Dear Hon. MPP Doug Ford and Hon. MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy,
People in Ontario are currently at risk of losing social assistance as a direct result of your government’s decision to treat the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) as taxable income in their social assistance calculations.
This decision is punishing people who did not understand the implications that CERB would have on their rent-geared-to-income and other social assistance amounts like the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for seniors.
Ontarians need hope and help to get through this new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I am calling on your government to reverse this decision.
Ontario is entering a fourth wave of COVID-19. The pandemic is far from over. Ensuring that the most vulnerable low-income people in Ontario are not penalized for receiving CERB is a vital step that your government should take.
Sincerely,