ONTARIO RESOURCES
Support for Children, Students, Families and Seniors
+ GAINS (Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System)
What is it:
- Starting in April 2020, monthly maximum GAINS payment amounts will be doubled for 6 months to $166 per month for individuals and $332 per month for couples.
Who qualifies:
- GAINS benefits are determined based on information received from Employment and Social Development Canada and the details provided on your personal income tax and benefit return, eligibility for the increased payments is still being determined.
How to Get it:
- Beginning in April 2020, monthly GAINS payment amounts for those who qualify will be doubled for a period of six months.
+ One Time Payments for Children
What is it:
- Ontario has announced it will be providing a one-time direct $200 payment per child up to 12 years of age, and $250 for those with special needs, including kids enrolled in private schools.
- This one-time payment is intended to assist families with the extra costs associated with school and daycare closures during the COVID‑19 outbreak.
How to Get it:
- Ontario is planning to have the application accessible online by April 6, 2020. The intent is for this to be set up in a similar way to the “Support for Parents” initiative the Ministry of Education ran when students were out of class over the course of the labour negotiations.
- This will be accessed through an online portal to apply, with the option of direct deposit or cheque to be mailed.
- We will provide information on where and how to access the online portal as the information becomes available from the Ministry of Education.
+ Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
What is it:
- In partnership with the federal government, Ontario will be providing six months of OSAP loan and interest accrual relief for student borrowers beginning March 30, 2020 until September 30, 2020, during which time borrowers will not be required to make any loan or interest payments
Who Qualifies:
- Any individual who currently is in repayment of an OSAP loan.
How to get it:
- If you are registered for pre-authorized debit, withdrawls will be automatically stopped - so you do not have to do anything.
- If you are making payments by cheque or other means, you are not required to make payments during the suspension period.
- If you want to continue making payments on your loan, you may do so by logging in to your secure NSLSC account and using the ‘Make a Payment’ option or through online banking.
- Interest will not be charged to borrowers on their student loans from March 30th, 2020 to September 30th, 2020
+ Emergency Assistance Program
What is it:
- Ontario is expanding access to the Ontario Works Emergency Assistance Program, which will provide financial support to people facing economic hardship and help people pay for their basic needs including food and rent.
- The province is providing additional resources and expanding access by suspending the rule that limits emergency assistance provision to only once in a six-month period for individuals and families.
- This will allow people to receive emergency assistance for longer (48 days) without submitting a full Ontario Works application.
- The government is also making additional resources available to enable Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) administrators to provide discretionary benefits to those currently in receipt of social assistance. This funding can be used to meet a broad range of needs ― including cleaning supplies, transportation, food or clothing ― that individuals and families may be requiring due to COVID-19.
Who qualifies:
- This is available to people with limited income, assets, or credit who are in a crisis or an emergency situation.
- Those who are already on Ontario Works (OW) or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).
- Tourists and visitors are not eligible.
How to get it:
- Individuals can apply for this assistance online at Ontario.ca/community or through local Ontario Works offices.
+ Social Assistance through Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Supports Program (ODSP)
What is it:
- The government is making additional resources available to enable OW and ODSP administrators to provide discretionary benefits to those currently in receipt of social assistance. This funding can be used to meet a broad range of needs ― including cleaning supplies, transportation, food or clothing ― that individuals and families may be experiencing due to COVID-19.
Who qualifies:
- Those currently in receipt of social assistance.
How to get it:
- Individuals can access benefits through the Ontario Works program through online applications such as MyBenefits, contacting their Ontario Works caseworker or online. ODSP recipients are also eligible to receive these benefits and can contact their ODSP caseworker for additional information.
Support for Electricity and Rent
+ Electricity Cost Relief
What is it:
- Ontario has increased the 2019 Budget’s electricity cost relief by $1.5B to make electricity bills more affordable for eligible residential, farm, and small business consumers.
- The Province is also setting electricity prices for time-of-use customers to support ratepayers in their increased daytime electricity usage, as they respond to the COVID‑19 outbreak.
- This will be done at the lowest rate, known as the off-peak price, 24 hours a day for 45 days.
- Customers will see rate reductions of over 50% compared to on-peak rates.
- The 45 day suspension period will take place between March 24-May 8, 2020.
- Depending on the billing cycle, customers may see these changes on their next electricity bill.
Who qualifies:
- Time-of-use customers.
How to get it:
- The discount will be applied automatically to electricity bills without the need for customers to fill out an application form.
+ Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
What is it:
- Ontario is providing $9M to expand eligibility for LEAP to ensure that electricity and natural gas services are not disconnected for nonpayment during the COVID‑19 outbreak.
Who qualifies:
- If you’re behind on your electricity or natural gas bill and face having your service disconnected, you may qualify for emergency financial help through LEAP.
How to get it:
- Keeping in mind eligibility is to be expanded, information on the regular qualification standards can be found online.
- LEAP is currently accessible through existing social service agencies, to learn more about the application process please visit the LEAP website or contact a local social service agency.
- More informtaion on eligibility to come from the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development, and Mines
+ Rent, Utilities, and Eviction Orders
What is it:
- Ontario has suspended approving new, or enforcing existing evictions, during the current health emergency.
Who qualifies:
- Those who are unable to pay rent due to COVID-19 directly related financial loss.
How to get it:
- If you are currently in dispute with your landlord over payments or are looking for more information, please contact the Ontario Landlord Tenant Board: 1-888-332-3234
- In some communities, resources are available to help cover rent:
- London: (519) 964-3663 ext. 300
- Toronto: (416) 924-2543
- Champlain: Online
Support for Business
+ Employer Health Tax (EHT)
What is it:
- Ontario announced it is increasing the Employer Health Tax (EHT) exemption for 2020 from $490,000 to $1 million and is retroactive to January 1, 2020
- Only the exemption amount is changing: Eligibility for the tax exemption, tax rates and everything else remains the same.
- Employer Health Tax (EHT) is a payroll tax on remuneration paid to employees and former employees.
- Eligible private-sector employers with annual payrolls up to $5 million would be exempt from EHT on the first $1 million of total Ontario remuneration for 2020.
- The maximum EHT relief for eligible employers for 2020 from the exemption would increase to $19,500 from $9,945.
- The exemption would return to its current level of $490,000 on January 1, 2021.
Who qualifies:
- To be able to claim the tax exemption, employers must be eligible employers as defined under the EHT Act.
How to get it:
- You will begin making your instalment payments after your payroll has exceeded the new $1 million exemption level.
- If your business no longer needs to make instalment payments as a result of the increased exemption amount, you do not need to contact or notify the Ministry of Finance.
+ Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit
What is it:
- Ontario is proposing a new 10% refundable Corporate Income Tax credit to support business investment in regions of the province where employment growth has been significantly below the provincial average.
Who qualifies:
- The Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit would be available to eligible businesses that construct, renovate, or acquire qualifying commercial and industrial buildings in designated regions of the province, saving them up to $45,000 in the year.
How to get it:
A Canadian-controlled private corporation that makes qualifying investments that become available for use on or after March 25, 2020 in specified regions of Ontario would be eligible for the tax credit.
- “Available for use” refers to the rules set out in the Income Tax Act
+ Provincial Tax Deferrals
What is it:
- Ontario is providing $6B to businesses through a five-month interest and penalty-free period to make payments for the majority of provincially administered taxes (Employer Health Tax; Tobacco Tax; Fuel Tax; Gas Tax; Beer, Wine, and Spirits Taxes; Mining Tax; Insurance Premium Tax; International Fuel Tax Agreement; Retail Sales Tax on Insurance Contracts and Benefit Plans; and Race Tracks Tax).
- The tax deferrals will take place between April 1-August 31, 2020 over a five month period and will be available to approximately 100,000 businesses.
Who qualifies:
- Businesses in Ontario who pay qualifying provincially administered taxes.
How to get it:
- The five month interest and penalty free period is automatic for those businesses who qualify.
+ Workplace Saftey Insurance Board
What is it:
- Ontario is providing $1.9B in tax deferrals by allowing employers to defer payments for up to six months.
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will allow Schedule 1 employers to defer reporting and payments for a period of six months.
- Schedule 2 businesses that pay the WSIB for the cost related to their workplace injury and illness claims can also defer payments.
- No interest will be accrued on outstanding premium payments and no penalties will be charged during this six-month deferral period.
Who qualifies and how to get it:
- All employers covered by the WSIB’s workplace insurance are automatically eligible for the financial relief package. They will not be required to opt-in to receive this benefit.
+ Workplace Saftey Insurance Board
What is it:
- Ontario is providing $1.9B in tax deferrals by allowing employers to defer payments for up to six months.
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) will allow Schedule 1 employers to defer reporting and payments for a period of six months.
- Schedule 2 businesses that pay the WSIB for the cost related to their workplace injury and illness claims can also defer payments.
- No interest will be accrued on outstanding premium payments and no penalties will be charged during this six-month deferral period.
Who qualifies and how to get it:
- All employers covered by the WSIB’s workplace insurance are automatically eligible for the financial relief package. They will not be required to opt-in to receive this benefit.
+ Ontario Together Fund
What is it: Ontario is investing $50M through the Ontario Together Fund to help companies retool, build capacity, or adopt the technological changes needed to produce supplies and equipment for hospitals, long-term care homes, and other critical public services.
Who qualifies:
- Businesses, research institutions, or organizations who have innovative solutions, emergency products, or services that could help Ontarians withstand the pandemic.
- Additionally, those who have solutions specifically for:
- Virtual mental health services for people who are vulnerable, or living in remote communities.
- Supply chain resiliency monitoring.
- Financial planning and advising for small businesses that can be delivered online at low-cost including advice about relief programs and how to apply.
- Remote learning for elementary and secondary students while schools are closed.
How to get it:
- Apply online
- Assistance is available for submitting online applications at: 1-888-777-0554