{"id":"e139","name":"Ontario Works - Toronto Employment & Social Services","type":"institution","typeLabel":"Public institution","tags":["social assistance","government","toronto","income support","drug benefit","employment"],"what":"Provincial social assistance delivered by the City of Toronto: money for \"food, shelter and other costs to people in financial need\" plus prescription drug coverage, dental/eyeglass help, child-care start-up and job-search transport benefits. Apply online 24/7 (20-30 minutes), by phone via the Social Assistance line, or in person at the Employment & Social Services office assigned by postal code; a caseworker then follows up and asks for eligibility documents.","languages":["Arabic","Bengali","Chinese (Simplified)","Chinese (Traditional)","English","Farsi","French","Russian","Spanish","Tamil","Turkish","Ukrainian","Urdu"],"reachNum":null,"reachUnit":"recipients","reachSource":null,"reachSeen":null,"website":"https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/","contact":{"route":"Online application at ontario.ca/page/social-assistance; Social Assistance phone line Mon-Fri 8:30-5 (number and TTY on page); local TESS office; 311","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/social-assistance","email":null},"welcomes":["applications"],"now":"Office assignment is by postal code; a separate emergency line option is noted for Ukrainian migrants","sources":["https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/","https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/employment-support/toronto-employment-and-social-services-locations/"],"verified":"checked","approach":"Public institutions work through programs and forms, not favours. Find the program that already exists for your purpose, then ask the named contact what they need from you.","eligibility":"Toronto resident with Canadian status, 18+ (16-17 in special circumstances), in financial need for basic living costs, and willing to look for or keep work unless medical/special circumstances apply","cost":"Free","intents":{"reach":false,"grow":null,"job":false,"volunteer":false,"specialist":null,"opps":false,"housing":false,"money":true,"info":false,"marriage":false},"minAge":null,"district":null,"costBand":"Free","reachBand":null,"place":{"country":"Canada","cc":"CA","region":"Ontario","city":"Toronto","scope":"city","label":"Toronto"},"guideTitle":"How to reach them","added":"2026-09-30","extraLinks":{},"applicationProcess":null,"requiredDocuments":null,"waitTime":null,"hours":null,"accessibility":null,"whatNext":null,"topics":["jobs"],"channels":[{"kind":"website","url":"https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/","label":"Website","seen":"2026-09-30"}],"welcomesRaw":["not applicable (government program)"],"checked":"2026-09-30","checkEvery":90,"reachKind":"none","map":null,"spaceKind":null,"steps":[],"phone":"1-888-999-1142","format":null,"rules":null,"order":null,"free":true,"waliRole":null,"mixing":null,"maxAge":null,"routes":[{"kind":"Online application at ontario.ca/page/social-assistance; Social Assistance phone line Mon-Fri 8:30-5 (number and TTY on page); local TESS office; 311","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/social-assistance","value":null,"seen":"2026-09-30","source":"their own site"},{"kind":"Office phone","value":"1-888-999-1142","url":null,"seen":"2026-10-02","source":"their own site"}],"spacesNote":"Share buttons only; apply online via ontario.ca; How to Apply PDFs in 13 languages; TTY 1-800-387-5559","spacesSeen":"2026-10-02","spaceCount":1,"routeCount":2,"primaryRoute":{"kind":"Online application at ontario.ca/page/social-assistance; Social Assistance phone line Mon-Fri 8:30-5 (number and TTY on page); local TESS office; 311","url":"https://www.ontario.ca/page/social-assistance","value":null,"seen":"2026-09-30","source":"their own site"},"stale":false,"staleDays":0,"checkedNote":"Facts read from the source pages on 2026-09-30; spaces read from their site on 2026-10-02; re-checked every 90 days.","status":"listed","spaces":[{"kind":"website","label":"Website","url":"https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/","reach":null,"unit":null,"seen":"2026-09-30","note":null}],"missing":["organization email (not published on their pages)","follower or subscriber counts (platform pages do not expose them to readers; ask the organization or check the platform)","audience number for the organization as a whole (not public)"]}