Social assistance recipients in Ontario deserve to live with dignity, but the current rates do not reflect this.

Constituents across my riding have shared their stories with my office about their experience living on social assistance.

One family granted me permission to share their story. It’s a parent and their child, and they’re both currently living on ODSP. They told me how their monthly income is impossible to live on. These are some of their stories.

“I have had to borrow money to buy groceries or meds or food for my cats. I cannot pay for everything all in one month.”

“I cannot pay any of my bills in full each month or I would not be able to put food on the table every day.”

“People on ODSP cannot move in with their boyfriends/girlfriends or their ODSP will be cut drastically or eliminated all together…. So someone on ODSP cannot move in with their partner or marry them if they make more money than ODSP gives monthly.”

“We deserve to be able to hold our heads up high and be proud of our lives.”

“With the amounts people get right now, we all feel like dogs begging for scraps at the feet of people in charge. It’s degrading and pointless for anyone to feel like this in their life.”

This family is not alone. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. Their voices need to be heard, and today we need to make the decision, the government needs to make the decision, to double the rates for OW and ODSP.