I'm sick and tired of it. I don't want to feed my kids road kill. Although Ontario Works is supposed to provide this kind of assistance, many of our informants were refused or never told this kind of assistance was available. Basic necessities, that people could have afforded prior to the rate cuts, are now items of discretionary assistance that people are forced to beg for. Participants are supposed to be equal partners in determining their employment program, which is to be tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.
Appropriate supports are to be provided where necessary.
Ontario Works is not a program of 'mutual responsibility'. All of the obligations fall on the recipient. There are no obligations on the government to provide employment assistance. Many people we spoke to had high expectations of Ontario Works initially, believing that what it promised was employment, education or training. In reality the obligations in Ontario Works are one-sided.