What if someone is having issues meeting their participation requirements?
General Rule: In order to be eligible for financial assistance, the participation requirements, including participating in employment activities, as outlined in their Participation Agreement, have to be met. Recipients (or members of their family) who don’t meet these requirements might have their support payments suspended, reduced or terminated.
Exceptions: In some cases, Ontario Works might allow someone to defer or change their participation requirements. Examples of when this might happen:
- They have an injury, illness or disability making participation impractical
- They are on pregnancy or parental leave
- They are a victim of family violence
- They are under house arrest
- They are caring for a family member who requires daily physical assistance
- They are the sole-support parent for at least one dependent child and publicly-funded education is not available
How You Can Help:
- Step 1: If your client is having trouble meeting their responsibilities, help them contact their caseworker to talk about changes that can be made to their Participation Agreement.
- Step 2: Point your client to resources on employment activities they have access to and help them navigate the options.
- Step 3: If your client wants to dispute an item in their Participation Agreement, tell them to speak with their caseworker first and explain why they need the change. If they’re unable to find a resolution, refer them to a legal clinic.
