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| | | Special Diet Allowance Changes | | | Source: Ministry of Community and Social Services (www.mcss.gov.on.ca) Special Diet Allowance Changes The Special Diet Allowance helps social assistance recipients who have eligible medical conditions receive the special diets they need to help manage their conditions. The Special Diet Allowance will change on April 1, 2011 to make the program more accountable and comply with a Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario decision.Changes include - Revising the list of eligible medical conditions. Some medical conditions will receive an increased allowance, other conditions will see a decrease. Also, medical conditions that the Special Diets Expert Review Committee found to not require a special diet that involves additional costs will be removed. This means some people will stop getting an allowance.
- Requiring recipients to consent to the release of relevant medical information to support their application, and
- Putting stronger tracking methods in place to improve accountability.
The Special Diet Allowance is one of the many social assistance benefits that will be considered in the context of Ontario’s social assistance review. What this means to recipients To be considered for the revised Special Diet Allowance, you will need to submit a new application form confirming you have an eligible medical condition. You need to do this even if you are currently receiving a Special Diet Allowance.You can submit a new application at any time. However, if you currently receive a Special Diet Allowance, you should submit your application for an eligible medical condition by July 31, 2011 to avoid disruption to your Special Diet Allowance payments.Current Special Diet Allowance recipients will be mailed a new application form and instructions for applying in February 2011. Forms are also available from local Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program offices.Applicants will need to sign the consent statement on the application form to allow the release of medical information related to their application.Previous versions of the Special Diet Allowance application will not be accepted after March 31, 2011. | | |
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| | 2012 Rent Increase guideline | | | (Source: Landlord and Tenant Board) Each year the Ontario government announces the province’s rent increase guideline for the following year. The annual rent increase guideline is the maximum percentage by which a landlord can increase the rent for most sitting residential tenants without approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board. The 2012 guideline is 3.1 per cent. The new rent increase guideline applies to a rent increase that begins any time between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012 and applies to most residential units in Ontario. In most cases, the rent for a unit can be increased if at least 12 months have passed since the tenant first moved in or since his or her last rent increase. The tenant must be given proper written notice of the rental increase at least 90 days before the rent increase takes effect. | | |
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| | Suite Meter Rules effective January 1, 2011 | | | Source: Landlord and Tenant Board www.ltb.gov.on.ca Suite Meters
On January 1, 2011, the new suite meter provisions under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 will become law. The “Suite Meters and Apportionment of Utility Costs” regulation (O. Reg. 394/10) will also be effective on this same date.
The Landlord and Tenant Board website will be updated as of January 1, 2011 to include the forms and applications related to these new suite meter provisions.
Suite Meter Rules effective January 1, 2011
Changes to Board's Rules and Guidelines effective January 4, 2011
Suite Meters:
To help explain some of the key provisions, the Board has a new brochure called “Information for Landlords and Tenants about Suite Meters”. Visit www.ltb.gov.on.ca to view or download this brochure.
The Board has also developed the following forms for landlords to use related to suite meters:
• “Tenant Agreement to Pay Directly for Electricity Costs”
• “Landlord’s Notice to Terminate Obligation to Supply Electricity”
• “Information to Prospective Tenant About Suite Meters or Meters”
As well, a new application form has been developed for tenants to use to apply to the Board for an order determining that the landlord has not complied with their obligations under the RTA related to suite meters or related to apportioning utility costs. Visit the Board's website to view the “Tenant’s Application About Suite Meters” (Form T7) and instructions.
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| | Entraide budgétaire Prescott-Russell | | | | The Clinique is proud to announce that starting in March, 2010, Entraide budgétaire, a new budget counselling service will be available for low-income residents of Prescott and Russell. Thanks to the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Fondation, the Clinique received funds to implement this service for a 2-year term. Entraide budgétaire will offer a bilingual counselling service related to debt problems, budget planning and management, etc. This service will be offered at our location, 201-352, Main Street West, Hawkesbury, Ontario. | | |
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| | Monetary Jurisdiction of the Landlord and Tenant Board increased to $25,000 | | | (Source: Landlord and Tenant Board) Monetary Jurisdiction As of January 1, 2010, the Landlord and Tenant Board’s monetary jurisdiction has increase from $10,000 to $25,000. This means that if an application is filed on or after this date, the maximum amount that the Board can order paid to a party, or order as an administrative fine, will be $25,000. | | |
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