What if someone is on parole or probation?

General Rule: Someone on parole or probation remains eligible for income assistance from Ontario Works.

Exceptions:

• Someone living in a community residence funded in whole or in part by the Ministry of the Solicitor General is only eligible for $149/month for basic needs support.
• Someone living in a community residence funded in whole or part by the Correctional Service of Canada is not eligible for any assistance.

How You Can Help:

• Step 1: Help your client contact their caseworker to confirm their support eligibility.
• Step 2: If your client wants to dispute a decision Ontario Works has made about their support payments, refer them to a legal clinic and make sure they bring their Notice of Decision, if they have it.
• Step 3: If your client can’t receive legal advice, help them complete a form letter for internal review or draft their own letter. Make sure they submit their request within 30 days from when they received the Notice of Decision.
• Step 4: If your client is no longer receiving their income support or is receiving less income support than they usually do, help them make a plan to avoid further civil legal issues, like being evicted for not paying rent, missing support payments or running into debt issues for not paying outstanding bills. If your client will be unable to make these kinds of payments without their income support, you can help them find other funding (e.g., rent bank programs, etc.) or refer them for legal advice before the issues escalate.