Five per cent increase in ODSP funding to be available in September
The Progressive Conservative government has said that recipients of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) will start receiving their five per cent increases in September.
As part of his re-election campaign—and to keep up with his opponents who were all committing to a drastic increase in ODSP payments--Premier Doug Ford promised a five per cent increase in monthly payments for ODSP recipients.
Individuals on ODSP have been receiving $1,169 a month since 2018. A five per cent increase would put an additional $58 in their pockets.
“This is just one of the many ways our government is providing support to those who need it most,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy told reporters Tuesday after re-tabling the budget.
The PCs have said they will legislate an annual increase based on inflation, which has ballooned over the last few years.
However, advocates say a five per cent increase is not nearly enough.
Last month, more than 200 advocacy groups signed an open letter asking the Ontario government to double ODSP payment rates. They argued that a five per cent increase tied to inflation would mean ODSP recipients would be constantly struggling.
"With continued inflation, and the associated increase in cost of living, five per cent is not nearly enough of a rate increase to survive," the Income Security Advocacy Centre wrote in their letter.
In a news conference, Bethlenfalvy was asked repeatedly by reporters whether he could live on $1,200 a month. He evaded the questions, saying only that the government was delivering on their campaign commitment.
“The question is, what can we do for the people of Ontario that are the most vulnerable?” Bethlenfalvy said instead. “This is a step in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, the Progressive Conservatives have incorporated a number of other money-saving proposals into their 2022 budget, including eliminating licence plate sticker renewal fees, cutting the gas tax and dolling out money to parents.
The new ODSP payments will begin in September, the ministry said, and are typically made out at the end of the month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.