For Immediate Releasemedia Releasejuly __ , 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMEDIA RELEASEJULY __ , 2008

Municipalities forced to step in as province removes

back-to-school and winter clothing allowances

______, Ont. – Thousands of low-income children and their families on social assistance will be left without money to buy back-to-school supplies next month because the provincial government has endedback-to-school and winter clothing allowances as part of the introduction of the new Ontario Child Benefit (OCB). Anti-poverty advocates say that while some municipalities have stepped up to provide the allowances this year, many of the province’s 195,000 children on social assistance will report to school without the new shoes, clothes and supplies they need.

“A government that has made a commitment to reducing poverty shouldn’t start by cutting an allowance that low-income parents count on,” says ______.

Starting in July 2008, as families receive their first Ontario Child Benefit cheque, the province will restructure social assistance so that families will no longer receive the back-to-school and winter clothing allowances as lump sum payments in August and November. Instead, both allowances will be rolled into the OCB monthly payments,with parents expected to set aside the amounts necessary for school and winter clothing needs.

While the province has said no parents will be worse off under the changes, families on social assistance will benefit unevenly in the first year of the OCB, with some getting as little as $1 more per child per month. Given the depth of poverty for families on social assistance, the majority will find it extremely difficult to save for school supplies and winter clothing throughout the year. And this year, with school starting in September and families only getting their first OCB cheque in July, it will be impossible to save up.

“Try telling your six-year old why you can’t buy him a back-pack, some new crayons or a notebook,” said ______, a low-income mother who is struggling to provide for her children. “My social assistance rates are so low that I can barely cover rent and food for my children each month, let alone save up for school supplies. I really count on these allowances.”

The situation is so dire that municipalities like London, Toronto, Ottawa and Sudbury have stepped up to give families extra assistance this fall, with the province covering 80% of the cost. But unless every municipality does the same, a patchwork of ‘have’ and ‘have not’ communities is created across the province. [This Municipality / City of __ (or the local social services office)]has not yet agreed to issue the much-needed funds and is ignoring the needs of poor kids in our community. It must take the same step.

“We’re talking about kids going to school without pens and paper or winter coats. The province should never have taken these benefits away,” says ______.“While the Ontario Child Benefit is a positive step, removing these benefits before providing adequate incomes is no way for the province to begin its Poverty Reduction Strategy. These kids are our future. They deserve better.”

Detailed analysis of the OCB and related issues can be found at the Income Security Advocacy Centre website at

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