Peterborough rally planned over cuts to provincial social assistance

A group representing healthcare providers in Peterborough will be staging a rally on Thursday as part of a province-wide call to halt cuts to Ontario’s social assistance programs.

The Peterborough chapter of the Healthcare Providers Against Poverty Ontario (HPAP) is staging a rally outside the Ministry of Community and Social Services. HPAP is a voluntary organization of healthcare providers who work to eliminate poverty and to increase equitable access to housing, food security, adequate income, and healthcare.

HPAP says it’s calling on the province to reinstate the three per cent increase in social assistance rates, resume the basic income pilot projects and use the planned “100 Day Review” to improve Ontario’s social assistance system.

“The Conservative government cancelled the basic income pilots, including our regional pilot site in Lindsay; cut the planned 3% increase in social assistance rates this month to only 1.5%, which is below the rate of inflation; and is set to scrap changes to social assistance that were aimed at creating a more client-centred system,” the Peterborough chapter said in a release.

On Thursday, HPAP Peterborough will be joined by the local Income Security Working Group (ISWG) and Basic Income Peterborough in their rally asking the government to reverse its policies.

“As healthcare providers, we see the glaring examples of how poverty contributes to illness and disease. It also has major social and economic costs,” HPAP said. “An analysis by the Ontario Association of Food Banks estimated that poverty costs an estimated $32-38 billion yearly in Ontario due to increased use of health services, justice services and lost productivity. If the government wants to lead the way in stopping ‘hallway medicine’ they should prioritize reducing poverty.”

On Wednesday, HPAP has presented a letter to the province with signatures from more than 800 healthcare providers and 30 organizations, outlining their list of changes.

Dr. Jessica Dobyns, with the Peterborough Family Health team, said income security is key for many people.

“Income security means that sick people leaving hospital have safe homes to go to and aren’t bouncing back to the emergency department the next day,” she said. “It means people aren’t choosing between food, rent and essential medicine. It means parents aren’t skipping meals to feed their kids. These planned welfare cuts are regressive and counter-productive, and our government needs to take notice and listen to the frontline doctors, nurses and allied health who are treating diseases of poverty every day.”

The rally in Peterborough is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.