2. Find out if you’re eligible for the Transition Child Benefit

To be eligible for the Transition Child Benefit (TCB), you must:

• get financial assistance from Ontario Works (OW) or income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP),
• have at least one child under 18 who lives with you,
• have applied or be applying for the Canada child benefit (CCB), and
• not be getting CCB payments or not getting the full amount that you could be getting.

And you can get the TCB only if you have full custody or shared custody of a child.

When you can’t get the TCB

Even if all of the above apply to you, you can't get the TCB if you're:

• getting the Extended Health Benefit or the Transitional Health Benefit through OW or ODSP,
• getting the Extended Employment Health Benefit through OW,
• living in an emergency hostel, or
• living at an interval or transition home for victims of family violence, unless you're getting assistance to help you keep your home in the community, for example, by paying your rent.

When you may be eligible

You may be able to get the TCB if you're getting OW or ODSP and one of the following applies to you:

• you're waiting for your CCB payments to start
• you did not file your income tax for the most recent tax period
• you're a newcomer to Canada, for example, a refugee claimant
• you recently moved to Ontario
• you have a newborn child
• your income has gone down a lot since the last tax year
• there are delays in getting your CCB payments

Getting legal help

The OW and ODSP rules about getting the TCB are complicated. If you aren't sure if you're eligible, contact a community legal clinic.