Q: What are income, assets and housing costs under Ontario Works?
A: Income
Income is any money that you get, either on a regular basis or in a lump sum, such as money from:
- a job (cash or cheque)
- Employment Insurance (EI)
- support payments
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
- a renter or boarder
You will need to provide information about any income you get in order to determine if you are eligible for Ontario Works and to determine the amount of money you may qualify for.
Assets
An asset is something of value that you own, such as:
- money in the bank
- house
- car
- investments (e.g. RRSP, GIC, stocks, bonds)
- interest in a business
You will be asked to provide information about all of your assets to determine if you are eligible for Ontario Works.
Housing Costs
Housing costs are what you pay for your house expenses (other than food), such as:
- rent or mortgage
- hydro
- heat
- water
You will need to provide information about your housing costs so that we can make sure you get the right amount of financial help.