Canadian
Social Assistance
(Welfare) Policy Manuals
Canadian
| Manuels
de politiques |
Updated August 25, 2010
Page révisée le 25 août 2010
NOTE:
The Key Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page of
this website includes
all of the links below along with links to the legislation,
statistics, rates, related information and more.
The
jurisdictions whose links appear on this page have posted their current social
assistance (welfare) policy manual on their website.
Social assistance
policy manuals are an excellent source of detailed information about such questions
as initial and ongoing eligibility, the treatment of assets and income, how benefits
are calculated, special needs and rules regarding a wide range of program issues
(recovery of overpayments, appeals, fraud prevention and detection, etc.)
NOTES : The amount of information provided in online policy manuals varies from one jurisdiction to another, and they're not all continuously updated . For a more complete picture of social assistance policies, be sure to check the relevant legislation as well (a few provinces actually include their welfare legislation in the manual itself).
Social Assistance:
How Welfare Works in Ontario for clients of the system
August 24, 2010
Excellent new resource from Community Legal Education Ontario!
[Clicking the link takes you to the
Ontario section, further down on the page you're now reading ]
---
- this link takes you to the bottom of the page you're now
reading, where you'll
find links to two online resources with general info about how welfare works
in Canada.
| NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR |
Income
Support
There's no welfare policy manual as such, but the home page
of the Income Support Program offers links to more info about the Income Support
(Social Assistance) program, including : * Program Overview * Monthly Rates *
Applying for Income Support * Child Benefit * Health Related Services * more...
Dept. responsible:
Human
Resources, Labour and Employment
- Go to the
Canadian Social Research Links Newfoundland and Labrador page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nfbkmrk.htm
| PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND |
Prince
Edward Island
Social Assistance Policy Manual
The
Social Assistance Program helps Islanders meet their basic needs when they are
unable to provide for themselves. The program provides benefits on a case-by-case
basis to Islanders who meet the program eligibility requirements according to
the Social Assistance
Act (PDF - 488K, 10 pages) and the Social Assistance Policy Manual.
Dept. responsible:
Community Services, Seniors
and Labour
(formerly Social Services and Seniors and before that, Health and Social
Services)
- Go to the Canadian
Social Research Links Prince Edward Island page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/pebkmrk.htm
| NOVA SCOTIA |
Employment
Support and Income Assistance Policy
- incl. links to the latest version
of the manual and to revision logs (showing recent changes)
Dept.
responsible:
Community Services
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Nova Scotia page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm
| NEW BRUNSWICK |
Welfare Policy Manual
"This electronic version of the HRD-NB policies
is an unofficial version which contains essentially the same material found in
HRD-NB's in-house on-line help. This version has been edited for relevancy of
content. For example, technical procedures unrelated to policy application have
been removed. A full, unabridged version of on-line help can be requested under
the Right to Information Act."
- includes sections on Applicant And Client
Types - Assets And Income - Benefits - Intake And Continuing Eligibility - Programs
- Rates (although not basic rates)
- includes links to the Family Income
Security Act and Regulation
Frames
version of the policy manual - easier to navigate, but not for bookmarking
individual pages.
Dept. responsible:
Social
Development
- Go to the Canadian Social Research
Links New Brunswick page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nbkmrk.htm
| QUEBEC |
Assistance
to individuals and families:
Information on the Social Assistance Program
and
the Social Solidarity Program (1.5MB, 49 pages)
July
2008
... deals with the various concepts that may influence last-resort financial
assistance, such as changes in a family’s situation, the possession of certain
assets, income, parental contribution, etc.
Assistance
to individuals and families – General information (PDF file - 3.4MB,
23 pages)
July 2008
NOTE: the blue text box in the centre of the Last-resort
financial assistance page also contains detailed welfare program info
Dept. responsible:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English
Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)
-
Go to the Québec Links (English) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche sociale au Québec: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm
| ONTARIO |
Ontario
Works Policy Directives
Everything you wanted to know about the Ontario
Works program, broken down into small PDF files. Ontario Works provides financial
and employment assistance for single people, couples with and without children,
sole support parents, and people aged 60 to 64 years.
ODSP
Income Support Policy Directives
Everything you wanted to know about
the Ontario Disability Support Program in small PDF files. For eligible people
with disabilities, ODSP provides financial assistance and other benefits and/or
services to remove disability-related barriers to competitive employment
ODSP
Employment Support - Policy Directives
Introduced in early 1999, the Employment Supports component of ODSP provides
people with disabilities who want to work with more choices in what they would
like to do and a range of supports to assist them in reaching their goal.
Ministry responsible:
Community and Social Services
-----------------------------
City
of Toronto Employment
and Social Services Procedures Index - Toronto's welfare policy manual,
organized in alphabetical order
- includes detailed information on welfare rates, eligibility criteria for different
client types, treatment of financial resources, etc.
-----------------------------
Not an official government policy manual,
but more practical and simpler for clients:
How Welfare Works in Ontario
- for clients of the system:
August 24, 2010
Social
Assistance
In Ontario, if you have a low income or no income, you may qualify for help
from one of these social assistance programs:
1. Ontario Works (OW),
which some people call welfare. This program is delivered by municipal governments.
In other words, it is run by the local government of the town, city, county,
district, or region you live in.
2. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), which some people call
disability benefits. This program is for people with serious health problems.
It is run by the Ontario government's Ministry of Community and Social Services."
Click the above link to read the rest of the OW
and ODSP general descriptions, then select the program that interests you in
the dark green horizontal band at the top of the page. Clicking Ontario Works,
for example, opens a new subset with the following links:
* Qualifying for OW * Participation Agreements * Living
with a spouse * Support payments and OW * If you are under 18 * Community Start
Up and Maintenance Benefit * OW and working * Proving you still qualify * Refused,
reduced, or cut off * Health benefits when you go off OW
Source:
CLEO Legal Rights Guides (social
assistance and rental housing) - August 2010
[ CLEO
- Community Legal Education Ontario - CLEONet
is a web site of legal information for community workers and advocates who work
with low-income and disadvantaged communities.]
-----------------------------
- Go to the Guide to Welfare in Ontario page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onwelf.htm
- guide to government information on how welfare works in Ontario, including
information about responsibilities for the delivery and payment of welfare and
other programs in Ontario
- Go to the Ontario Government Links
page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm
-
Go to the Ontario Spouse-in-the-House Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/spouse.htm
-
Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (A-C) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk2.htm
-
Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens aux sites de recherche
sociale en Ontario :
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onf.htm
| MANITOBA |
Employment
and Income Assistance (EIA) Administrative Manual
This is the provincial
social assistance (welfare) policy manual. It contains comprehensive and current
information about eligibility, benefits and the administration of the EIA program.
The above link will take you to a general index of the 24 sections of this extensive
manual - or you can go directly to the detailed Table
of Contents. The manual includes the complete text of the Employment and
Income Assistance Act and Regulation.
Dept. responsible:
Manitoba Family Services and Consumer Affairs
(formerly Manitoba Family Services and Housing)
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Manitoba page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm
| SASKATCHEWAN |
Saskatchewan Assistance Program Policy Manual Online (PDF file)
Transitional Employment Allowance Policy Manual (PDF file)
Dept.
responsible:
Social Services
(formerly
Community Resources)
- Go to the
Canadian Social Research Links Saskatchewan page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/skbkmrk.htm
| ALBERTA |
Policy
Manual
Income Support Program Policy
Expected
to Work/Not Expected to Work Policy & Procedures
===> main welfare policy
--- News
and Updates
Learner
Policy and Procedures
--- News
and Updates
See also:
Alberta
Works Policy Manual
On this page, you'll find links to:
- Income
and Employment Supports Act and Regulation
- Employment and Training Programs
(Programs and Services, Accountability, Employment Insurance Initiatives, News
and Updates)
- Child Support Services (Child Support Services Policy, News
and Updates)
- Health Benefits Programs (General Policy,
Health Benefits Card Coverage, Alberta Adult Health Benefit, Alberta Child Health
Benefit, Health Benefits Review Committee, News and Updates)
Alberta
Works replaced:
* Widows’ Pension - eff. April 2004
* Supports
for Independence (Alberta's welfare program) - eff. May 2004
* Skills
Development Program living allowances for continuing and new students beginning
a training term - eff. August 1, 2004.
Dept. responsible:
Alberta Employment and Immigration
(formerly Employment, Immigration and Industry and,
before that, Human Resources and Employment)
Related Link:
Assured
Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)
- AISH
Policy Manual
Source:
Alberta
Seniors and Community Supports
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Alberta Links page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/abkmrk.htm
| BRITISH COLUMBIA |
Ministry
of Housing and Social Development
Online Resource - (formerly Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance)
"Effective March 27, 2006 the BCEA
(welfare) Manual has been retired and replaced with an exciting*
new information source – the Online Resource. The Online Resource
incorporates information from a number of different sources into one user-friendly
website, which will save time spent searching for up-to-date information and resources."
*"Exciting" isn't the first word that pops into most people's heads when they hear the expression "welfare information", but I, for one, found the old BC welfare manual more "exciting" because I could actually "find information" in there. The new manual has no hyperlinked table of contents - in fact, you have to open a PDF file to see the table of contents. And someone should tell the web design team that the plus sign to the left of a directory item (e.g., on the front page) is usually a simple piece of javascript that opens sub-directories, not just a graphic used in lieu of a bullet or a dash in front of each item in a list...
"Retired" BC Employment and Assistance Manual (Oct. 2004) - from The Internet Archive
Ministry responsible:
Ministry of Housing and Social Development
(formerly Employment and Income Assistance and, before that, Human Resources)
- Go to the BC
Government Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (C-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm
- Go to the BC Welfare Time Limits Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bc_welfare_time_limits.htm
| YUKON |
There is no Yukon social assistance policy manual.
However, see the main page of the Social
Assistance program for:
* Contact Information
* Frequently Asked Questions
* How to Apply for Social Assistance
* Review Hearing
* Employment and Training Services Brochure
* Income Deductions Brochure
* Social Assistance Act
* Social Assistance Overview Booklet
* Social Assistance Review Hearing Booklet
* Supplementary Allowance Brochure
* The Yukon Child Benefit Booklet
Ministry
responsible:
Health and Social Services
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Yukon page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/yk.htm
| NORTHWEST TERRITORIES |
Northwest Territories:
Income Assistance Program Policy Manual (PDF file - 722K, 119 pages)
NWT Student Financial Assistance (PDF - 552K, 112 pages)
More Policy, Procedures and Guidelines - list of all relevant policy manuals
Dept.
responsible:
Education, Culture and
Employment
- Go to the Canadian Social
Research Links Northwest Territories page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ntbkmrk.htm
| NUNAVUT |
Department responsible for welfare
Education
Name of the welfare program
Income
Support Program
Social
Assistance
No policy manual found (April 2010)
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Nunavut page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nunavut.htm
|
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