Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a Member
Present a petition under Standing Order 42: $150 more and yearly indexation of Ontario Works.
The letter ·
Petition to the Legislative Assembly under Standing Order 42 - Ontario Works rates frozen since 2018, $150 increase and annual indexation
Hello,
A single recipient of Ontario Works is allowed $733 a month: $343 for basic needs and up to $390 for shelter. That figure was set in 2018 and has not moved since. The Ontario Disability Support Program is indexed every July, most recently in July 2026. The same ministry runs both programs and protects only one of them from inflation.
The text of the petition follows.
To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
Whereas Ontario Works allowances have been frozen since 2018, at $343 a month for basic needs and $390 a month for shelter for a single recipient; and
Whereas prices have risen by more than 25 per cent over that period, so that restoring the purchasing power of the 2018 rate now requires about $183 a month; and
Whereas the Ontario Disability Support Program has been indexed to inflation every July since 2023, while Ontario Works, administered by the same ministry, has not been indexed at all;
We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows: that Ontario Works basic needs and shelter allowances be increased by $150 a month for every recipient, and that they be indexed annually on the same basis and on the same date as the Ontario Disability Support Program.
I require 2 things from your office. First, confirmation that you will present this petition, and the sitting date on which you will present it. Second, the number of original signatures your office requires and the address they are to be delivered to, so that I can begin collecting them this week.
On the same day I have written to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services demanding the increase and the reason for indexing one program and freezing the other, and I have asked the Ministry for the records behind that decision under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The petition is the third door, and the one that reaches the floor of the Assembly.
Respectfully,
Danilo Dzyuban
The answer ·
Hi Danilo, thank you for reaching out and advocating for an increase to Ontario Works. We agree that the amount provided is unlivable and needs to be increased to appropriately meet the needs of Ontarians. It is important to note that Catherine is the Shadow Minister for Housing, and so the legislation they introduce to the assembly will pertain to that issue specifically.
The Shadow Minister for Children, Community and Social Services of Ontario is Lisa Gretzky. They are the one who would introduce this type of legislation, as it is within their scope, and it is that ministry that oversees the Ontario Works Act. I will include a contact for their office below.
Contact: [email]
Thanks again for advocating. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us.
Kind Regards,