ODSP Action Coalition

Report Card on Social Assistance

Campaign Tool Kit

Part 3: March-May 2015

Social Inclusion

ACTION:

Work Related Benefit

Letter Writing and Petition

Twitter: @ODSPAction

Facebook: facebook.com/ODSPACTION

What’s inside?

  • Introduction and overview to the campaign
  • Action for March-May 2015
  • What you can do?

Introduction and overview to the Campaign

The ODSP Action Coalition is a network of people who receive ODSP, disability organizations, community legal clinics and other social agencies who work with people with disabilities. Together we push for improvements to ODSP law and policies.

The Coalition actively engaged in the Review of Social Assistance commissioned by the Ontario government as part of their first Poverty Reduction Strategy. We not only made submissions, we also developed materials to support other groups in hosting workshops and crafting submissions so that as many voices of people affected would be part of the Review as possible.

The Commissioners who led the review made a series of recommendations to government that contained some positive steps forward to improving Ontario Works (OW). Unfortunately, most of the recommendations around ODSP ignored the input of people with disabilities and other advocates – focusing too little on the need for adequacy NOW, and aan unfair and divisive approach representation of ‘fairness’ that recommended stripping some special benefits from ODSP to pay for improvements to OW.

Even though the review was done as part of the poverty reduction strategy, the actions the Ontario government has taken so far have left people on ODSP worse off. So we’re developing a report card, to highlight the pattern of reform and its impact on people, as well as to demand the incomes, dignity and respect that people on ODSP deserve.

2015 will be full of Coalition calls for action. We hope you will join us!

Theme 3: Social Inclusion

Action: Work Related Benefit Letter Writing and Petition

Background:

In 2014, the provincial government announced that they will eliminate the Work-Related Benefit. This $100 monthly benefit helps people on ODSP to pay for ongoing work-related expenses. It is a mandatory benefit that people receive automatically when they declare work-related income.

The government is replacing the Work-Related Benefit with a new benefit. However, the new benefit is only intended to help ODSP recipients who want to get into a job, not those who are already working.

34,000 people on ODSP will be affected by this decision. They are contributing to the economy, feeling part of their communities and earning some much-needed income, while working to whatever capacity they can. This decision will mean that they will lose up to $1,200 a year in much needed income.

In December 2014, the ODSP Action Coalition launched a survey to find out what the loss of the Work-Related Benefit would mean to people who live on ODSP and members of their family. Over 500 people responded to the survey from across Ontario.

The results of the survey are available at:

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to our survey! Your input is very important.

The survey tells us that ending the Work Related Benefit is wrong because:

  • People on ODSP are trying very hard to work and to continue working
  • They face many barriers to the labour market and and deal with a number of costs associated with working, including transportation, work-related clothing and equipment, and healthy food.
  • Without the benefit people fear that they will have to quit working or limit the amount of work they can do.
  • The elimination of the benefit will have a number of financial, physical, and emotional impacts.

The elimination of this benefit has been postponed to October 2015. This gives us time to work together to stop this cut altogether.

It is important that the government hears from you on why they should not eliminate the Work-Related Benefit!

Turn to the next page to see what you can do.

What you can do:

1. Letter writing campaign

We have created an online letter-writing tool that will let you easily send a message to your local MPP, the Minister of Community and Social Services, other Cabinet ministers, Leaders of the Opposition Parties and the Premier.

Here’s how to use it:

  • Go to
  • You will be asked to input your name, address, city, and postal code. This will help us identify your local MPP so they can receive your letter.
  • You will be asked to input your email address. This is so that you can receive a response to your letter.
  • There will be spacein the letter where you can provide additional comments about how you feel about the loss of the Work-Related Benefit, if you choose to.
  • When you are finished, scroll down to the bottom of the letter and click “Submit”.
  • You will then get a thank you message!

Once you have sent the letter, please share it with others.

  • Post the link to your Facebook page to encourage others to sign on. Copy the link from above or from the Coalition’s website and paste it on your Facebook page.
  • Share the letter through Twitter. If you have a Twitter account, please copy and paste the link in your tweets.

If you need a paper version of the letter because using the online version is not possible for you, please contact Kyle Vose at or Chris Ramsaroop at .
2. Petition to the Legislative Assembly

The Coalition is working to have a petition on the Work-Related Benefit raised in the Ontario Legislature in May and early June 2015.

This means we have only six weeks to gather signatures!

Here’s what to do:

  • Download and print the petition form here:
  • Fill out and sign the petition.
  • Signatures will only be accepted if signed on the same page of the text as the petition. Signatures will not be accepted if written on the back of the petition.
  • Circulate the petition to your friends, family, co-workers, and others to have them sign it too.
  • Please feel free to print off multiple petitions so that as many people as possible can sign on.
  • Once you have as many signatures as you can gather, send us the hard copy to the address below.
  • It’s very important that you send the hard copy. The Ontario Legislature’srules say that only original hard copies will be accepted. Faxed or e-mail petitions will not be accepted.
  • The deadline for sending us your signed petition forms is extended to Friday May22, 2015.
  • Mail your petition forms to:
  • ODSP Action Coalition

c/o 425 Adelaide St West Suite 500

Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C1

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