I disagree with a decision from OW. What can I do?

When Ontario Works (OW) makes a decision about your assistance, they’re supposed to put it in writing. This is called a Notice of Decision.

The local OW office sends you the Notice of Decision. The Notice of Decision is supposed to include the reasons for the decision.

If someone from OW tells you about a decision but you don’t get a Notice of Decision, contact your local OW office right away and ask for one.

If you’re applying to OW

You can’t get assistance from OW unless you meet with them to complete your application. And if OW does not want to give you assistance, you can’t appeal unless you complete your application and they make a decision.

If you talk to an OW worker on the phone and they don’t want to give you an appointment to complete your application, ask to speak to a supervisor. Tell the supervisor that you want to complete your application.

If there’s still a problem, contact your community legal clinic right away.

If your assistance is being cut off or reduced

You may want to contact your OW worker if:

• you don’t understand the decision
• you don’t understand the reasons for the decision
• you can give OW information that might change the decision

Talking to your worker might help. But you don’t have to do this.

Sign and date the letter you’ve written asking for an internal review. Make sure you keep a copy.

You can send your request to the Ontario Works (OW) office by fax or mail. Or you or someone else might be able to take the letter to the OW office.

The office address is on the Notice of Decision that OW sends you.

Proving when you made your request

If you take the letter to the OW office, ask for a receipt to prove when you delivered it.

If you fax it, get a report from the fax machine to show the date the fax was sent.

If you mail it, make a note of the date you put it in the mail.

Some Ontario Works (OW) decisions can be appealed to the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT).

But even if you can appeal to the SBT, you have to first ask for an internal review. See Step 2.

Decisions you can appeal

You can appeal to the SBT if the decision is about:

• getting on assistance
• changing the amount of assistance you get
• having your assistance cut off
• having an overpayment
• sending your cheque to a trustee, if you’re 18 or older

You can also appeal other types of decisions that affect you, such as whether:

• you or someone you live with qualifies for a special diet allowance
• OW will give you an employment and training start-up allowance to pay for certain costs related to working or training
• OW will pay for certain health care supplies or travel costs that you have for medical reasons

Decisions you cannot appeal

You cannot appeal to the SBT if the decision is about:

• getting “discretionary benefits”, such as paying for a funeral
• making payments to someone else, for example, if OW decides to pay your rent directly to your landlord
• getting emergency assistance
• sending your cheque to a trustee, if you’re younger than 18 years old
• refusing to give you extra time to ask for an internal review

If a decision cannot be appealed

Even if the law says that a decision cannot be appealed, you can still ask OW for an internal review.

Explain why you think the decision should be changed and include any information that supports your reasons.

If OW refused to give you extra time to ask for an internal review, talk to a community legal clinic about other things you might be able to do.

If you’re not sure

If you’re not sure if you can appeal the decision, you can still start an appeal.

Talk to a community legal clinic if you want to appeal a decision but aren’t sure if you can.