Changes to bus pass cash for Ontario Works recipients will increase instability, advocates warn – CBC News
Dec 21, 2023
Changes to how transportation cash is doled out will affect almost 5,000 Londoners
A significant change to how almost 5,000 Londoners get money for transportation is coming in the New Year, and advocates for people already struggling to survive say the new model will create uncertainty and deepen poverty.
Until now, about 40 per cent of London’s Ontario Works recipients were given $95 per month to cover a bus pass for the purpose of job searching. The money was attached to the monthly cheque people get.
As of Jan. 1, 2024, that money will no longer be available because the province has changed how it funds employment services. Under the new model, transportation cash will still be provided for “stability” activities such as school, volunteering and health supports, but will be given out by Ontario Works case workers on an as-needed basis to clients.
