Ontario Budget Press Release – May 3, 2013
TORONTO, May 3, 2013 – OASIS congratulates Premier
Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal Government on recognizing the needs of Ontarians
with developmental disabilities and their families.
Families are in crisis. The level of unmet need for
community supports and services for Ontarians with a developmental disability
and their families has never been as high as today. The budget, if approved,
takes a positive step by providing an additional $42 million annually to reduce
waiting lists and provide better supports for those with complex needs.
OASIS supports the transformation of social
assistance in Ontario. The proposed changes will assist in addressing the
poverty of individuals living on ODSP. For recipients who are employed the
proposed budget would have an immediate positive impact on their monthly income, by allowing them to keep
the first $200 of employment
earnings before they face a reduction of their ODSP benefit.
OASIS is also encouraged that the Government of
Ontario has asked the Law Commission of Ontario to undertake a broad based
consultation and review the legal capacity, decision making and guardianship
laws in Ontario.
“Hundreds of families who are facing extremely
challenging circumstances will be greatly relieved by the services that the $42
million investment will provide. Yet, thousands more remain on waiting lists in
communities all across the province,” said OASIS President Jane Joris. “There
is still work to
be done to address the operating pressures faced by transfer payment agencies
that have not had any funding increases in the last four years in the face of
rising costs,” Joris continued. “We recognize the difficult choices the
Government of Ontario is faced with in this economic effort.”
OASIS will continue to
work with the Government to ensure the
maintenance of a strong, responsive and stable non-profit transfer payment
agency system both as the Province’s primary service delivery mechanism and as
the backstop for the initiation of funding directly to individuals and families
under the transformed Developmental Services sector
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