Glossary

In Employment and Work, Health and Disability, Housing Law, Human Rights, Income Assistance, Tribunals and Courts

Accommodate means making changes to how things are done so that a person is not treated differently based on their personal characteristics. These characteristics are called protected grounds.

There are 17 protected grounds in Ontario’s Human Rights Code. These include ethnic origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, family status, and disability.

The following groups must provide accommodation: employers, landlords, service providers, unions, and professional associations. But they may not have to if they can prove that the accommodation will cause them undue hardship.

In Employment and Work, Health and Disability, Housing Law, Human Rights, Income Assistance, Tribunals and Courts

Accommodate means making changes to how things are done so that a person is not treated differently based on their personal characteristics. These characteristics are called protected grounds.

There are 17 protected grounds in Ontario’s Human Rights Code. These include ethnic origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, family status, and disability.

The following groups must provide accommodation: employers, landlords, service providers, unions, and professional associations. But they may not have to if they can prove that the accommodation will cause them undue hardship.

In Income Assistance

The Allowance is a monthly amount that the Canadian government pays to Canadian citizens and legal residents who:

• have a low income,
• are 60 to 64 years old, and

are married to, or the common-law partners of, people getting Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

In Income Assistance

The Allowance for the Survivor is a monthly amount that the Canadian government pays to Canadian citizens and legal residents whose spouse or common-law partner has died and who:

• have a low income,
• are 60 to 64 years old, and

meet the minimum residency requirements.

In Family Law, Income Assistance, Tribunals and Courts, Wills and Powers of Attorney

Assets, sometimes called property, are things that you own. For example, assets include cars, real estate, registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), and any savings you have.

In Health and Disability, Income Assistance, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is run by the Canadian government. Employers and workers make contributions to the plan and in certain situations the benefits are paid out to the worker or their family to partially replace their earnings.

These situations can include:

• if a worker becomes disabled and can no longer work 
• if a worker dies
• if a worker retires, or
• if a worker reaches a certain age

You may also get these benefits by credit splitting after a common-law relationship, divorce, or separation, even if you are not a worker.

In Income Assistance

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits are for people who:

• have a severe and prolonged disability that prevents them from working regularly or earning more than a limited amount of money
• are under 65 years old
• contributed enough to CPP

In Income Assistance, Canada Pension Plan (CPP)

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement benefits are monthly payments that many Canadians get when they retire.

To get CPP retirement benefits, you normally have to have:

• worked in Canada
• made contributions to the CPP

Most people who get CPP retirement benefits get them when they are 65 years old. But you can start getting your retirement benefits:

• as early as 60, and get less money each month
• as late as 70, and get more money each month

In Income Assistance, Canada Pension Plan (CPP)

A Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension is a monthly payment that many Canadians get when they retire.

To get a CPP retirement pension, you normally have to have:

• worked in Canada
• made contributions to the CPP

Most people who get a CPP retirement pension get it when they are 65 years old. But you can start your retirement pension:

• as early as 60, and get less money each month
• as late as 70, and get more money each month

In Immigration Law, Income Assistance

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) manages the income tax process. The CRA sends out a Notice of Assessment each year to everyone who files their tax return. The CRA is also responsible for some social benefits, like the Goods and services tax/Harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit, Canada child benefit, and child disability benefit.