Schreiner disappointed in lack of support for low-income groups

April 23, 2020

QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement after the Social Services Minister announced further measures to protect vulnerable people:

“I am disappointed that the Social Services Minister has not given us more confidence that people living beneath the poverty line are being supported through this pandemic.

There are people falling through the cracks of the federal relief program and the province should be there to catch them.

I’m calling on the Minister to end the clawback of CERB for people on social assistance and to provide a top-up to those who do not qualify for CERB.

These are the folks who are often isolated, who have lost access to community programs and who are being forced to spend hours in line for groceries on a minuscule budget.

It is unfortunate that the Minister did not meet Ottawa’s request to allow people to keep their full emergency benefit, opting instead to claw nearly half of it back.

The Minister says he is increasing support for people on social assistance, but all I have heard about are one-time payments of up to $100, which is simply not enough.

We need to be doing more to help low-income and vulnerable Ontarians.”

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