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, their families, 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."
