Advocate for fair Ontario Works rates

Working together to advocate for fair Ontario Works rates and improve income security.

The Peel Poverty Reduction Committee (PPRC) is a collaborative network that brings together individuals with lived experience, poverty reduction advocates, academia, regional and local levels of government, non-profit organizations, and public sector organizations. Co-chaired by the United Way of Greater Toronto and Peel Region, the PPRC’s key principle is that to effectively address poverty, we must all work together.

As part of its advocacy priorities, the PPRC is launching a campaign to raise awareness about the urgent need to increase Ontario Works (OW) rates in Ontario. This campaign aims to inform residents, engage community partners, and influence Provincial decision-makers to act.

Why this campaign matters

Ontario Works, sometimes known as social assistance, provides financial assistance to those needing help to pay for basic needs such as food and shelter. For many years, multiple governments have chosen to not increase the amount of money people on Ontario Works get each month. This leaves people receiving benefits well below the poverty line.

Ontario Works is meant to be a lifeline, but for many, it falls short. For example, a single person on OW receives a maximum of $733 per month, while the average asking price for a bachelor apartment in Peel is more than $1,700. That leaves little to nothing for food, transportation, or other essentials.

Because of this:

Many rely on food banks, shelters, and emergency services to survive.
Families are forced to choose between paying rent, feeding their children, or getting to work or school.
Homelessness is on the rise, putting more strain on already stretched social support systems.

The numbers

$733 a month is the maximum support for a single adult on OW.
$1,700 and higher is the average cost of a bachelor apartment rental in Peel.
OW rates have remained virtually unchanged since 2018.
Most recipients live below the deep poverty line.
The number of people in Peel on OW in 2024 increased by 47% from the previous year.
In 2024, nearly 30% of food bank users in Ontario relied on Ontario Works as their main source of income (Feed Ontario).

What’s coming next

Send a letter: participate in our electronic letter-writing campaign. By entering your postal code, you can send a pre-populated advocacy letter directly to your local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), the Premier of Ontario, and the Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services.

Make a call: use our phone scripts to contact your local MPP and share your concerns directly. Enter your postal code to find your local MPP’s phone number.

Spread the word: share our campaign resources, including social cards and video stories, to amplify the message.

Come together: connect with the PPRC and organizations that are also advocating for OW rate increases to strengthen our collective voice.

Contact us

For more information about this advocacy campaign, email us.