Delays continue for social assistance recipients in Thunder Bay

Agencies that deliver social assistance in northern Ontario are getting their own "Virtual Northern Region Resource Centre" to deal with province-wide computer problems that are delaying welfare and disability cheques.

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The Ministry of Community and Social Services says the virtual resource centre is a "rotating series" of teleconferences and online sessions that will begin Monday. Participants will "discuss and resolve issues" caused by the implementation of a $200-million software system installed in November.

Among the issues are long delays in processing new claims or making adjustments to old ones. Incorrect payments have also been delivered to clients through the automated system.

Bill Bradica, the chief administrative officer at the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board, said the system still isn't fully functional but there has been "incremental progress."

Bradica said he is relieved that since December there have been no more "overt threats" to staff from clients experiencing delays.

Still, there are frustrations since the new system "is going slower than the old model," Bradica said.

"It's going to be hard for us to fully assess the impact until things have been fully stabilized and then we can look back and see and also look forward...once everything has been fixed," he said. 

One of the things that will need to be assessed is the administrative costs, including overtime, associated with the delays caused by the new software. The province splits the cost of Ontario Works programs with municipalities.

"The ministry acknowledges the challenge that a transition of this complexity represents both for its own staff and those of municipal delivery partners as they work to deliver the best possible service with new tools," said an email from a spokesperson for the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

"Ultimately, [the new software] will deliver social assistance programs more efficiently and allow caseworkers to spend more time helping their clients," the spokesperson said.