For many years, ISARC (Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition) has monitored the level of social assistance support provided to vulnerable Ontarians who are unemployed, underemployed or living with disabilities.
A single adult on OW (Ontario Works) has a monthly income of $733, which amounts to only 56% of the deep poverty threshold.
ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Programs), designed for those who have barriers to employment, provides only a slightly higher income level. In June 2022, the current Ontario Government committed to raising ODSP rates by 5%.
The “social safety net,” as it is referred to, is supposed to provide the means by which someone can provide basic food and shelter for themselves and their family and live as a member of the community. Yet, it is estimated that more than 900,000 Ontarians seek to survive on social assistance incomes that leave them in deep poverty. Many of them are children.
We invite you to join us for our Raise The Rates Interfaith Fast – an intentional time of prayer and fasting between Monday, November 14 and Friday, November 18. Justice, equity, and compassion are at the heart of many faiths, and it’s important for us as an interfaith community to support our most vulnerable neighbours.
This event will lead into our annual Religious Leader’s Forum on Wednesday, November 23, with a focus on the importance of raising social assistance rates for those who survive by relying on these incomes.
