Can I work and still get financial assistance from Ontario Works?

Ontario Works (OW) has rules about who they include as part of your household. OW calls this your "benefit unit".  

They include the income and assets of people in your household when they decide if you qualify financially for OW. 

And if others in your household earn money, their income can affect how much financial assistance you get.

The people OW may include are:

• your spouse
• your children under the age of 18
• your adult children

Children under 18

If a child under 18 lives with you, OW rules say that they’re usually included in your household if you or your spouse is the child’s parent. But their earnings are not included as income and don’t affect how much you get from OW.

Children 18 and older

There are rules about when OW includes a child who is 18 or older in your household.

If an adult child in your household is a full-time student in high school or a post-secondary program:

• OW does not include their earnings as income
• their earnings don’t affect how much you get from OW

When earnings exemptions apply, you can have $200 in net earnings in a month before Ontario Works (OW) reduces your monthly financial assistance.

The general rule is that if you make more than $200 in net earnings in a month, OW gives you less assistance. And they take off an amount that equals half of the net earnings you make that are above $200.

For example, if you make $300 in net earnings in a month, OW takes $50 from the amount they usually give you. This is because $300 in net earnings minus $200 equals $100. And $100 divided by 2 equals $50. See below for how this works:

If you have to pay for child care so you can go to work, you might get to keep more of your monthly financial assistance. See Step 4.

If you live in a First Nations community

OW will not reduce your financial assistance because you’re getting money for being in an employment training program that lasts up to 12 months.

This includes the training allowance and money to pay for child care and travel.

Getting money from OW to help pay for costs of working

OW has benefits that can help you:

• buy tools, equipment, and clothes for work
• pay travel costs related to preparing for or starting a new job
• pay fees for a licence or membership in an association

Full-Time Employment Benefit

If you need help to pay for things you need to start a full-time job or training program, you might be able to get the Full-Time Employment Benefit.

To qualify, you need to show OW all of the following:

1. You’ve been on social assistance for 3 months in a row.
2. You’re starting to work at least 30 hours a week in one or more jobs.
3. You need help with the costs of going to work.

If you qualify, you may be able to get up to $500 in any 12-month period. For example, if you start with the month of April, you could get up to $500 between April 1 and March 31.

Other Employment and Employment Assistance Activities Benefit

If you don’t qualify for the Full-time Employment Benefit, you might still qualify for the Other Employment and Employment Assistance Activities Benefit.

To qualify, you need to show that you’re:

• starting a new job
• starting a new training program where you have to do different things

If you qualify, you may be able to get up to $253 in any 12-month period. For example, if you start in the month of April, you could get up to $253 between April 1 and March 31.

When you get financial assistance, you must tell Ontario Works (OW) about:

• any money you make from a job or training program, or from being self-employed
• any other money you get, such as Employment Insurance benefits
• changes in your life, for example, if you start a job, or if family members move in or out of your household

How and when to report income and changes

Your OW office should tell you how and when to report your income and any changes in your life. OW may:

• send you blank forms in the mail each month
• tell you where to find the forms online

Some OW offices have their own forms. Or, you may be able to use these forms.

Your OW office will tell you when to complete and return the forms. It’s important to follow their instructions. If you don’t, you might not get financial assistance for the next month. 

Keep your documents

OW can ask you for documents to prove:

• that you qualify for financial assistance
• how much financial assistance you should get

So keep any documents that show OW:

• how much money you made, for example, pay stubs
• what your expenses were, for example, child-care costs