(ONTARIO) – Ontario is working on a plan to reform Social Assistance so that it helps more people break the cycle of poverty, re-enter the workforce and get back on track.



MacLeod highlighted that the government has set an accelerated 100 day deadline to develop and announce a sustainable Social Assistance program that focusses on helping people lift themselves out of poverty. In the intermediate term, the government will provide current Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program recipients with an across-the-board 1.5 per cent increase in support rates to help them with a higher cost of living. As part of this reform, MacLeod also announced that the Province will be winding down Ontario’s Basic Income research project in order to focus resources on more proven approaches.

“Our plan will help get people back to work and keep them working, while supporting people with disabilities to work when they are able and participate in their communities,” said MacLeod. “And our efforts to fix social assistance will go hand-in-hand with our commitments to reduce gas prices by 10 cents per litre, lower hydro rates, and provide targeted tax relief for working parents and minimum wage earners, all of which will provide focused benefits to lower income families.”

Over the past 15 years the number of Ontarians forced to go on Social Assistance has skyrocketed by 55 per cent. One in five people stays on Ontario Works for five or more years, and if they leave almost half return, 90 per cent of them within a year. This is what a cycle of poverty looks like.


“Social assistance will always be about compassion for people in need, but it must also be about lifting people up and helping them get their lives back on track through more jobs, more opportunities and more hope. Tackling the serious issues facing our social assistance system is not an easy thing to do. But it is the right thing to do. And we will get this right.”

Source: Government of Ontario



  1. About time they get an increase, they only pay $375 for rent for a single person at most.. you cant even rent a room for that anymore.

    1. Jason – I couldn’t have said it better myself.
      Let’s add to the list;
      – Mandatory drug tests. (What, invasion of privacy? Then how can my employer make ME take them?)
      – If you’re paid a monthly fee, you have to show where 100% of it goes.
      – NO booze!
      – NO smokes!

    2. you guys are a bunch of a**hpoles, just for your info i do have a job and work very hard, i know people who are currently struggling on odsp, i take it your all over privledged idiots…
      ive been there and its hard to survive on what they give you while trying to better yourself,
      i do understand where your coming from and know that there is alot of people abuseing the system but there are some people that do need it and dont take advantage of it….
      there are good people out there too…

    3. Sa recipients get a 3% increase every year, in October. This year only 1.5%. A single person currently receives $337 basic needs, increased to $342 in October… that really helps with the cost of living increase. Smdh.

  2. Out of every 100 working-age persons in Ontario, about 60 work, 5 are looking for work, and the other 35 are not looking.
    Out of that 35, the article seems to imply that about 10 are permanently on social assistance ? (1/5 Ontarians is 20 but half of that get out ?).

  3. That is the wrong approach and who the fuck can live off welfare with the rent being so high people are barely making it with 2 jobs and a single well you might as well live on the streets I say screw Doug Ford never voted for the lying jackass anyways Doug better get his head outta his ass and snap back to reality

  4. all you people on here criticizing people on OW or ODSP can pound salt up your arses you righteous bastards

    1. you seem to have your head up your a**. and with such hostility and obvious anger issues you have too!

      If you need more money to get by then stop wasting your time and get to work!

  5. oh, and Ill agree to everything Bubba said up there. Those should be the minimum requirements for people who want a free ride at the working peoples expense.

    Ill throw in that they should be forced labour.. get out there and clean the goose s**t and graffiti and garbage and scrub the city streets with toothbrushes too.

  6. your a bunch of a**holes…. obviously none of you hav ebeen at the point in your life needing help.
    probably over privledged with parents that payed your way…
    i undertsand the drug tests etc, but seriously no smokes? thats like saying ok for your job were going to test for smokeing now too.. and if you do your firred!!, rediculous.. im not even a smoker and i think this is stupid…
    some poeple really do need the help.
    i know someone on ontario works who cannot work he cant even leave the house without haveing a serious panic attack, he is trying everyhting he can to get on disabillity but just getting the run around constantly… its not that he doesnt want to work he just seriously cant, doctors dont seem to help ither they just dont care about people with panic attacks or severe anxiety it seems like… but anyways back to the point.
    some poeple need these services offered, not everyone on it is abuseing them, ontario works doesnt even give enough money to live, you cannot rent even a room in the town for $375/m anymore, and the food allowance does not cover a month for any normal person, your basically bieng forced into anorexia or bieng anemic cause you cant eat properly, let alone afford the regular nessesitys for personal hygene etc…
    i would love to see any of you inconsiderate PR*CKS bieng forced to live on what theses poeple have to for even one year!

    1. Thunder Bay has the fattest poor people in the world. With all the free food programs out there provided by whining bleeding hearts, nobody is starving unless they choose to.

      Next, if your buddy cant leave the house, then its about time he learned to. The world is a scary place, suck it up buttercup. Get off your ass and face the world. Staying inside your home cowering when the mailman shows up wont help you. You need to help yourself because nobody else can help. Being scared to go outside is not a disability that the taxpayers of the world should have to support. You CAN work, you just want to invent reasons not to work.

      and yup, no smokes. You don’t need smokes to live, in fact they are killing you and the healthcare system. Plus, if you cant afford them and choose to live on welfare that’s something else the taxpayers don’t need to support. Too bad, so sad. Plus, employers don’t want to hire you if you’re always on a smoke break all the time and stinking up the place. Do yourself and the world a favour and quit smoking. Its the easiest thing in the world to do… all you need to do is… NOTHING! Don’t buy anymore, don’t buy any bic lighters, don’t carry them around, don’t run outside to have one, and for heavens sakes.. don’t smoke one. How hard is it to do nothing? Its almost like collecting welfare!

      and how dare you call the people paying the taxes “inconsiderate pricks” We’re tired of your whining and you’re the one being selfish. Always holding out your hands demanding others give you money.. then when we do you whine that its not enough. Yawn… tell your story walking because nobody wants to hear it any longer.

    2. I can tell you for a FACT – I had nothing growing up – PERIOD. My toys were used and given from my older siblings. Believe it or not, I was told to study hard in school, be courteous and respect elders. Guess what, I made out pretty good in life. Very good in fact.
      I’m guessing you didn’t listen or could give 2 shits from what your Guardians or TEACHERS tried to tell you. Now you cry me a river because you’re so hard done by? Give me a break. If you want my hard earned money then shut your pie hole and be thankful you’re getting anything. Ford is by far a better Premier than Wynn ever was and he just started.

  7. wow you guys you cant even read. i have stated above that i myself am not on any kind of assistance, i work very hard and have a great job, i went all through school aswell, the only difference in me and you is i understand people need help and want to help them, you guys just dont seem to gibve a shit about anyone but yourselves.
    i understand what these people are going through ive been there i worked very hard to get to where i am today..
    theres no point argueing with you any longer, ive never met anyone as self ritious and inconsiderate as you guys in my life and all i can wish for is that you end up in the situation so u can understand it better!!
    all in all have a great day and hope i never meet you as i cant stand people like you !!!

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