Full-time Employment Benefit (FTEB)

The FTEB is provided to a recipient, a spouse included in the benefit unit or a dependent adult to help with expenses associated with beginning full-time employment.  The maximum amount that may be provided through the FTEB is up to $500 in a 12-month period for each eligible recipient.

Recipients are eligible for this benefit if they have been on assistance for three consecutive months; and are beginning full-time employment and require assistance with the costs of going to work.
Beginning full-time employment means working 30 or more hours per week in one or more jobs.

A participant who is self-employed is not eligible for the FTEB.

Other Employment and Employment Assistance Activities Benefit

The Other Employment and Employment Assistance Activities Benefit is provided to a recipient, a spouse in the benefit unit, a dependent adult not attending secondary school full-time or a training program, or a dependent child who has graduated from secondary school. This benefit is provided to assist with costs associated with beginning or changing employment or an employment assistance activity.

Recipients are eligible for this benefit if they are beginning or changing participation in employment assistance activities, which means beginning a new training program with different duties and responsibilities, or shifting from job training to work experience; or beginning or changing employment with a current or new employer where the duties and responsibilities are substantially different than the previous job.

Expenses associated with accepting or changing either employment or an employment assistance activity, including a training program, include but are not limited to, the following:

• appropriate work wear;
• grooming costs;
• licensing fees, association costs;
• tools and equipment;
• transportation costs.

The maximum amount that may be provided for each eligible recipient of this benefit is up to $253 in a 12-month period.

Child Care Assistance

Administrators may provide assistance towards child care expenses for parents participating in employment assistance activities.

Participants can be reimbursed for the actual cost of licensed child care if paid for by the participant. Participants can also be reimbursed for the cost of informal or alternative child care (e.g., summer camp, supervised homework programs, etc.) up to the established maximum of $600 per month per child.

Payments for informal child care may not be made to a person who has a legal obligation to support the child, or to a member of the benefit unit, including the child’s parent, child’s sibling who is under age 18 and lives with the recipient or a dependent adult that is part of the benefit unit.

Where a participant has earnings from employment, the costs of child care for both licensed and informal child care may be deducted from earned income.  Where the costs of child care are equal to earnings, a child care subsidy may be provided.

Advance (Up Front) Child Care Payment

An advance (up front) child care payment may be provided to a recipient, a spouse included in the benefit unit, a dependent adult or a dependent child with a dependent child if in the opinion of the Administrator the person is required to pay in advance for child care that is necessary to permit employment or an employment assistance activity.

The advance child care payment can be issued up to the following maximum amount in any 12-month period:

• actual costs for licensed child care under the Day Nurseries Act; or
• up to $600 for unlicensed (informal) child care costs.

Extended Employment Health Benefits

Participants who become ineligible for Ontario Works due to employment income in excess may continue to receive the Ontario Works drug card as well as other health related discretionary benefits such as emergency dental, vision costs, for a maximum period of six months or until the health benefits from the employer begin, if applicable.

Extended Health Benefits

Participants who become ineligible for Ontario Works due to other income in excess, and who have high health costs, may continue to receive the Ontario Works drug card as well as other health related expenses for a period of up to six months. The eligibility for this program is confirmed monthly.

NOTE: The types and amounts listed are based on individual factors. Some benefits listed are subject to applicable maximums. Contact your Case Worker for further details