Social Spending and Crime
September 11, 2005
Diet cash recipients balloon
By SUE-ANN LEVY
The number of Toronto welfare recipients collecting a controversial meal ticket has grown by at least 30% since the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) launched a campaign urging them to flout the rules.
The latest provincial stats show that of the 66,723 Ontario Works cases in Toronto to the end of June, 8,353 were getting the extra $250 monthly special diet allowance.
While the number of OW cases increased a mere 1% from March to June, those who signed up for the special diet jumped 31%. Toronto's Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) cases increased less than 1% from March to June. Those collecting the diet cash, however, grew by 17%.
According to information gleaned from the city website and insiders, a family of eight (single mom and seven kids) all getting the extra diet cash -- plus other shelter, clothing and transportation extras -- will net $63,177 after taxes this year.
Heather MacVicar, the city's general manager of social services, contends the numbers have "levelled off" since June but conceded that's only based on "anecdotal" tracking.
OCAP has promoted what was once an obscure diet benefit -- on its website, at community clinics and through press events -- since its campaign commenced in February.
What's appalling is that Mayor David Miller and the province (which pays 80% of the city's welfare costs and sets the rules) seem to have turned a blind eye to OCAP's antics.
According to the province's own rules, OW and ODSP recipients are only eligible for the special diet allowance if they have a specific medical condition such as diabetes, pregnancy, cystic fibrosis, allergies, Crohn's disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, hypertension, liver disorders and kidney disease.
Recipients must first get a doctor, registered nurse or dietitian to sign a form specifying the condition and the special foods needed. But at an OCAP event held at City Hall in July, recipients openly boasted about being entitled to the benefit even if they had no such medical condition.
Doctors at clinics like 410 Sherbourne St., an arm of St. Michael's Hospital, signed forms for patients they consider at risk of ill health due to their poverty.
One doctor said at an OCAP event last month he believes to meet his "ethical obligation" as a health care provider, he must treat poverty as a "health condition."
MacVicar said she's "certainly heard about cases like that" but she "can't really challenge" a doctor's medical opinion.
What's more, when her office tried to crack down on the eligibility requirements in July, the mayor's office intervened.
She says the province has to take action. Community and social services minister Sandra Pupatello told me a special working group is now reviewing the welfare policy and they "have to move quickly" but "it won't be as fast as they'd like."
She stressed that OCAP is not helping anyone with its campaign because it may cause the ministry to "clamp down" on those who deserve the benefit.
Provincial Conservative leader John Tory says this issue could be fixed tomorrow if the government just enforced the rules that already exist.
Tory added that this kind of open exploitation just "breeds a cynicism and disrespect" among the public for the social welfare system.
Diet cash recipients balloon
By SUE-ANN LEVY
The number of Toronto welfare recipients collecting a controversial meal ticket has grown by at least 30% since the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) launched a campaign urging them to flout the rules.
The latest provincial stats show that of the 66,723 Ontario Works cases in Toronto to the end of June, 8,353 were getting the extra $250 monthly special diet allowance.
While the number of OW cases increased a mere 1% from March to June, those who signed up for the special diet jumped 31%. Toronto's Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) cases increased less than 1% from March to June. Those collecting the diet cash, however, grew by 17%.
According to information gleaned from the city website and insiders, a family of eight (single mom and seven kids) all getting the extra diet cash -- plus other shelter, clothing and transportation extras -- will net $63,177 after taxes this year.
Heather MacVicar, the city's general manager of social services, contends the numbers have "levelled off" since June but conceded that's only based on "anecdotal" tracking.
OCAP has promoted what was once an obscure diet benefit -- on its website, at community clinics and through press events -- since its campaign commenced in February.
What's appalling is that Mayor David Miller and the province (which pays 80% of the city's welfare costs and sets the rules) seem to have turned a blind eye to OCAP's antics.
According to the province's own rules, OW and ODSP recipients are only eligible for the special diet allowance if they have a specific medical condition such as diabetes, pregnancy, cystic fibrosis, allergies, Crohn's disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, hypertension, liver disorders and kidney disease.
Recipients must first get a doctor, registered nurse or dietitian to sign a form specifying the condition and the special foods needed. But at an OCAP event held at City Hall in July, recipients openly boasted about being entitled to the benefit even if they had no such medical condition.
Doctors at clinics like 410 Sherbourne St., an arm of St. Michael's Hospital, signed forms for patients they consider at risk of ill health due to their poverty.
One doctor said at an OCAP event last month he believes to meet his "ethical obligation" as a health care provider, he must treat poverty as a "health condition."
MacVicar said she's "certainly heard about cases like that" but she "can't really challenge" a doctor's medical opinion.
What's more, when her office tried to crack down on the eligibility requirements in July, the mayor's office intervened.
She says the province has to take action. Community and social services minister Sandra Pupatello told me a special working group is now reviewing the welfare policy and they "have to move quickly" but "it won't be as fast as they'd like."
She stressed that OCAP is not helping anyone with its campaign because it may cause the ministry to "clamp down" on those who deserve the benefit.
Provincial Conservative leader John Tory says this issue could be fixed tomorrow if the government just enforced the rules that already exist.
Tory added that this kind of open exploitation just "breeds a cynicism and disrespect" among the public for the social welfare system.
posted by Gerry Surtees at Monday, September 12, 2005
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