“This is just the beginning”: Gates vows to keep fighting for caregiver benefit

QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Wayne Gates, NDP Official Opposition critic for Long-Term care, vows to keep up the fight for a caregiver benefit in Ontario, after Ford’s Conservatives voted down a motion that would make it happen.

“Since introducing my caregiver benefit motion, my phone has been ringing nonstop from people around the province, including some of the 3.3 million Ontarians who self-report as caregivers, voicing support for this motion,” said Gates. “From Niagara Falls to Grimsby to Scarborough to Sudbury, people have been sharing their stories with me and telling me about the challenges they face providing unpaid care for loved ones as the cost of living rises.”

Gates introduced a motion to create a caregiver benefit on May 9 with the support of many advocacy groups that included the Canadian Cancer Society, Alzheimer Society, and MS Canada.

“Caregiving is intensive and demanding work that too often goes unpaid and unrecognized,” said Gates. “Today is a setback, but the work is just beginning. We need a benefit to care for our caregivers, and I won’t stop fighting until that becomes a reality.”

Background

• Over 3.3 million Ontarians self-report as having provided unpaid care for family and friends
• From basic medical tasks to administrative support, caregivers provide an endless stream of support. There’s often a real financial cost
• Caregivers spend on average 10-20 hours per week on care. That’s a part time job and should be compensated like one.