1. Find out who OW includes in your household
Beware of scams
People have been getting phone calls with a pre-recorded message telling them their Ontario Works account has been deleted.
This is a scam to trick you into sharing your personal information. If you get a call like that, hang up the phone. You can report these calls to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Question & Answer
Can I work and get OW at the same time?Ontario Works (OW) has rules about who they include as part of your household. OW calls this your “benefit unit”.
They include the and 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 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
