Special Diet Allowance Food Assistance Program – Ontario, CA

Poverty advocates decry loss of diet allowance, By Laurie Monsebraaten, March 25, 2010, Toronto Star: “Ontario is scrapping the Special Diet Allowance that helps people on social assistance pay extra food costs related to specific medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Confirming the pre-budget fears of anti-poverty advocates, the Liberal government cited last fall’s provincial auditor’s report, which found evidence of abuse in the welfare-based program. Instead, the budget is proposing a new nutritional supplement to be administered by the health ministry. The allowance program that provides up to $250 per month and helps about one in five people on social assistance ‘is not sustainable and is not achieving the intended results,’ budget documents say…”