Ontario Excludes Work and Study Permit Holders From Ontario Works and ODSP
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Ontario changed its social assistance eligibility rules on Thursday, August 13, 2026, excluding people without legal immigration status in Canada as well as temporary residents, including work permit holders, study permit holders, visitors and tourists, from receiving Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). The new rules took effect immediately.
Under the amended rules, applicants must demonstrate their Canadian citizenship or immigration status as part of the eligibility process for provincial social assistance.
Ontario Works provides financial assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families to help cover basic living costs such as food and housing, while ODSP provides income support and benefits to eligible people with disabilities.
The province introduced the changes through regulations under the Ontario Works Act, 1997 and the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997, clarifying the immigration-status requirements for receiving assistance.
The move follows a recent Social Benefits Tribunal ruling involving a man whose work permit had expired but who remained in Canada and was found eligible for Ontario Works under the previous rules. The case prompted the provincial government to amend the regulations and explicitly define the groups that are not eligible.
The new rules specify that the exclusion applies both to people who are not legally authorized to remain in Canada and to those authorized to stay temporarily, including people with study permits, work permits and visitor or tourist status.
