The Issue

Right now in Ontario, a single person on Ontario Works receives just $733 per month to cover housing, food, transportation, hygiene products, clothing, and every other basic necessity of life. I know firsthand how impossible it is to survive on this amount. This isn’t about comfort — it’s about survival. No one in Ontario should be forced to live so far below the real cost of living.

For years, people on Ontario Works have been trying to survive on rates that haven’t increased since 2018. Ontario Works rates for both single adults and families have remained frozen while the cost of living has risen sharply across the province. As of 2026, a single person still receives $733 per month, and a family may receive around $1,300 per month — the same amounts as eight years ago.

If Ontario Works rates had simply kept pace with inflation since 2018, benefits today would be approximately:

Inflation-adjusted Ontario Works rates (2018 → 2026):

• $920 per month for a single person

• $1,630 per month for a family

Instead, the benefits remain frozen at:

Current Ontario Works rates (unchanged since 2018):

• $733 per month for a single person

• about $1,300 per month for a family

These amounts fall far below what is needed to meet even the most basic necessities.

These rates do not come close to covering today’s real costs of living, including rent, food, transportation, utilities, clothing, hygiene products, and essential household needs.

Estimated basic survival cost of living in Ontario (2026):

• $2,000–$2,300 per month for a single person

• $4,000–$4,500 per month for a family

Ontario Works was never designed to make people comfortable — but today, it isn’t even survivable. Keeping benefits frozen at 2018 levels pushes people into homelessness, food insecurity, medical crises, and constant instability. It also places growing strain on emergency shelters, hospitals, and community services, creating higher long-term costs for everyone.

We are calling on the Ontario government to immediately update Ontario Works rates to reflect the real cost of living in 2026.

We ask the Ontario government to:

• Raise Ontario Works rates for both single individuals and families so they better reflect current housing and essential living costs.

• Establish regular, transparent reviews of social assistance rates to ensure they remain tied to economic reality.

• Index all future rate increases to inflation so Ontario Works never falls this far behind again.

No one can survive on rates from 2018. We can change this, but only if enough voices speak up. Please add your name and stand with the people who need this change most.

After signing, please consider sharing this petition with friends, family, and your community. The more people who see these numbers, the harder it becomes to ignore the reality people on Ontario Works are facing every day.

Your voice — and your signature — truly matters.