Social Assistance Reform Commission Report Overview Provincial AMO Update & Response Division Work Plan Alignment CSSSJSSC13-006 June 13, 2013
Social Assistance Commission Report Report Structure Enabling Employment 108 short and longterm recommendations Building a Better Benefit Structure Strengthening Accountability Estimates a 10-year time horizon Acting on Income Security First Nations Implementing Change & Early Priorities Costs of Poverty/Return on Investment
Key Points: Vision: Replace OW/ODSP with one integrated program Integration Recommend delivered by municipalities / First Nations Based on belief that employment is a route out of poverty & social exclusion Focus on getting people into labour market Benefit Revision Labour Focus Restrategize Jobs = Prosperity Municipal Delivery Revised Benefit Structure
Enabling Employment Strengthen Employment Services Municipally Delivered - Provincial Standards Increased Access to Employment Ontario for People with Disabilities Employment Supports (Pre/Post) Alternate Employment Activities like Social Enterprise &Self-Employment Integrated Service - Housing and Child Care
Employment Continued Distance from labour Market Approach New Pathways to Employment plans Integrated ODSP and OW Services Provide Individual Supports NEW Integrated Social Assistance Program
Now Ontario Works ODSP 240 different rates and combinations of rates Short- Term Sole Support Parent Supplement Children s Supplement Disability Supplement Standard Rate Long- Term Disability Benefit (outside SA) for all low- income people with disabilities All benefits for lowincome people with children - OCB / CCTB Standard Rate
Changes to Benefits A new standard rate at $100.00 more per month than current OW rate for single adults A modified rate of 86% of the standard rate for adults who share accommodation A disability and children s supplement on top of the standard rate (building blocks) Earnings exemptions of $200.00 per month Harmonization of health benefits so that all recipients receive the same benefit Eliminate the ODSP Work Related Benefit Eliminate the Special Diet Allowance (SDA) and transfer responsibility to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care ($30 million). Reinvest the remaining SDA ($200 million) into the standard rate.
Benefit Methodology Adopt a rational methodology for setting social assistance rates that achieves a balance among three objectives: Adequacy of rates to cover healthy food, secure housing, and other basic necessities; Fairness between social assistance recipients and people with low-incomes who are working; Financial incentive to work. Adequacy Fairness Balanced Benefits Incentive
Rate Structure Continued The new rate structure should also include replacing the rent scales for rent-geared to income (RGI) housing with rent based on 30 percent of household income.
Special Benefits Health Benefits First, make consistent across province Then move to Ministry of Health Then make available to all low-income people Employment Benefits and Other Benefits Block funds to municipalities for discretionary use Loss of mandatory benefits and appeal rights Loss of needs-based funding
Accountability Continued... Provincial Commissioner for Reform Coordinating council Stakeholder advisory board (SA clients, advocates, employers etc.) Service Agreements Among Province, Municipalities & First Nations Outcomes, targets, performance measures Public Reporting of Outcomes Annual performance reports Annual Report Card on reform Tabled in Legislature as part of reporting on Poverty Reduction Strategy
Chapter 6: Implementing Change Multi-faceted change management strategy, directly involving the people who will be affected Early Priorities Province to assess impact on different groups Grandparent current recipients who could be adversely affected by the introduction of the standard rate for single adults
Years Of Age at Death Chapter 7: The Costs of Poverty and Return on Investment Recognizes that the root causes of poverty, its consequences, and its costs, cannot be addressed by the social assistance system alone. Poverty costs us all health, economic Develop Return on Investment Indices 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 City of Hamilton 65.5 Years Old Low-Income Neighbourhood Case Study 86.3 Years Old High-Income Neighbourhood
Provincial Response Prorogation Fall 2012 delayed action Wynne Budget includes: Increasing Asset Limits, Delayed Action Wynne Budget Decisions on service delivery Model TBD Employment earnings exemptions Increases to Rate 1% and $14/month singles No action yet on service delivery model or moving benefits outside of Social Assistance
Consultation Sustainability Accountability AMO/OMSSA response Reinstate working groups. {Provincial, Municipal, Fiscal and Service Delivery Review (PMFSDR)} Heed the advice of Economist Don Drummond. { Heavy-handed control or sweeping fiscal approaches are not sustainable } Drummond Report Create an Accountability Framework. {Should be the first order of business.} Avoid One Size Fits All
Local Response Community Meetings for Service Providers {Dec 2012 & Feb 2013 } Open invitation Community Meeting March Local working groups {ODSP/OW Pilot } Simplify OW Processes Engage Employers Follow up Community Information meeting June 25
Alignment to Social Service Division Priorities/Service Plan Simplified processes will allow for better customer service Employment Readiness Scale Outcomes/transparency people centred Importance of partnerships -working efficiently with all employment service providers EO, OW and ODSP People People
Summary Agreement on Need for Social Assistance System Reform Complexity of the Current system Provincial Municipal Partnership Required Involvement of People on Assistance in Designing Reform and in Future Delivery is Very Important Local Conversations Beneficial
Discussion To see the full report go to: http://www.socialassistancereview.ca/uploads/ File/COMM_Report_FinalH-t-Eng.pdf