Eligibility is based on:

• Financial need
• Assets and Income
• Participation Requirements

Financial Need
Applicant or participant eligibility is based on financial need and takes into account the financial resources available.  These resources include assets and income such as earnings, Employment Insurance Benefits, Support and other means of compensation.

Eligibility for financial assistance is contingent on an agreement to meet participation requirements.

Assets
Assets include cash, bonds, debentures, stocks, certificates, the cash surrender value of a life insurance policy, interest in property, a beneficial interest in assets held in trust and available to the benefit unit, vehicles and other property which can be readily converted into cash.

The definition of assets and its exceptions, the asset levels, and the treatment of various assets assist the worker in determining eligibility.  To make a determination of initial and ongoing eligibility, the total value of assets held by applicants or participants and their dependants must be below the established asset level for that benefit unit.

Income
The worker must determine the income available to the applicant or participant.  Income includes; National Child Benefit, Child Support, Government Pensions, Employment Insurance Benefits, Workers Compensation payments and all payments of any nature or kind received by or on behalf of the applicant or participant, members of the benefit unit and a dependant on whose behalf temporary care assistance is paid unless otherwise exempted.  As a condition of eligibility, an applicant or participant is required to pursue all sources of income that are or will become available to him/her.

For the purpose of calculating assistance, all non-exempted income received by the applicant or participant is deducted from the budgetary requirements of the benefit unit.  If the amount of non-exempted income exceeds the budgetary requirements in any given month, the applicant or participant is not eligible for assistance.

Participation Requirements

All participants of the Ontario Works Program are required to complete a Participation Agreement at the time of application.  Ontario Works is an employment-focused program and the Employment Assistance Program is explained in more detail in the section entitled “Programs”.