1. Understand the rules about living with a spouse
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 and answer
Can I get OW if I live with another adult?Your spouse can be any sex or gender.
If you're living with someone, Ontario Works (OW) will decide you're spouses if any of the following are true:
- you tell them that you are
- you're married to each other
- the law says that the other person must support you or your child
Living together for at least 3 months
OW will also decide you're spouses if all of the following are true:
- You've been living together for at least 3 months. See Step 3.
- One of you supports the other or the two of you are “financially interdependent”. See Step 4.
- You're “living together as a couple”, not as two single people. This means that your relationship is like a marriage. See Step 5.
OW can decide that the person you're living with is your spouse, even if one of you is married to or separated from someone else.