OW & ODSP Rate Increases   and the Ontario Child Benefit

as of September 30, 2016

The Ontario government increased Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates in the 2016 Ontario Budget. These increases will appear on OW and ODSP cheques dated September 30. Detailed information about these and other benefit increases is on page 2.

The table below shows current and new Basic Needs and Maximum Shelter amounts for different family types. It also shows maximum Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) amounts, which went up by $2 per month per child in July 2016. The OCB is an important part of the total incomes of people on OW and ODSP who have children.  

NOTES: All children in the examples above are under age 18. Amounts shown are maximums and may not apply in every situation. For example, people whose actual housing charges are less than the maximum shelter amount will only receive the amount they pay, not the maximum. Ontario Child Benefit amounts may be lower than the maximum, depending on the net income of the family. Amounts for couples on ODSP apply only to situations where one person in the couple has a disability – see page 2 for the “double-disabled” rate for couples where both have a disability. People receiving OW or ODSP benefits should ask their caseworker about the amounts that apply in their specific case.

People on OW or ODSP may be able to receive other provincial and federal benefits, such as the Ontario Trillium Benefit, the G/HST credit, and the Canada Child Benefit, as well as other supports through social assistance.

Increases to the Basic Needs and Maximum Shelter amounts:

• Single people receiving Ontario Works, whose rates are the lowest, will get an additional $25 per month. This is a 3.6% increase. The $25 will be added onto the Basic Needs side of their cheque. There is no increase to the Maximum Shelter amount for singles. All single people on OW will get the full benefit of the $25 even if their actual housing charges are lower than the Maximum Shelter amount.
• Everyone else on OW – single people with children, couples, and couples with children – will get an increase of a little over 1.5%. The increase is added to both the Basic Needs and Maximum Shelter amounts.
• Single people with disabilities on ODSP will get an increase of $18 per month, which is slightly more than 1.5%. However, as in past years, people with families will not get an increase to benefit amounts for their family members. This means everyone on ODSP will get the same $18 increase, regardless of the size or make-up of their family. The $18 will be added to the Basic Needs side of their cheques.
• Couples on ODSP who both have a disability get a special “double-disabled” rate, which is the maximum amount that they are eligible for. The “double-disabled” rate will increase from $1,866 to $1,902 per month, or $18 each. Other benefits that these couples are eligible for, like the Special Diet Allowance or the Remote Communities Allowance, are added on top of the “double-disabled” rate. Benefits for any dependent children they may have are also added on top.

Other benefit increases include:

• The Remote Communities Allowance will increase by 1.5%. This benefit applies to people living in communities without year-round road access north of the 50th parallel. (Note: this used to be called the “Northern Allowance”.)
• The Board and Lodge rate will increase by $25 per month for single people on OW, by 1.5% for everyone else on OW (singles with children and couples with or without children), and by $12 per month for people with a disability on ODSP.
• A 1.5% increase will also apply to:

• the Advanced Age Allowance
• the Personal Needs Allowance
• the Special Boarder Allowance
• the Guide Dog Benefit
• Temporary Care Assistance
• rates for dependents with dependents, financially independent adults living with parents, sponsored immigrants, residents of interval and transition homes, residents of long-term care homes, intensive support residences, and supported group living residences.

• The maximum Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD) rate will increase from $470 to $480 per month.

There are no increases to:

• the Special Diet Allowance
• the Pregnancy / Breast-feeding Nutritional Allowance.