Past Campaigns and Law Reform

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 took place in July 2008 reduces the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) but doesn't end it.

As of July 2008 the NCBS is no longer being deducted from the monthly cheques of families on Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Families on OW and ODSP also receive the new Ontario Child Benefit, which is scheduled to increase gradually from $50 to $92 per child per month between 2008 and 2011.

However, families on social assistance won't actually be much further ahead because the OW and ODSP rates for families have been reduced. As well, families no longer get a winter clothing allowance or a back-to-school clothing allowance.

All these 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.

See what happened in the 2007 Ontario Election.

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