Feb 6, 2025
About Us
We are members of PWDvote, a 5000+ person strong and growing Ontario, non partisan voting bloc that exists for one reason only, advocating for the rights of people in legislated poverty in Ontario during the 2025 provincial election and other upcoming elections.
Our intention is to have our entire voting bloc vote for the party with whom we can negotiate the most favourable platform, or strategically to ensure the Conservatives stay out of office for a third term (assuming they will not come up with the most favourable policy and there will be no negotiations)
Our Ask as #PWDVOTE
We are asking PWD and others in poverty and those who support them to do two things, COMPLETELY ANONYMOUSLY (we are not collecting any data; this is all based on personal commitment and trust) and an optional third:
- 1. Commit to voting in the Ontario election
- 2. Commit to voting with the PWD voting bloc
and three
Talk to as many people as you can about doing the same.
Our Demands
Doubling ODSP is a start and we are very glad to see three of the parties, OLP, ONDP and the Greens, now advocating for this in their platforms. However, the ODSP of 2025 is a shell of the ODSP of 2018, with major formulary changes, OTC costs, and cancelled benefits.
ODSP and Basic Income
For this reason we are calling for a restart of the basic income pilot program within six months, with adjustments for a seven year lag, expanded to 500,000 people across Ontario in deepest poverty.
Sovereign Fund
We call on Ontario to start looking at developing a sovereign fund to fund benefits and social services within 120 days.
Clawbacks removal +
Clawbacks of legal benefits (ODSP) and social assistance of all kinds for people in poverty, including overpayments (which we request be a max of $20 a month), those based on spousal income, CPP and OSAP must stop. The housing allowance must be provided whether they have housing or not, which will allow accumulation of rent deposits.
Discretionary Benefits
Discretionary benefits for moving, first and last, eye care, and winter clothing must be reinstated.
Pharmacare and Public Transportation
We call for free pharmacare for anyone on ODSP, OW, or CPP, free public transportation including WheelTrans for anyone on benefits, and funding for the TTC by the federal government to make this possible.
All meds including OTC medications must be included on the formulary, no biosimilars.
We call on all people in poverty in Ontario and the people who care about them to support the PWD voting bloc and our policy demands.
Coming Up:
Voting support including rides and more
Join our Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday spaces on Twitter
Contact us:
Call: 6474916620
Email: team@pwdandallies.ca
