TORONTO, August 13, 2026 – The Ontario government announced on August 13 that it is changing social assistance rules to make clear that people without legal status in Canada, as well as temporary residents such as study permit holders, work permit holders and visitors, are not eligible to receive Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program. The new rules took effect immediately the same day.
Ontario Works, or OW, mainly provides basic financial and employment support to people with low income who are facing hardship. The Ontario Disability Support Program, or ODSP, mainly supports eligible people with disabilities.
The sudden policy change is connected to a recent dispute over a social benefits ruling. A man whose work permit had expired but who remained in Canada had previously applied for Ontario Works and was denied. Ontario’s Social Benefits Tribunal later found that the rules at the time did not clearly exclude him, and ruled that he could receive the benefit. After the case drew controversy, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that if there was a loophole in the rules, the government would change it.
As a result, the new rules now clearly define eligibility. People without legal status, as well as those who are only authorized to stay in Canada temporarily, cannot receive these two forms of social assistance.
The province says the goal is to ensure social assistance funds are used for people who are truly eligible. At the same time, Ontario still has more than one million non-permanent residents, and the provincial government continues to face deficit pressure. However, the province did not say these two factors were the direct reason for the rule change.
For international students and temporary foreign workers, the impact is direct. In the future, even if they lose their job or suddenly face an interruption in income, they will not be able to rely on OW or ODSP as financial assistance.
However, the situation may be different for permanent residents, refugee claimants and some applicants with special immigration status. Eligibility still needs to be assessed based on each person’s specific status. Anyone unsure whether they qualify can check the Ontario government website for Ontario Works or ODSP eligibility requirements, or contact their local social assistance office directly.（LJI by Yuanyuan）
