Ottawa residents plead for government to double ODSP
Ottawa resident Scott Ferguson is often forced to make a choice when it comes to affording food, rent and medical care, but he can't cover all the expenses.
"Every month is a struggle," he said. "I basically eat one meal a day. It helps when I get extra money so I could put it into food."
The 50-year-old gets $1,169 a month through the Ontario Disability Support Program, the annual rate falling well below the provincial poverty line.
"I rely on it for my entire income," he said. "I don’t have any other source of income."
Ferguson, who lives with spinal degeneration, says inflation rates have driven costs up so high that he’s worried he can’t keep up. Even though he lives with a roommate to offset the rent, and receives financial help from his retired mother.
"There wasn’t any future for him working because of his disability and it’s been difficult," said 75-year-old Una Ferguson. "I’ve ended up working longer to support Scott."
More than 200 advocacy groups signed an open letter from Income Security Advocacy Centre, asking the Ontario government to double ODSP payment rates to keep up with the soaring cost of living.
The recent provincial election saw Premier Doug Ford promise to raise ODSP rates by five per cent, and introduce legislation to tie annual increases to inflation.
"By raising it five per cent it does nothing to change the problem," said Kenzie McCurdy with Stop Gap Ottawa. "Online I’ve seen comments, 'Well, you need to budget better.' How do you budget $1,169 to manage rent? That is a thousand dollars and everything else you need to do. There’s no budgeting in the world that can help with that.”
Advocacy groups say the proposal, which equals an additional $58 a month, is far from enough to survive. It means people like Jessica Watters are forced to live with roommates, hoping to save enough money to cover the medical bills they know will be coming.
"It stresses me out because it feels like every year it gets harder to get by because the goal post keeps moving," said the 33-year-old, who was diagnosed with chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction.
CTV News Ottawa spoke with several people on social assistance who say they feel like they are being left behind living on a stagnant income they say is barely enough to survive.
"Doubling would put me in the poverty line," said Ferguson. "It would make a world of a difference, it would allow me to budget."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'Oh my God, you're my brother': Manitoba man discovers six unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
Canucks hold off Oilers for 4-3 win in Game 3
Brock Boeser had two goals and an assist, and the Vancouver Canucks hung on for a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise's disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.