Hamilton’s independent MPP Sarah Jama has announced plans to introduce two new motions that target social support programs in Ontario.
The first motion focuses on the shelter allowances provided by the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Works (OW) program.
The proposal aims to adjust the amount of money paid out for housing by basing its value on the average market rent - rather than the fixed payments that the programs currently offer.
Currently, the maximum shelter allowance for a single individual receiving ODSP benefits is $556 a month, according to the ODSP calculation page. A similar benefit for housing from Ontario Works is just $390.
In January, the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment was over $1,700 in Hamilton, according to February’s rental report from Urbanation.
“These amounts are much greater than the amounts of recipients of either program actually receive,” said Ron Anicich, a spokesperson with the ODSP Action Coalition. “This is a massive inadequacy, which urgently needs to be addressed.”
The second motion aims to forgo an individual’s marital status when applying for ODSP - regardless of whether or not they reside with a spouse or common-law partner.
Jama says the current structure that calculates benefits based on an applicant’s spousal status “creates a barrier for many people who want to leave abusive relationships but fear losing their financial security.”
She says the motion would free victims of domestic abuse from having to rely on their partner’s income.
As it stands now, the province combines the incomes of couples who reside together and uses that total household amount to calculate ODSP benefits.
The province says that any person who has been living with another adult (with the exception of close relatives) for at least three months is required to provide those details when applying for benefits.
The two motions, which were co-authored with the ODSP Action Coalition, are scheduled to be tabled on Feb. 20.
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