The Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) has created several fact sheets about some of the Ontario Social Assistance Program changes that began in September 2013.
The ISAC fact sheets provide information to people receiving support from Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), as well as for the people who work with them.
The following ISAC fact sheets are now available on the ISAC website:
Social Assistance Rates Update
This fact sheet explains the increases that people receiving Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits will receive for the month of October. It explains that not everyone will get the 1% increase this year. It also explains how further “rate restructuring” due to this summer’s increase in the Ontario Child Benefit has affected the rates of some families with children.
The rules around how much earned income you can keep have changed, resulting in more income for people on OW and ODSP who work, are self-employed, or take paid training. This fact sheet will tell you what you need to know.
Changes to Ontario Works (OW) Rules about Assets
For the first time since OW began, asset rules have changed significantly – and for the better. This fact sheet explains the changes.
Changes to OW Rules about Gifts
This factsheet explains the increase in allowable amounts that people on OW can receive in gifts or “voluntary payments” in any 12-month period.
The above information is also available in French on the ISAC website – scroll down for the overview and fact sheets in French.
You can also find some information about the changes in our HALCO news/brief Summer 2013 (pdf).
If you are living with HIV in Ontario, please contact us for free legal advice.
Other Ontario Community Legal Clinics
Ontario’s community legal clinics provide free legal services to people across Ontario:
- Community legal clinic information on the Legal Aid Ontario website: https://www.legalaid.on.ca/services/legal-clinics/.
- Getting legal help: Community Legal Clinics in Ontario is a Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) booklet that lists all the legal clinics in Ontario, and that is available on-line and in print: www.cleo.on.ca/en/publications/ontario.
- Conseils juridiques en français par téléphone : https://www.legalaid.on.ca/fr/plus-dinformations/renseignements-generaux-sur-la-societe/coordonnees/.