Doug Ford Disability Megathread - August

Thank you @ashleylegassic for asking about #ODSP today. Reporters like you are the heroes we need.

Today Ford was asked why he ended the $100 Covid benefit in July, knowing the crisis is still going on.

(transcribed next 6 tweets)

Legassic:
"I spoke with the ODSP Action Coalition this week, and they say taking away their hundred dollar a month pandemic benefit is detrimental to some of them, to ppl who are already living on a limited income. They say their costs have gone up during the pandemic, having –

– to take Ubers more frequently bc they're afraid to use public transit, getting grocery delivery for those who are immunocompromised. 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 $17B that we’re spending is [to] try to support everyone possible, and then there's a certain group that are collecting ODSP that have p/t jobs, & if they keep the CERB going and their part-time job, they’re actually up a few hundred dollars –

– Not down. But I understand ppl are struggling, I get it. I fully understand & we're doing everything we can to support everyone across the province and the best way to help ppl in OW or ODSP, if they're healthy & they're able to work, get them a job, help get them a job. And –

– speaking of jobs, by the way, I've been hearing from alot of employers that they have a tremendous amount of jobs available & ppl just aren't coming back to work bc of the CERB. That's concerning. I understand it, but it's concerning that ppl aren't going back to work. I hear –

– it more & more now that ppl have the jobs available, but ppl aren't aren't showing up. So that's concerning. But we're going to be there to support ppl right across the board, no matter if you're on ODSP, OW, or any area, we're doing everything we can to support these folks."

**Okay, now that everyone knows what was said, it's time for analysis: as a person on ODSP, I'm so dissapointed with this response.

Ford as usual did not answer the question asked. But looking deeper in his deflection, you can see that Ford makes many errors in his statements.

For the bulk of his answer, Ford talks about ppl on social assistance who work, saying their earnings have increased during the pandemic.

However, that only accounts for *less than 8%* of all recipients in Ontario. (About 75k out of around 960k recipients) (Source next tweet)

"More than 960,000 Ontarians rely on social assistance, but only about 75,000 report earned income, according to provincial data." https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/04/20/ontario-to-allow-people-on-social-assistance-to-keep-part-of-emergency-benefits.html

While Ford addressed less than 8% of recipients, the ? he failed to answer was about the other 92% that are now getting no help in this pandemic.

Btw, those 8% had their CERB (that they earned just like everyone else) clawed back $900/month. He hasn't been fair to them either.

What is truely "concerning" is that Ford kept bringing up about putting ppl back to work. Most people on social assistance - especially those on ODSP - are unable to work right now. That's why they require social assistance!

Ford pushing employment on vulnerable ppl is not okay.

Now for the obvious: Ford stating "we're doing everything we can" to help those on ODSP & OW is a straight up lie.

He's doing everything he can to make things HARDER on us. From the $100 covid benefit being means-tested, to ending it, to clawing back CERB from ppl who earned it.

As you see in my May megathread, (next tweet) Ford made excuses for not helping, saying we "just don't have the money."

A month later, he made a promise similar to the one he made today about how he'll "do everything he can" to support us.

2 months later, help has decreased.

As I said, it has been 3 months since Ford made the excuse not to help social assistance recipients ( #ODSP & #OW), and 2 months since his LAST promise to support us "in any way he can."

In that time, help for us has decreased, not increased.

#Disability https://twitter.com/Sarah_Colero/status/1261772624201502723?s=19