Essential workers, seniors, students, and front-line health care workers need our help right now. It's our duty to deliver for them.
TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO:
WHEREAS Ontarians who are struggling but don’t meet the strict criteria for support are falling through the cracks.
WHEREAS low-wage workers are essential but some are making less than the $2000 offered by the federal government.
WHEREAS seniors are forced to pay dispensing fees for life-saving medication during a time when they are the most vulnerable.
WHEREAS students who have just paid thousands in tuition and lost their part-time jobs or summer employment opportunities don’t qualify for emergency support.
WHEREAS at a time when we are coming together as a community to support one another, it is important for the provincial government to expand crisis support so that all Ontarians can access the support they need.
THEREFORE we the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly
of Ontario demand the provincial government include the following measures:
a supplementary Emergency Benefit of up to $2,000 per month for those who fall through the cracks of Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB);
to top-up social assistance payments of $300 per month, plus eliminating any claw-back triggered by federal emergency benefits;
to top-up payments for those with reduced income or for whom federal benefits fall short of basic needs, including essential workers with reduced income or earnings of less than $2,000 per month;
supplement Student Grants for students who are unable to find summer jobs;
eliminate assumed student earnings and parental contributions for any student affected by income loss in their households for the purpose of calculating OSAP;
and full drug coverage through Trillium or the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan for anyone receiving emergency benefits.