A Hamilton anti-poverty advocate calls the Ford government's elimination of a child benefit "absolutely cruel" amid a city report showing 1,800 children receive it.

The Transition Child Benefit currently provides refugee-claimant families and low-income families who are unable to access Ontario or Canada child benefits with a maximum of $230 per child per month. The Ford government announced in April it will eliminate the benefit as of November 1, leaving vulnerable families worried about their future, advocates fuming and municipalities scrambling to make up the loss.

A recent city of Hamilton report states 1,800 children in Hamilton receive the benefit, paid out by the province. About 40 per cent of cases involve refugee claimants and 18 per cent of cases involve children under the age of three.

"It's absolutely cruel because they are punishing the most vulnerable children in society," said Tom Cooper, director of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, calling the province's decision "nonsensical" and "beyond the pale."

If the program is cut and nothing replaces it, families will face greater hunger, homelessness and "extreme hardship," he said.

In Toronto, the city is considering a $8.4 million "temporary family housing benefit" to help up to 4,000 families adjust after the cuts are implemented this fall.

"What we are doing is prudently providing for temporary continuation of that funding while we try to get the other governments — plural — to accept responsibility where it properly belongs," said Toronto Mayor John Tory, referring to both the provincial and federal governments.

In Hamilton, a city councillor is also slamming the province for "downloading" the cost onto municipalities.

"The trend is always to shock and awe and then have city come to the plate to make up the difference," said Coun. Sam Merulla, chair of the city's Emergency and Community Services Committee. "It seems that this government is more focused on making those decision to download on issues that affect the most marginalized."

Merulla said even though the city can't afford to help, it is "cornered" and will not leave constituents helpless.

"Can we eliminate the entire impact? I'm not sure," he said. "But can we mitigate it? I'm almost certain we can."

A total of $1.9 million in benefits was paid to families receiving financial assistance in Hamilton last year.

Merulla said the committee will ask city staff to look into options and present a report.

Meanwhile, the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) legal clinic, which advocates on behalf of people on social assistance, has launched a Charter challenge of the Ford government's decision to make the cut.

"The cut to social assistance for children will mean no money for their necessities, such as food, clothing or diapers and will have a devastating impact on the health and well-being of children," said ISAC lawyer Jackie Esmonde in the notice of claim.

Grace Baldwin, a program manager with the Good Shepherd Centre in Hamilton, said she's already receiving calls from clients worried about how they'll pay their rent.

"People move into apartments factoring this money into their budgets," Baldwin said, noting a family with four children could receive up to $920 a month with the benefit.

The cut will "absolutely" mean homeless for some, longer shelter stays for others, she said.

This story has been updated, an earlier version reported that 87 per cent of the 1,800 children who receive the benefit are 3 years of age or younger, the correct percentage is approximately 18 per cent.

katrinaclarke@thespec.com

905-526-4629 | @katrinaaclarke

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With files from Laurie Monsebraaten, Toronto Star

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