What is meant by social assistance?
Ontario has two social assistance programs to help eligible residents who are in financial need:
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) which helps people who have disabilities and has two components to it-
- Income Support
- Employment Support
Ontario Works (OW) helps people who are in temporary financial need. It offers both financial and employment assistance.
If you are getting assistance from ODSP or OW you are required by law to make reasonable efforts to get financial support from your spouse.
When are you not required to make efforts to get support?
- If the spouse or child’s parent has not had contact for some time, for example for a period of two years
- Spouse cannot be found
- You cannot go to family court for medical reasons;
- Your spouse or child’s other parent is violent towards you or your child,
- If you cannot pay any support right now, for example, because they are in jail,
- If they are in another country where they cannot be forced to pay support that a court in Ontario ordered them to pay.
ODSP or OW will decide if you need to try to get support.
This decision is reviewed every three (3) to twelve (12) months.
You can be asked for proof. Examples could be a police report, a letter from a doctor or a counselor in case of claim of violence against you.
What does ODSP or OW expect you to do?
- Make a support agreement with the spouse or child’s other parent;
- Apply to get a court order for support;
- Get a variation order from the court to ask the other parent for an increase in the support payment;
- Enforce a support agreement or court order.
