The new Ontario Works Directive 7.4

The New Ontario Works Directive 7.4




DIRECTIVE #7.4: COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE BENEFIT
SUMMARY OF POLICY
Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) is a mandatory benefit
which may be issued to recipients who meet the eligibility criteria for the benefit.
LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY
Sections 2 and 8 of the Act.
Section 55(1) of Regulation 134/98.
SUMMARY OF DIRECTIVE
This directive describes the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit and
the situations in which it is provided.
INTENT OF POLICY
To ensure that the Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit is issued to
eligible recipients taking exceptional circumstances into consideration where they
exist.
APPLICATION OF POLICY
The Community Start up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) is a mandatory
benefit provided to recipients to assist in establishing a new principal residence,
or to prevent eviction or the discontinuance of utilities or heating in an existing
residence.
The amount of the CSUMB payable, as determined by the Administrator, is up to
a maximum of $1500 for recipients with dependent children, or up to a maximum
of $799 for all other recipients, in a 24-month period.
The approved amount is based on verifiable costs which in the Administrator’s
opinion are necessary to establish a permanent residence in the community or to
maintain an existing residence, or maintain utilities.
Costs must be visually verified and documented in the SDMT. First Nations
should visually verify and document costs using their respective computer
technology or manually on the recipient’s file.
ONTARIO WORKS
COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE DIR 7.4 - 2 DECEMBER 2005
Each recipient's request for the CSUMB is reviewed on its own merit in light of the
policy intent. CSUMB is provided only where the needs have been identified and
where no other funds are available.
The payment of assistance for a rent deposit or utility deposit is made directly to
the landlord or utility company. The delivery agent can provide full or partial
payment prior to the date of departure from the previous place of residence (e.g.
rent deposit).
The CSUMB can be paid in more than one sum. The benefit may be paid in
separate amounts provided it covers only one "start up" event and does not
exceed the maximum amounts.
The Administrator may approve additional payments if there are exceptional
circumstances.
Eligibility Criteria
CSUMB is issued in situations where the recipient:
• meets the eligibility criteria; and
• within the preceding 24 months has not received the maximum amount of the
CSUMB to which the recipient is entitled under Ontario Works or the Ontario
Disability Support Program (ODSP).
Establishing a New Principal Residence
Criteria
In the case of establishing a new principal residence, the eligibility criteria are:
• the recipient will be establishing a new principal residence whether within or
outside the geographic area;
• the Administrator is satisfied that the recipient will need financial assistance to
establish the new principal residence; and
• the recipient meets one of the following criteria:
o is being discharged from an institution that provided for their basic needs
and shelter;
ONTARIO WORKS
COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE DIR 7.4 - 3 DECEMBER 2005
o has satisfied the Administrator that it would be harmful to their health or
welfare to remain in their current residence; or
o has been evicted from their current residence
Allowable Start up Situations
In “start up” situations, the need for the recipient to leave their residence is clearly
identified and documented, and a reasonable plan is in place.
The "start up" event must occur within one month from the date of application for
assistance or the establishment of a new principal residence. CSUMB covers a
move into boarding or rental accommodation, not a per diem funded residence or
group home.
The benefit is provided for:
• victims of family violence, including spousal or child abuse;
• persons who are homeless;
• uninhabitable premises (where the uninhabitable conditions are not clearly
evident, verification is sought from a third party, e.g. a building or health
inspector or physician);
• a move out of the home where the need has been clearly established, for
example:
o a disabled person moving because of the incapacity or death of
supporting, care-giving family member(s);
o overcrowding condition within the premises;
o children and sole-support parents where there is documented need for
them to relocate;
o faced with eviction from their premises;
o persons needing to move for reasons of employment or training; or
o a move to more affordable accommodations, e.g. situations in which an
applicant or recipient was experiencing undue hardship because of
extreme shelter costs; and
ONTARIO WORKS
COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE DIR 7.4 - 4 DECEMBER 2005
• persons being discharged from institutions such as:
o correctional facilities
o hospitals
o hostels
o nursing homes
o special care homes
o interval and transition homes
Allowable Start up Costs
Examples of the cost of establishing a new residence in the community include:
• clothing
• fuel and hydro deposits
• household furnishings
• last month's rent deposit
• moving and transportation to the home of the recipient
• any other costs approved by the Administrator
Recipient Moving to a Different Delivery Site
If a recipient is moving from one delivery site to another, the regular practice is to
issue the CSUMB from the delivery site which the recipient is leaving. This
enables the recipient to more easily establish an address in the new community.
This includes situations in which the Administrator is already aware of the need
and arrangements that are necessary for the recipient to relocate to another
community. A pay direct to the landlord is made for the rental portion.
There may be situations in which the new delivery site needs to issue the
CSUMB. For example, a recipient has left in an emergency and is already in the
geographic area of the new delivery site.
Emergencies might include, but are not limited to, cases of family violence or
reasons involving health-related matters. A recipient may require immediate funds
for last month's rent from the outgoing delivery site, then require further access to
the CSUMB for other demonstrated needs from the new delivery site.
Under no circumstances is the recipient to be asked to return to the previous
community to access the CSUMB. Unusual situations are discussed with the
Administrator.
ONTARIO WORKS
COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE DIR 7.4 - 5 DECEMBER 2005
Maintaining an Existing Residence
Criteria
In the case of maintaining an existing residence, the eligibility criteria are:
• the recipient will be remaining in their current residence;
• the Administrator is satisfied that the recipient will need financial assistance to
remain in their current residence; and
• the recipient meets one of the following criteria:
o has received an eviction notice and has satisfied the Administrator that, if a
payment is made, there will be no evictions;
o has had a utility or the heating to the current residence cut off and has
satisfied the Administrator that if a payment is made the service will be
reconnected; or
o has received a notice that a utility or the heating to the current residence
will be cut off and has satisfied the Administrator that if a payment is made
the service will not be discontinued.
Utilities include water and sewage, rental of furnaces and water heaters, and
hook-up or reconnection charges for a utility. Heating is considered separate from
utilities.
The total amount of additional payments cannot exceed an amount of $1500 for
recipients with dependent children or $799 for all other recipients. The CSUMB
can be issued as many times as is required under exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional Circumstances
Generally, the CSUMB is approved for a recipient only once in a twenty-four
month period. However, there may be situations in which there is a need to assist
more than once within the twenty-four month time frame.
The following are considered exceptional circumstances:
• the necessity to relocate as a result of a catastrophic event (e.g. flood, fire)
• the necessity to relocate as a result of domestic violence
ONTARIO WORKS
COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE DIR 7.4 - 6 DECEMBER 2005

For more stories go to http://welfarelegal.blogspot.com/

Poverty's Smoke and mirrors, Part 1

This was sent to the main media on Sept 22 2008

Regarding Premier McGinty recently suggesting that the public’s expectations for a comprehensive plan for poverty reduction may have to be tempered as a result of the bleak economic outlook for the province.

In my opinion the provincial government’s resent poverty reduction consultations, headed by M.P.P. Deb Matthews was all smoke and mirrors, a sham.

The Liberals have known for some time that there may be a downturn in the economy and have been looking for ways of saving money for some time now.

The Mike Harris Conservative government did this, years ago when it gutted funding for welfare, education and medical care, and then paid a heavy price for doing so.
Now, on the welfare front the Liberals are continuing the process, only this time they are doing it without the vast majority of the public’s knowledge.

How will they do this? I’ll explain. First they had to accomplish two things.
a) get a lot of good media attention showing what a wonderful job they are doing on poverty reduction.
They announced a huge new initiative, an across Ontario poverty reduction consultation. They mistakenly let the cat out of the bag right from the beginning, no new money and no one that lives in poverty is invited. That was a bad move (showing there hand) that caused a reasonable amount of bad publicity. People quickly forgot this error and things moved along.

b) prepare the service providers for an onslaught of people needing help.
The Liberals had to make the service providers think that they were the ones that were going to lead the charge of helping to eliminate poverty. This way they couldn’t complain that the Liberals weren’t doing enough when things got worse.

Well things are definitely getting worse for people living on Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Not because of the alleged economic downturn Premier McGinty is talking about.

It’s the cuts the Liberals have already made to the benefits of welfare and disabled recipients. These cuts are already being implemented through the Ontario Works offices.

Behind closed doors and behind every ones back, the Liberals have completely redone the Ontario Works Policy Directives. These are documents that explain what the benefits are and how to apply for them.

My research, that was done here in Hamilton, shows that the local legal clinics and paralegal community are not aware of these changes and are in fact giving out wrong legal advice to their clients. Why haven’t the legal clinics community stepped up to the plate on this issue?

Even our local library was not aware of these changes. You would have to be a pretty good researcher to even find a hint of these changes on the Internet.

Now the vast majority of people living in poverty will have no idea what the benefits that they are entitled to and how to apply for them.

The provincial Liberals have already started to skim millions of dollars off of Ontario’s poor and disabled without anyone knowing that it is happening.

The implementation of these policy changes is certainly a clear example of the provincial government acting in bad faith. Especially when you take into consideration the fact that Welfare Legal has requested in writing twice for the government to supply us with a copy of these changes and has been told no.

Welfare Legal’s evidence is clear.

We have;
a) 2 separate documents on Ontario Works letterhead that talks about these secret policy changes.
b) 2 separate e-mails from our local legal clinics that show they are not aware of these policy changes.
c) A letter from the province saying they will not give us a copy of this new policies that they are in fact using as we speak.

Why isn’t someone somewhere doing something about this abuse of process by the province and the local municipalities that administrate the Ontario Works Program? Many heads should roll over this issue and I cannot believe I am the only one talking about it publicly. It is a complete failure of system that was designed to help not hurt people that live in poverty.

Welfare Legal is offering $100.00 to the first person that e-mails us a copy of the new Ontario Works Directive #7.4. This offer is only good for seven days after this letter goes public. The sender will have to prove the document is authentic.

For more stories go to http://welfarelegal.blogspot.com/

Ron Payne
Welfare Legal
Hamilton, Ontario
E-mail welfarelegal2004@hotmail.com