Personal Needs Allowance
What is the Personal Needs Allowance?
The purpose of the Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) is "to ensure that Ontario Disability Support Program applicants, recipients and/or their dependants who are residents of facilities under certain Acts are provided with a Personal Needs Allowance to meet their incidental costs other than those provided by the facility." These costs may include clothing, tuition to courses, hygiene products, nutritional supplements and other items related to basic comfort, quality of care and quality of life.
Why an increase?
Currently a person who is eligible for the PNA receives $112.00 per month or $3.75 per day. This amount has not changed in almost a decade despite
cost of living increases and increases in the cost of most consumer goods. Recently
a consumer survivor group conducted a survey and found that a person requires
a minimum of $160.00 per month or $5.30 per day to purchase the necessities
of life, if living in an institution.
Who is affected?
Residents living in institutions such as long term care facilities, provincial psychiatric hospitals, hostels and other specific types of housing are eligible for the PNA. While the PPAO provides services to only inpatients of provincial psychiatric hospitals and those recently divested, we are concerned about the plight of all others affected by the PNA and who could benefit from an increase in the PNA. As such, we are advocating for the PNA to be increased for all individuals who are eligible to receive it.
What does the PPAO recommend?
The PPAO
recommends that the Minister of Community, Family and Children's Services
increase the PNA to $160.00 for all residents living in institutions
and who are eligible to receive this benefit. In May 2002 the PPAO sent
the attached letter
to the Honourable Brenda Elliott, Minister of Community,
Family and Children's Services asking for her support in increasing
the amount of the PNA.