Ontario’s basic income pilot to end March 2019

TORONTO — Thousands of people participating in Ontario’s basic income pilot will receive their last payment on March 31, 2019, the province says, but an antipoverty activist says the sixmonth wind down will still hurt many who were depending on the program.

After pulling the plug on the pilot last month, the Conservative government said Friday the final payments to the 4,000 lowincome recipients in several cities will be made on that date.

The clarification comes after Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod denied reports that the payments would end in August, stressing there would be a “lengthy and compassionate runway” to end the program aimed at lifting people out of poverty that was launched by the former Liberal government.

“We have a broken social service system,” MacLeod said. “A research project that helps less than 4,000 people is not the answer and provides no hope to nearly two million Ontarians who are trapped in a cycle of poverty.”

Along with the cancellation of the pilot, Ontario promised to complete a review of its social assistance programs by Nov. 8.

The basic income pilot project was set to run for three years, providing payments to 4,000 lowincome people in communities including Hamilton, Brantford, Thunder Bay and Lindsay. Single participants receive up to $16,989 a year while couples receive up to $24,027, less 50 per cent of any earned income.