The clock is ticking down to March 25th, that’s when the last cheques to more than 4 000 people on Ontario’s basic income pilot project will be mailed out. The PC government pulled the plug on the project in July, claiming it wasn’t working.
But a baseline survey conducted by an independent evaluation team led by Toronto’s St. Michaels hospital shows in fact that it was helping many.
It surveyed 6500 people involved in the project, including just under 3000 in Hamilton and Brant county. The results came back to participants, who then shared its findings with anti-poverty groups, including basic income Hamilton.
Alana Baltzer says after years of struggling and being unable to work to afford basic necessities, the basic income pilot project was helping to finally get her on the right track.
“I had plans for my future, I had plans to go to college, to upgrade my diploma to one that’s actually recognized. These past two January’s I’ve had full fridges, I still have food in my fridge which prior to BI never happened.”
Tom Cooper with the Hamilton round table for poverty reduction, believes the government didn’t release results of the study because it contradicts their claims, that the basic income pilot project was not working. He says there were many startling finds in the survey results, including the statistic that 53% of participants were working, running a business, or actively looking for jobs.
“What we’re seeing more and more with the new economy is that people who have degrees, people who are completing university and college aren’t getting the full time jobs anymore and are working 2 or 3 part time jobs just to make ends meet, but they’re not earning enough at those jobs to pull themselves or their families out of poverty.”
Next week there will be a judicial review happening in Toronto that will ask a judge to overturn the government’s decision to try and seek justice for those that are affected. The PC’s say they have sent letters and have made phone calls to the project’s participants and say their focus is to support a smooth transition.
