Improving Opportunities For Social Assistance Recipients

Welfare Changes Help People Break The Cycle Of Poverty TORONTO. June 12 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is removing more barriers to education and employment to help people on social assistance realize a brighter future. Madeleine Meilleur. Minister of Community and Social Services. announced today. "We're on the side of people who are trying to improve their lives through better education and job opportunities." said Meilleur. "People who are making efforts to become financially independent from social assistance deserve our help." The changes announced today eliminate rules that impede social assistance recipients from breaking the cycle of poverty. Key changes to the Ontario Works program and the Ontario Disability Support Program include: << - Eliminating the "Quit/Fire" rule so recipients will no longer be afraid to accept a job for fear of losing financial support if that job does not work out - Allowing Ontario Works recipients to keep a vehicle worth up to $10.000 so they have a reliable mode of transportation to help them get to and from a job - Giving all 16- and 17-year-old Ontario Works recipients. whose assistance was cut off because they dropped out of high school. the opportunity to re-apply for assistance if they return to school - Encouraging dependent adults who are in high school full-time to save the money they earn from their jobs to put towards their future education. This is part of the government's commitment to give social assistance recipients and their families more opportunities. Other recent changes include: - Increasing financial support for working parents who have informal child care expenses - Providing $14 million for rent banks to help our most vulnerable stay in their homes - Committing $301 million to create 15.000 affordable housing units and provide 5.000 housing allowances. "Helping people on social assistance get jobs means a better future for them. our communities and our economy." said Meilleur. "The strength of our province lies in its people - that's why we're working together to help them succeed." Disponible en fran? the McGuinty government is introducing more improvements to the Ontario Works program and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) to help recipients and their families move into the workforce and break the cycle of financial dependency. Many of these changes are in direct response to what Deb Matthews. Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Community and Social Services. heard during her discussions with social assistance recipients. community organizations and municipalities in 2004. Overall. her findings indicated that recipients need a wider range of individual supports as they transition to employment. and that program rules need to be simplified and punitive policies eliminated. Outlined below are some of the key improvements being made to Ontario Works and ODSP. In addition to these changes. the government is introducing several regulations intended to improve the ongoing management of both programs to make them work better for everyone. Eliminating the "Quit/Fire" Rule Caseworkers. recipients and community groups told the government that some people on social assistance were reluctant to take a job because of the "Quit/Fire" rule. This rule stated that if recipients quit their job or are fired. they could lose financial support for three or six months. The government is eliminating this barrier to employment so recipients will no longer be afraid to accept a job for fear of losing financial support if circumstances require them to leave their job. Recipients must make a reasonable effort to look for a new job. start working again. or participate in a training program in order to keep their income support. Note: This affects all Ontario Works recipients. as well as some spouses and dependent adults of ODSP recipients. Increasing Motor Vehicle Asset Limit Inadequate access to transportation is a key barrier to employment for some social assistance recipients. If people cannot get to their jobs. they cannot work. That's why the government is now allowing Ontario Works recipients to keep a vehicle worth up to $10. look for a job or participate in a training program. In some cases.000 limit forced people to get rid of a reliable mode of transportation in order to qualify for financial assistance. making it more difficult for them to get to and from interviews or their job. While other transportation supports and benefits exist. raising the motor vehicle limit will give recipients an additional tool to help them meet their transportation needs and make it easier for them to find and keep a job - the first steps on the way to becoming independent of social assistance. Note: ODSP recipients do not have a maximum limit on the value of one motor vehicle per family. Encouraging Young People to Finish High School Under the old rule. most 16- and 17-year old Ontario Works recipients who dropped out of high school and. lost their assistance. could not reapply to social assistance until they turned 18 years old. There was no incentive for young recipients to consider going back to school. The government is changing this rule to allow all 16- and 17-year-olds whose assistance was cut off because they were not attending school to re-apply for assistance. as long as they return to school. This will encourage more young people on social assistance to complete their education and get on the path to a brighter future. Helping Students Save for Future Education Ontario's social assistance system already exempts. as income and assets. the earnings of dependent children of recipients to help them save money from their after-school jobs to put towards future education costs. The government is now extending this to include dependent adults who are in high school full-time. so they also have the opportunity to save as much money as they can for their post-secondary educational pursuits. By encouraging more people to save and plan for a higher education and giving them the tools to do so. the government is helping them start on the path to a future independent of social assistance. << Disponible en fran?