Meeting with Minister of Community and Social Services

Six members of the ODSP Action Coalition met with Madeleine Meilleur, the new Minister of Community and Social Services, in early September. The focus of the meeting was on the need to raise ODSP and OW rates, although issues like ending the National Child Benefit Supplement clawback and the new earnings rules were also addressed. Our delegation included two ODSP recipients, someone from the Aboriginal Health Advocacy Network, the president of the Schizophrenic Society of Ontario, someone representing an employment co-operative for people with intellectual disabilities, and a community legal worker. The Minister defended what her government has been doing on ODSP and poverty issues, as politicians always do. However, at least said she understands that the 3% and 2% raises are not enough to meet people’s needs, calling them a step in the right direction.

Ministry Announces Retroactive ODSP Payments

In the last Coalition Connection, we wrote about the report "Losing the Waiting Game" by the provincial Ombudsman. This dealt with the delays at the Disability Adjudication Unit, and the four month rule, whereby many people who had to wait a long time for their disability applications to be approved lost a large amount of retroactive benefits. Now the government has announced that every ODSP recipient who lost money because of this rule will be given a special payment, starting in November of this year. The head office in Toronto will send out these payments, not local ODSP offices.

Coalition work

Coalition activity this fall has mostly been preparing for two big events: the Action Against Poverty Week and our own strategy planning day, "Tackling ODSP: Pushing for Change." Other work by Coalition committees included a meeting of the Earnings and Employment Supports Working group, and preparation of a submission on the new Human Rights legislation by some of our members interested in seeing real improvements to the way human rights are enforced. And, even though the Special Diet committee is ending, its chair still updated our educational materials because of minor changes that have been made. Meanwhile, The Coalition’s Steering Committee has had communications with Ministry officials about the progress of the Special Diet Expert review, about how the retroactive ODSP payments will be done, about the new earnings rules, and other issues.

Anti-Poverty Activists Stand Strong at Queen's Park - Oct. 17th

It took more than a downpour to stop the anti-poverty rally in Toronto! More than 300 people came out to Queen's Park in the pouring rain on Tuesday, Oct. 17th - the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The Ontario Coalition for Social Justice released a report card grading the Liberal Government's action on poverty issues and called on all parties to develop a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy before the next provincial election.

For more detailed information on the Toronto Rally: see the Toronto Region ODSP Action Coalition’s web site: http://www.geocities.com/torontodisabilityaction

Continue the Fight - Lobby your MPP!

The rally was part of a province-wide "Action Against Poverty Week" with events happening in Cobourg, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Hamilton, Kenora, Kingston, Timmins, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peterborough and York Region, as well as Toronto. Groups and individuals are urged to write or meet with their MPP’s to reinforce the message of the need to increase ODSP and OW rates and the other issues. You can find materials to assist in this work on the Ontario Coalition for Social Justice website (www.ocsj.ca).