RESOURCES & INFORMATION

Government Supports - For All Ontarians

Employment Insurance (EI)

Employment Insurance is a social program that contributes to the security of all Canadians by providing assistance to workers who lose their jobs and helping unemployed people across the country to get back to work.

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/

Ontario Sales Tax Credit

This credit helps low- to moderate-income individuals and families with the sales tax they pay. The credit is part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit.

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/stc/index.html

Ontario Works (Welfare)

Ontario Works helps people who are in financial need. ... Financial assistance, including: income support to help with the costs of basic needs, like food, clothing and shelter, health benefits for clients and their families. Employment assistance to help clients find, prepare for and keep a job.

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/ow/

Government Supports - For Seniors

Canada Pension Plan (CPP)

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is a contributory, earnings-related social insurance program. It forms one of the two major components of Canada's public retirement income system, the other component being Old Age Security (OAS).

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/cpptoc.shtml/

Old Age Security (OAS)

The Old Age Security pension (or OAS or OAS-GIS) is a taxable monthly social security payment available to most Canadians 65 years of age or older with individual income less than $114,815. As of January 2016, the basic amount is $570.52 per month.

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/oas/oastoc.shtml

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

Old Age Security Pension. ... The Allowance is a monthly benefit for low-income seniors (aged 60-64) whose spouse or common-law partner is eligible for, or currently receiving, the Old Age Security (OAS) pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/pub/oas/gismain.shtml

GAINS: Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System

If you are 65+ years old and receive the federal Old Age Security pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement payments, you could get up to $83 per month to ensure your income stays above a certain amount.

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/gains/index.html

Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant

If you are 64+ years old and own a home, you could get up to $500 to help with the cost of property taxes.

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/shptg/index.html

Reduced Co-payment for Lower Income Seniors

Depending on your annual income, you may be able to have the ODB $100 annual deductible waived and have your co-payment reduced to $2 per prescription.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-coverage-prescription-drugs

Government Supports - For People with Disabilities

Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Benefit is the largest long-term disability insurance program in Canada. It is designed to provide financial assistance to CPP contributors who are not able to work regularly because of a severe and prolonged disability (as defined by the CPP legislation).

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/cpp/disability/disabilitypension.shtml

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is a means-tested government-funded last resort income support paid for qualifying residents in the province of Ontario, Canada, who are above the age of 18 and have a disability. ODSP and Ontario Works (OW) are the two main components of Ontario's social assistance system.

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/odsp/

Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities

If you are a parent caring for a child under 18 years old with a severe disability, you may be able to receive some financial help.

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/index.aspx

Children with special needs

Children with special needs may require personalized attention and activities or special devices, toys and equipment. Special Needs Resourcing (SNR) helps support the inclusion of children with special needs in licensed child care settings and approved recreation programs at no additional cost to parents / guardians.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/speced.html

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/earlychildhood/index.aspx

Assistive Devices Program

If you or your child has a long-term physical disability, you can apply for help to pay for some needed equipment and supplies.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/assistive-devices-program/

Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit

If you are 65+ years old, you could get up to $1,500 to help with the cost of making your home safer and more accessible.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/healthy-homes-renovation-tax-credit

Home and Vehicle Modification Program

You could get money to help with the cost of making your home and vehicle more accessible if you or your child has a disability that restricts mobility.

http://www.marchofdimes.ca/EN/programs/hvmp/Pages/HowtoApply.aspx

Ontario Disability Support Program Dental Care

Dental care services such as oral exams, x-rays, fillings and extractions may be provided for free to ODSP recipients and their family.

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/odsp/income_support/odsp_dental.aspx

Ontario Drug Benefit Program

Find out if the cost of your prescription drugs are covered by the province.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/drugs/

Trillium Drug Program

If you have high prescription drug costs and a low household income, you may be able to pay $2 or less for every prescription.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-high-prescription-drug-costs

Ontario Trillium Benefit

The Ontario Trillium Benefit helps people pay for energy costs, and provides relief for sales and property tax.

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/otb/index.html

Employment Ontario Service Information

Employment Ontario

Employment Ontario offers job seekers, newcomers, apprentices, students, employers, and communities a single point of access to Ontario's employment and training programs and services.

http://www.ontario.ca/en/communities/employment/index.htm

Hotline 1-800-387-5656 (toll free)

1-866-533-6339 (TTY)

Employment Service

Employment Ontario can help you get training, build skills or find a job. We connect people looking for work with employers looking for workers.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/employment-ontario

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (formerly Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) is the ministry of the government of Ontario responsible for administration of laws relating to post-secondary education and skills training. ... The Ministry's offices are in downtown Toronto, Ontario.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-labour-training-skills-development

Better Jobs Ontario

The Government of Ontario has renamed Second Career as Better Jobs Ontario. Effective April 29, 2022, we expanded the program to better help people who may face challenges finding stable jobs such as gig workers, youth and people on social assistance. If you have been unemployed for six months or longer, and are part of a low-income household, you may benefit from these changes. To better reflect the expansion of the program, we renamed the program Better Jobs Ontario.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/better-jobs-ontario

Youth Job Link (YJL)

Youth Job Link (YJL) Youth Job Link is designed to help youth, including students, aged 15 to 29, who do not face significant barriers to employment, but who could benefit from some extra help to plan their careers and transition to the labour market.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-finding-youth-or-student-job

Youth Job Connection (YJC)

Youth Job Connection (YJC) is a program to help youth, 15 – 29 years old, find and keep jobs. It is a PAID program with several components.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-help-finding-youth-or-student-job

Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG)

Canada-Ontario Job Grant (the Job Grant) provides an opportunity for employers to invest in their workforce, with help from the government.

www.Ontario.ca/employeetraining

Start an Apprenticeship

Find out how you qualify and apply to be an apprentice in a skilled trade.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/start-apprenticeship

Literacy & Basic Skills (LBS) Adult learning

Take courses to improve your reading, writing and math skills, your English or French or to get your high school diploma.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/adult-learning

Government Supports - For Child Care

Ontario Child Care Subsidy

Families can apply for the Ontario child care subsidy. The cost of this program is shared by the Ontario government, municipal governments and First Nations communities.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/child-care-subsidies

Children’s Activity Tax Credit

You could get money back for activities like soccer, painting classes and music lessons for your child.

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/credit/catc/index.html

Healthy Smiles Ontario

Children 17 years old and under from low-income households may qualify to receive preventive, routine, and emergency dental services for free. Children 17 and under are automatically enrolled in Healthy Smiles Ontario when they or their family receive: Ontario Works, Temporary Care Assistance, Ontario Disability Support Program, or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-dental-care

Subsidies for adoption and legal custody

Families who adopt or take legal custody of eligible children may receive subsidies from their children’s aid society to help with the cost of caring for those children.

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/adoption/decided-to-adopt/public.aspx#step5

Temporary Care Assistance

If you are looking after a child in financial need and you are not the child’s legal caregiver, you may be able to get money on behalf of the child.

http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/questions/tca.aspx

Universal Child Care Benefit

The Government of Canada's Universal Child Benefit also helps Canadian families pay for child care costs.

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/uccb-puge/menu-eng.html

Canada Child Tax Benefit

The Canada Child Tax Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment. It helps families pay for the costs of raising children under the age of 18.

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/financialhelp/ocb/index.aspx

Child Tax Benefits

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) helps low-to-moderate income families – whether they are working or not – to provide for their children.

http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/english/financialhelp/ocb/index.aspx

Government Supports - For Women

Employment Training for Abused and at-Risk Women

Employment training for women who have experienced abuse or are at risk of abuse to develop new skills, find employment, and achieve economic security.

http://www.women.gov.on.ca/owd/english/economic/training-abused-women.shtml

Women in Skilled Trades and Information Technology Training

Pre-apprenticeship training in the skilled trades and training in information technology to low-income women.

http://www.women.gov.on.ca/owd/english/economic/employment.shtml

Microlending for Women in Ontario Program

Entrepreneurship training for low-income women who are seeking to start their own business.

http://www.women.gov.on.ca/owd/english/economic/entrepreneurs.shtml