Welfare? Or What?
Shifting thinking about poverty reduction and income programs
Poverty Reduction in Ontario
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Poverty reduction strategy launched in 2008
Poverty reduction act made law in 2009
Social assistance review is a major component
Ontario Disability Support Program – main income support
program for people with disabilities in Ontario
Submissions on the review:
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Income Security Advocacy Center: www.sareview.ca
ODSP Action Coalition: www.odspaction.ca
Shifting Thinking about Poverty
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What are the shifts in thinking about the nature of poverty that
have been revealed in the process and politics of policy reform in
Ontario?
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How do these shifts in thinking relate to broader shifts in Canada
and internationally and where do they take our policy analysis
about income programs and disability?
Measuring Poverty
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Absolute definition and measures of poverty: not enough money
for basic needs of life
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Basic Needs Poverty Line (Fraser Institute)
Market Basket Measure (Statistics Canada)
Measuring Poverty
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Relative Measures:
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Low Income Cut Offs
Low Income Measure
Measuring Poverty
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Conference Board of Canada: Income inequality (relative poverty)
rising in Canada – and is rising faster than in other countries
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Income inequality points to rising ‘social distance’ in society
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Relative poverty shows that the wealth and benefits are not being
distributed and that some are being left behind.
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We know that Canadians with disabilities have been particularly
vulnerable to being left out: low levels of employment, educational
achievement, access to adequate housing
Measuring Poverty
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Poverty involves factors broader than income
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Some poverty reduction strategies have adopted a framework of
social and economic inclusion
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Need to apply lens of social and economic inclusion to income
reforms
Social and Economic Inclusion
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People with disabilities want to be socially included in the sense
that they, like others, want:
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To participate as valued, appreciated equals in the social, economic,
political and cultural life of the community (i.e. in valued societal
situations).
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To be involved in mutually trusting, appreciative and respectful
interpersonal relationships at the family, peer and community levels.
Social and Economic Inclusion
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Involves numerous interrelated factors such as:
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basic needs of material well-being: housing, nutritious food, clothing,
health needs;
income levels;
employment and access to inclusive labour markets;
skills, training and education;
access to disability related supports;
self-esteem;
family and relationships; and
civic, legal and political rights.
Rationale of Disability Income Programs
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Welfare?
Pension?
Disability-related support?
Income security?
Replacement of employment income?
Compensation for inaccessible labour markets?
Crossroads
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Broadened understanding of poverty and factors in the
relationship between poverty and disability
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Broader understanding of disability as a social phenomenon with
structural causes – UN Convention definition of disability as
interaction of impairment and barriers in the social/economic
environment
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Systems and policy development struggling to catch up