Remembering Kimberly Rogers

Media Coverage

Pupatello vows to act on welfare
Says she'll abolish Tory lifetime ban after fraud
Action demanded on Rogers inquest recommendations

Toronto Star
By Kate Harries
Ontario Reporter

December 17, 2003

Liberal Social Services Minister Sandra Pupatello says she will abolish one of the more symbolic policies of the Tory government — the lifetime ban from social assistance of anyone convicted of welfare fraud.

"There are some things that we know need to be changed and one ... is eliminating the lifetime ban," she said in an interview yesterday, adding she's also committed to raising social assistance rates.

Pupatello refused to estimate how quickly she would move on either measure. "It's hard to put a time frame on it. We're looking at a package of what has to be done to make this system work better."

That will not satisfy anti-poverty advocates, who at news conferences today in Sudbury and Queen's Park are calling for immediate action on the two measures, which are among 14 recommendations from the inquest into the death of Kimberly Rogers, 40.

The government could axe the lifetime ban right away, said Janet Gasparini, executive director of the Sudbury Social Planning Council and newly elected Sudbury councillor.

"They've removed supervisors from the school boards ... halted car insurance rates. This would have been such an easy one. It wouldn't have cost them anything."

Ontario social assistance rates were below subsistence eight years ago, when the Tory government slashed them by 21.6 per cent, said Jacquie Chic, of the Income Security Advocacy Centre in Toronto.

Inflation of 15.2 per cent since 1995 has compounded the decline in purchasing power.

"It was pitiful then. It's beyond pitiful now," said Chic, who is dismayed by reports the Liberals are contemplating a possible increase of 2 per cent or 3 per cent to Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program rates. "If they do that, that's not in our view an implementation of the jury recommendations."

Chic said she is also disappointed by government inaction, given there were 14 jury recommendations, only two of which were implemented.

"It was an important inquest and it's been ignored. These are incredibly expensive processes. ... It's incredibly insulting to the five jurors who gave unstintingly of their lives and paid a high price emotionally."

Roger's body was found Aug. 9, 2001, in the middle of a heat wave. The Sudbury woman, last seen alive Aug. 6, was eight months pregnant. Cause of death: an overdose of anti-depressants.

Rogers was serving a six-month house-arrest sentence for an overpayment of $13,000, incurred when she failed to declare student loans. After being convicted of fraud, Rogers was suspended from welfare for three months. She was not subject to the lifetime ban because her offence occurred before it commenced in April, 2000.

Medical witnesses at the inquest condemned any blanket denial of support.

"I find it unusual and unacceptable that one of my patients should be subject to a loss of all income," her family doctor Robert Clendenning testified.

Suicide expert Isaac Sakinofsky said the heat in Roger's apartment, where temperatures probably soared above 40 C, could have pushed the woman over the edge. He condemned cancellation of her drug benefits as "cruel and unthinking."

Rogers' sentence required her to stay in the apartment at all times, except for medical appointments and three hours a week to shop for necessities. The terms could have been adjusted to allow her to sit outside when it got too hot but testimony revealed she was not aware of that and lived in terror of committing any violation.

Her benefits were re-instated on a temporary basis after a constitutional challenge was launched on her behalf, based on alleged Charter violations, although $52 a month was docked from her $520 monthly benefits to repay the amount defrauded. That left her with $18 after she paid her $450 rent.

The Rogers challenge died with her but a new case involving four other welfare claimants is before the courts.

Source - Toronto Star : Follow this link