Do the Math Challenge Background

Rationale for the Challenge: Community representatives from the Put Food in the Budget campaign visited more than forty MPP’s across Ontario and asked them to complete the survey. The MPP’s who completed the survey said that a single person needs a minimum income of $1340 per month. Almost all of them said social assistance is inadequate.

The Liberal MPP’s gave different reasons for not supporting the Campaign’s request for an immediate increase, because of the recession; because they wanted to wait for the results of the Social Assistance Review, or because they feel there is not public support.

Minister Meilleur said to our delegation that ‘she would love to give people an extra $100 per month but it’s not on the public radar’.

The purpose of the Challenge is to demonstrate that there IS public support for an immediate increase in social assistance as a first step towards health and dignity for people receiving social assistance.

Secondly, the Social Assistance Review terms of reference have just been released. The Review will not begin until September and will last twelve to eighteen months. There will likely be no recommendations before the next election and no possibility of implementation before the election. So a second purpose of the Challenge is to raise awareness that the Ontario Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy means little if it ignores the poorest people in the province and fails to immediately improve the income of people on social assistance.

Finally, it is important to show public solidarity with people in Ontario who experience persistent stigmatization and discrimination.