Hands off! Campaign

ISAC's Hands off! Campaign against the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance ended in June, 2007 although the clawback has not ended.

The implementation of the Ontario Child Benefit, and the resulting restructuring of social assistance that will happen in July, 2008, reduces the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) but doesn't end it. As of July, 2008, the NCBS will no longer be deducted from the monthly cheques of families on Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Families on OW and ODSP will also receive the new Ontario Child Benefit, which is scheduled to be implemented at the same time and increase gradually from $50 - $92/month/child by 2011. However, families on social assistance won't actually be much further ahead because the OW and ODSP rates for families will be reduced and families will also no longer get a winter clothing allowance or a back-to-school clothing allowance. Still, the changes complicate the issue enough that ISAC felt it was too difficult to continue the Hands off! Campaign. Instead, ISAC will focus on getting increases to social assistance rates for everyone on OW and ODSP and getting improvements to the new Ontario Child Benefit. ISAC's NCBS legal challenge against the provincial and federal governments is still continuing.

Read ISAC's evaluation of the Hands off! Campaign.

Read about ISAC's NCBS Clawback legal challenge against the provincial and federal governments.

Join ISAC in pressuring candidates in the upcoming Ontario Election.

Join the Ontario Needs a Raise Campaign and push the parties for commitments to increase social assistance rates and the minimum wage.