Thank you Ashley Legassic from @NEWSTALK1010 for asking tough questions!

Ashley:
I spoke with the ODSP action coalition this week, and they say taking away their hundred a month pandemic benefit, is detrimental to some of them, to people who are already living on a limited

income, they say their costs have gone up during the pandemic, having to take Uber’s more frequently because they’re afraid to use public transit, getting grocery deliveries for those who are immune compromised. So my question is, why did the province decide to end that

benefit in July, when it was clearly helping people, who are barely making ends meet?

Ford:
Well our goal through seventeen billion dollars that we’re spending is trying to support everyone possible. Then there’s a certain group that are collecting ODSP, that have part time

jobs, and if they keep the CERB going and their part time job they’re actually up a few hundred dollars, not down. But I understand, people are struggling, I get it, I fully understand and we’re doing everything we can to support everyone across the province. The best way to

help people on Ontario Works or ODSP if they’re healthy and they’re able to work, get em a job, help get em a job. And speaking of jobs by the way, I’ve been hearing from a lot of employers that they have a tremendous amount of jobs available, and people just aren’t coming back

to work, because of the CERB, that’s concerning. I understand it, but it’s concerning that people aren’t going back to work. I hear it more and more now, that people have the jobs available, but people aren’t showing up. So that’s concerning, but we’re going to be there to

support people right across the board, no matter if you’re on ODSP, Ontario Works, or any area, we’re doing everything we can to support these folks.

Ashley:
And I guess my follow up would just be on that last point you just touched on, if I could get an idea of what kind of

industries are you hearing that from that people aren’t coming back to work, is it across the board, is it certain industries where they were making less than what the CERB provides?

Well that a very good point that you mentioned, because the CERB is two thousand dollars,

and their job might be paying twenty five hundred dollars, even up to three thousand, and some people, not all, some people are thinking of sitting back, and you know, I’m going to take the rest of the summer off and I’ll collect the two grand and not worry about the additional

five hundred I can make, but I’ve been just hearing it more and more, right across the board, when I was in Niagara region, a company was mentioning to me, almost every company that I speak to, we have positions so we just need people to get back to work, and I believe in

supporting the people that need help, especially through this pandemic, when we had to shut everything down, I get that, but now when we’re opening up and going into stage 3, and companies are calling you back, I encourage you to go back to work, because legally, if they

call you back and you don’t come back, then you lose your job. That’s up to the company, but you won’t have a job anymore. Someone else will fill those shoes, and CERB isn’t going to last forever as we all know. So I encourage everyone when possible, to go back to work.

And I realize it’s not always possible, but if you’re healthy, go back to work.

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