Ontario Works
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1997 |
| Type | Social assistance / employment support program |
| Jurisdiction | Province of Ontario, Canada |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
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Parent agency | Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services |
| Website | https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-works |
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Ontario Works (OW) is a social assistance program in Ontario, Canada, that provides financial and employment support to individuals and families in temporary financial need. The program offers financial support for rent and groceries, health benefits, and employment support.[1] In Ontario, there are two support programs, Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program.[2]
History
Ontario Works was established under the Ontario Works Act, 1997.[3] Ontario Works is a social assistance program designed to support people in financial need by providing income assistance and employment services to help them achieve self-reliance.[3] For single recipients, it offers $733 per month.[4]
Kimberly Rogers was a woman in Sudbury, Ontario, who was convicted of welfare fraud in 2001 for receiving student loans while also collecting Ontario Works benefits.[5] She was sentenced to house arrest and died under house arrest during a heatwave.[6] Her death sparked public outcry and an inquest that criticized Ontario’s welfare rules and called for reforms.[7][8][9][10]
Ontario Works caseload trends diverged from unemployment trends beginning in the 2000s, even as the labour market improved after 2008.[11] Social assistance (both Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program) rates remained elevated, indicating a decoupling of welfare dependency from employment conditions.[11]
In 2023-24, there were 420,592 people on Ontario Works, which represented 46 percent of the 916,947 beneficiaries receiving social assistance in Ontario.[2] The remaining beneficiaries were under the Ontario Disability Support Program.[2]
See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ontario Works". ontario.ca. 27 March 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ontario - Maytree". maytree.com/. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1.1 Overview of Ontario Works | Ontario Works policy directives | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. 2022-03-28. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Milton, Jon; Calabro, Asif Khan, Claudia (2025-07-22). "Time for a real poverty reduction strategy in Ontario - CCPA". Retrieved 2025-09-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Administrator, NAWL (2002-10-16). "Finding Answers: The Kimberly Rogers Inquest". National Association of Women and the Law. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ^ Rogers v. Sudbury (Administrator of Ontario Works), 2001 CanLII 28086 (ON S.C.)
- ^ Mark MacKinnon and Keith Lacey, "Bleak House", The Globe and Mail, 18 August 2001.
- ^ "Welfare moms can't get help they need". Sudbury Star, 4 January 2003.
- ^ Keith Lacey with Tim Cook, "Woman under house arrest died in Sudbury heat wave". The Globe and Mail, 15 August 2001.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Who killed Kimberly Rogers?". The Globe and Mail. 2002-10-17. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2025-01-30). "Recent trends in social assistance in Ontario". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
