Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults
To address the issue of underemployment in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), CivicAction convened a over 50 opinion leaders from diverse backgrounds to launch a Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults (MISWAA) in 2004.
Problem Addressed
CivicAction’s 2003 Summit identified that nearly 30% of Canada’s low wage workers can’t make ends meet because they don’t earn enough to cover the cost of living, especially in larger cities. The Summit also found that only 22% of unemployed people in the GTA benefit from Employment Insurance (EI).
Solutions Implemented
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CivicAction and St. Christopher House launched a Task Force for MISWAA in 2004. The MISWAA Task Force addressed this looming crisis by charting reforms to income security policies and programs that would better support low-income adults in gaining economic independence and participating in the labour market.
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This initiative drove change in communities across the province.
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As an example of the impact of this work, the poverty rate for children in Ontario declined from 15.2% in 2008 to 14.6% in 2009, with 19,000 fewer Ontario children living in poverty in part because of the Ontario Child Benefit.
Key Results
Work culminated in the May 2006 report, Time for a Fair Deal. It was a guide to modernize income security to ensure the full economic participation of working-age adults.
The Task Force’s work helped to introduce the federal Working Income Tax Benefit, the Ontario Child Benefit, and a provincial dental plan for individuals with low income.