What are the government sources of income available?
There are various sources of income which are administered by the government and you may be available for them depending on your particular situation. The following is a brief overview of some of the common sources of income.
Employment Insurance
If you have been employed or self-employed and lost your job, you may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. Regular EI benefits are for those who have lost their job through no fault of their own, but are ready and available to work. There are also special benefits for those who take time off work or self-employment due to illness, pregnancy, caring for a new child (including a newly adopted child), or caring for a seriously ill/injured person. Workers must have made sufficient contributions to the EI system before qualifying.
Canada Pension Plan
If you have made at least one valid contribution to the Canada Pension Plan system through employment, or a relevant family member has, you may be eligible for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits. The CPP retirement pension is for those who have reached at least the age of 65. There is also the possibility of receiving an early retirement pension if you have reached the age of 60 and have essentially stopped working. However receiving this pension will mean that your retirement pension will stay at a lower amount. There is also a CPP disability benefit for adults of any age who cannot work due to a serious physical and/or mental disability that is long-term. There is also a children’s benefit if the recipient of a CPP disability benefit has a dependent child. For those contributors to the CPP system who die, there may be benefits for the surviving spouse/common-law partner and/or for dependent children. There is also a death benefit which is a one-time payment for your estate.
Old Age Security
If you have reached the age of 65, you may be eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension. You need not have been employed/self-employed in order to qualify for this pension nor is it income related (unless your income is quite high). It is related to your immigration status as well as the years you have resided in Canada. There are also supplements to the OAS for low-income pensioners which are dependent on your income for the previous year, Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and the provincial Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS). There is also an allowance for spouses/common-law partners of low-income OAS pensioners who are themselves aged 60-64 and an Allowance for the Survivor for those spouses/common-law partners aged 60-64 who have lost a spouse/partner who was eligible for OAS.
OW and ODSP
If you are low-income or have no income, you may qualify for Ontario Works (OW) or for Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits. These are the two forms of basic social assistance in Ontario. For OW, you are expected to take steps towards becoming employed unless you fall into certain exceptions (such as illness or caregiving responsibilities). For ODSP, you have to show that you meet the program’s definition of a person with a disability or be a member of a prescribed class, as well as financially qualify.
Other Sources
Some other sources of income include Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) benefits, Canada Child Tax Benefit and other related benefits, Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities (ACSD), the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) for government sponsored refugees, and federal/provincial tax credits such as Goods and Services (GST) credit.
Some of the above-mentioned sources of income can be combined.
The above is a simply a summary of sources of income. It is legal information and not legal advice. If you need further information or need legal advice, please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1 or complete our online Intake Form.