MLHU to province: Social assistance rates too low as some scramble to afford food - Blackburn News [2023-04-25]

As an affordability crisis continues to impact people all over the region, the board of the Middlesex-London Health Unit is asking for help from the provincial government.

After reading a report outlining the health impacts of the struggle to afford food, the board voted to ask the province to increase the rates of both Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

“The 2022 Nutritious Food Basket survey results demonstrate that incomes, particularly when dependent on social assistance, are not adequate for many Middlesex-London residents to afford basic needs,” read a report that was presented to the board by Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers and CEO Emily Williams. “Food insecurity has a pervasive impact on health; and there is a need for income-based solutions.”