‘16.2 in ‘22’: A social assistance litmus for 2022
“.…the Good Samaritan, he’s dressing,He's getting ready for the showHe's going to the carnival tonighton Desolation Row”[1] The year 2022 may be remembered for being a pre-pandemic, mid-pandemic and post-pandemic year all at the same time. It’s just completely uncertain just a few days before we enter the new year. One thing we do know for certain in Ontario is that there will be a provincial election on June 2 and at this juncture, it is clear that none of the three parties that have ever won a provincial election in Ontario will raise social assistance in line with inflation. To restore rates, how much should they be raised? We know that there have been no increases in rates since 2018 and that they are for now, frozen in time.…