This video presents “Put Food in the Budget”:
- “Do the Math is part of the Put Food in the Budget campaign in Ontario
- Currently a single person on social assistance gets $585 per month to cover housing, food, transport, and everything else”
- “As I found out taking the Do the Math challenge, this amount is not enough for to cover a healthy food supply and forces those in need to find a different food bank sources for day to day“
- “Do the Math yourself and advocate to Put Food In the Budget with an extra $100 increase in social assistance to support healthy food choices”
In the following letter, Put Food in the Budget urges us to:
- Please call Premier Kathleen Wynne at 416-325-1941 and tell her to immediately increase the base rate of Ontario Works by $100 a month – and to not cut the special diet allowance
- As well, please contact MPPs in your local ridings to encourage them to support the $100 base rate increase
Will Premier Wynne follow through on her promise and be the social justice Premier of Ontario?
Premier Wynne will need to follow up the speech from the throne with specific announcements if she is to begin to fulfill her promise to be the social justice premier of Ontario. Premier Wynne must immediately announce
- An increase in the base rate of Ontario Works of $100 a month
- An increase in the earnings exemption from $ 100 to $ 200 per month
- An increase in the allowable asset levels for people receiving social assistance
- A commitment to not cut or replace any of the current benefits – such as special diet allowance or ODSP work related benefit – until there is a phased in strategy that ensures the implementation of changes does not lower the income of any current recipients
Social justice occurs when wealth is re-distributed from the wealthy to the poor. It will not be an act of social justice if Premier Wynne takes money from one group of poor people (people who rely on the special diet allowance) to give it to another group of poor people (singles who currently receive the completely inadequate monthly allowance of $606).
If Premier Wynne cuts the special diet allowance she will fail in her promise to be the social justice premier of Ontario.
The Put Food in the Budget campaign believes every person in Ontario has a right to an income that ensures a person can live a life of health and dignity.
If you agree with the demands of the Put Food in the Budget campaign, please call Premier Kathleen Wynne at 416-325-1941 and tell her to immediately increase the base rate of Ontario Works by $100 a month – and to not cut the special diet allowance. As well, please contact MPPs in your local ridings to encourage them to support the $100 base rate increase.
Melissa Addison-Webster,
Spokesperson, Put Food in the Budget campaign
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