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Chair Iannicca's statement in response to the province's announcement.

Services to residents and businesses will continue as normal. 

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Apply for Ontario Works or emergency assistance

If you need help paying for food and shelter, financial help is available from the Ontario government called Ontario Works. This is also sometimes known as social assistance.

Emergency assistance is also available and offers short-term financial help for people in crisis or an emergency situation.

On this page

Eligibility

Ontario Works

Eligibility depends on your household income, what you own, and the number of people in your family. Only 1 application is needed for each family.

Applicants must also be:

Emergency assistance

Applicants must be:

If you are a Ukrainian or migrant with documentation confirming that you are in Ontario under the Canadian-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel and require emergency assistance, call 905-793-9200 or toll free at 1-800-327-5379.

What you need

When applying you will need the following:

How to apply

Peel Region staff will complete your Ontario Works or emergency assistance application for you if you meet any of the following criteria.

Call us to complete your application

Telephone applications take approximately 45 minutes to an hour to complete.

Apply to the Ontario government

You'll need to apply directly to the Ontario government if you do not meet the criteria for Peel Region staff to apply for you.

You can also call toll free 1-888-999-1142 to apply over the phone.

You'll be contacted by a caseworker within 4 business days of you submitting your application.

Who to contact

If you have questions about this service, call 905-793-9200.

More information

Watch this video to learn how Ontario Works can help you.

Your application review appointment

An appointment will be set up to review your application with you and a caseworker. Have all your documents ready for your appointment. Staff will review your documents to decide if you qualify for financial assistance and can recommend other programs to support you.
Your spouse and any children over age 18 must also be available for your application review appointment.

If you need a translator, Ontario Works may provide one for you.

Appeal a decision

If you aren't eligible for financial help, you will get a letter. This letter will tell you why your application wasn't accepted, and you can ask for the decision to be re-considered. This is called an appeal.

You can appeal if:

  • Your application wasn't accepted.
  • You disagree with the amount of financial assistance you receive.

Find out how to appeal a decision.

Rights and responsibilities

Ontario Works provides financial assistance to people in need. If you are eligible for assistance, you will receive assistance each month for as long as you are eligible.

Learn your rights and responsibilities.