Sudburians on fixed incomes struggle to keep up as prices rise

After she pays for her rent and transportation costs, Sudbury's Sandy Stretch only has between $200 and $300 left to cover her groceries and other expenses for the month.

Stretch is among the more than 500,000 Ontarians, according to the province's auditor general, who rely on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) to cover their basic living expenses.

Stretch has multiple sclerosis, and has been disabled for five years. The chronic disease affects her central nervous system and has reduced her mobility over the years.

Because she is on a special diet allowance she receives just over $1,400 every month. Without the special allowance she would qualify for about $1,169 per month.

Stretch said that fixed income isn't sufficient for most people to live without support from food banks and other charitable organizations.

"We already have a homeless problem in Sudbury and it is going to get worse if there is not more money put out to people that are on a fixed income," she said.

"They're struggling between food and rent and that shouldn't be an option. It shouldn't be a decision that everybody has to make every day." 

Thanks to an income supplement from the Canadian Mental Health Association Stretch pays $865 per month for her rent. Without it her rent would be $1,200 per month.

We already have a homeless problem in Sudbury and it is going to get worse if there is not more money put out to people that are on a fixed income​​​.- Sandy Stretch

As a wheelchair user, she drives a large van, and said higher gas prices have taken their toll. 

"If you've got to put gas in a car like I do to get around, it's unaffordable," Stretch said. 

"It's $120 just to fill your tank of gas. It doesn't last as long as it should, especially since I volunteer to help a lot of people."

She said she would use the public transit more often if it were more reliable, but wait times can be long, especially at later hours.

Like many others on fixed incomes in Ontario, Stretch has called for support from programs like ODSP and Ontario Works to keep up with the rising cost of living. 

"We were forgotten about through the pandemic," she said.

"We didn't get extra money during the pandemic for disabled people. There was very little money given to us to help with the extended costs and the extraordinary costs. There was like one payment of like $300 or something that we got and that's it."

Political commitments 

In an email to CBC News, Krystle Caputo, spokesperson for Ontario Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Merrilee Fullerton, said the Progressive Conservatives increased social assistance rates by 1.5 per cent when they formed government.

Caputo said the province invested $1 billion through the Social Services Relief Fund "to ensure that our most vulnerable have support during the pandemic."

That investment, she said, was in addition to more than $8.3 billion in social assistance payments issues in 2020 and 2021.

"We are working across government to ensure that our most vulnerable have the supports they need," the email said. 

"Minister Fullerton recently met with our federal counterpart, and we look forward to them delivering on their campaign commitment to create the Canada Disability Benefit to increase the level of supports for those receiving the Ontario Disability Support Program."

In their election platform the NDP have said they would immediately raise the rates paid out by ODSP and Ontario Works by 20 per cent if elected.

The Green Party of Ontario has promised to double ODSP rates.

"People with disabilities have experienced a disproportionate burden from the pandemic — financially, on their health and on their quality of life. And they are feeling the brunt of the cost of living crisis right now," Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said in a press release.

Ontario Liberal Party spokesperson Andrea Ernesaks said the party will release its platform soon with initiatives to tackle poverty and ODSP rates.

She said the plan will reduce the "number of complex rules" so people on ODSP can keep more of the employment money they earn, and will increase funding for assistive devices like hearing aids and wheelchairs.

The Liberals have also announced they would remove the HST on all prepared foods under $20 and cut transit fares to $1 across the province.

Not just people with disabilities

Sudbury's Diane Grenier is currently on employment insurance (EI) to provide food and shelter for herself and her family. She has relied on Ontario Works in the past, and said she will likely need to return to the program in July when her EI runs out.

The program gives individuals $733 per month, and may be adjusted based on their situation.

Grenier is a single parent and lives with three of her children. 

Optics are huge. If you're not living in a tent on the street, you're OK.- Diane Grenier

She said she has relied on community organizations, especially Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin, to feed her children while still covering her $1,500 in monthly rent.

Grenier said she only paid $600 a month when she lived in subsidized housing, but because she works part-time, and her oldest son was also working for a time, she no longer qualifies. 

"I'm still trying to get subsidized housing again," she said. 

"But every time I put in an application, it's a very difficult process… If you're already in housing, you have to complete the whole housing application."

Grenier said there are many people like her who struggle to meet their basic needs as costs rise, but aren't seen to be in need.

"You know, they see people like me. I'm working. I'm driving a car. I live in a house. I must be fine," she said.

"Optics are huge. If you're not living in a tent on the street, you're okay. You don't really need help. And I think that that allows a lot of people to just kind of sweep the problem under the rug."

'We need to give people with disabilities an opportunity'

Rob DiMeglio, the executive director of Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin, said fixed incomes in Ontario have not kept pace with the cost of living.

Both Stretch and Grenier are members of the organization, which supports people on fixed incomes with food donations, peer support programs and skills development.

"I'm hearing a lot of members have to make decisions. You know, food or a roof," DiMeglio said.

DiMeglio said many of his members have disabilities, and often aren't given opportunities in the workplace.

"I can't even believe the skill set they come with," DiMeglio said about his members.

"And a lot of them are unemployed and I have no idea why. We need to give people with disabilities an opportunity to work if they have the true skill set."

According to Statistics Canada, 76 per cent of Canadians with mild disabilities between the ages of 25 and 64 were employed in 2017. Only 31 per cent of people with very severe disabilities were employed that same year.