Take action against the cancellation of the Special Diet Allowance
Post date: May 28, 2010
On May 28 at 9:00 a.m., the Human Rights Tribunal held a follow-up hearing related to a decision issued in February - that the Ontario government discriminated against people with certain medical conditions by not providing them a fair amount of special diet allowance.
All members of the ODSP Action Coalition and 25 in 5 Network consider the cancellation of the special diet allowance as detrimental for the health of thousands of people relying on social assistance. At the same time, this is an opportunity to create a new program that will address the acknowledged shortcomings of the Special Diet Allowance program, while ensuring continuation of the important financial support it provides to people with documented health challenges.
The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction and its partners, the ODSP Action Coalition and the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), are circulating and seeking endorsement for the Five Principles document from other partner organizations, individuals, and supporters.
How you can help
Help us make sure the new Ontario Nutritional Supplement meets the test by:
- Showing your support for these Five Principles by endorsing them online at http://www.25in5.ca/take-action/. Endorse as an individual or get your organization to endorse.
- Send an email to the government, using 25 in 5’s automatic email at http://www.25in5.ca/take-action/
Your email will go to Minister Deb Matthews, Minister of Health (responsible for setting up the new Nutritional Supplement program),Laurel Broten, Minister Responsible for Poverty Reduction, and Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance.
- Share your support for these Five Principles of new nutritional supplement with your MPP.You can find out who your MPP is by going to http://fyed.elections.on.ca/fyed/en/form_page_en.jsp.
- Tell your story about the benefit you’ve had from being on Special Diet, by going to http://25in5.ca/without-special-diet/.
Share what it will mean to you if the provincial government’s new Nutritional Supplement program doesn’t meet the Five Principles test. If you work with people currently receiving Special Diet, please tell them about this opportunity to tell their story.
