to the limit of increase the government will consider and therefore is a disservice to the real needs of the people affected.
Mr. Oliphant has …
Mr. Oliphant has stated that the key to helping clients is to see more money in their pockets so that people can afford to purchase basic needs on their own. Why isn’t Daily Bread lobbying the provincial government to support the health of social assistance recipients by advocating for higher rates or at minimum a healthy food benefit increase of $100 for all adults on social assistance as a show of good faith in reducing poverty in Ontario over the next 5 years?