4. Know what to do if your assets are more than OW allows
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 get OW if I own property or other things?Ontario Works (OW) can cut off or reduce your if you get that are worth more than what the OW rules say you can have. For example, you might receive a gift or a payment from someone who owes you money.
See the answer to this question for details about the rules and amounts.
OW should not cut off your financial assistance if:
- you spend the money to buy assets that are “exempt”, which means that OW does not count them, and
- you buy these assets in the month when you get the money.
See Step 1 for examples of assets that OW does not count.
See Step 2 for rules about getting rid of assets.
