This document lists several income support programs that may be available to Ontario residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This information is changing rapidly and we recommend that you check with the relevant government’s website for updated information.

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Introduction



COVID-19 is a respiratory disease pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. It has caused illnesses and deaths across the world, including in Canada, prompting extraordinary social distancing measures in an effort to contain the virus. The resulting economic disruption and uncertainty has undermined the income security of many in the province of Ontario.

This document lists federal and provincial income security programs that could assist Ontarians in these rapidly changing times. Some of these programs existed before the spread of COVID-19, while others have been modified or introduced as a response to the economic downturn. Nevertheless, many low-income individuals, including individuals with pre-existing disabilities and migrant workers, may still fall through the cracks because of deficiencies in current program design.

This document lays out a description of each income security program and makes, several suggestions for improving each. The pandemic highlights an urgent need for paid sick days, a more inclusive employment insurance program, and a more robust social assistance system. We must ensure that nobody in Ontario is left behind.

NEW: Canada Emergency Response Benefit

• What is it?

On March 25, 2020 the federal government introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”) to help workers impacted by COVID-19.

• What details have been announced?

This Benefit will provide workers (including self-employed and contract workers) with a taxable benefit of $2,000 per month, for up to 6 months, if they have lost income because of COVID-19. We encourage you to visit the Government of Canada’s Q&A page on the CERB for the most up-to-date information.

The CERB is available to workers:

Who reside in Canada and are at least 15 years old;

Who have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19, or who qualify for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits, or who have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020; and,

who qualify for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits, who have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020; and, Who earned at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months before they applied. This includes income earned outside of Canada, as well as income from Employment Insurance pregnancy or parental benefits. It does not include income earned from disability benefits such as ODSP, CPP-Disability or WSIB loss of earnings benefits.

In addition, workers who earn up to $1,000 per month (before taxes) are eligible for the CERB. Workers will be able to keep that income in addition to the $2,000 CERB benefit.

The following are some examples of situations where CERB will be available:

Workers who must stop working due to COVID-19 and who do not have access to paid leave or other income support;

Workers whose hours have been significantly reduced;

Workers who are sick, quarantined, or caring for someone who is sick with COVID-19;

Working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children who are sick, or who need care because of school and daycare closures;

Seasonal workers who have exhausted their Employment Insurance benefits and who are unable to find work because of COVID-19;

Workers who still have their jobs but who are not being paid because there is not enough work and their employer has asked them not to come to work;

Wage earners and self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who would not otherwise qualify for Employment Insurance.

Workers who have voluntarily quit their job will not qualify for CERB.

How to apply:

Starting April 6, 2020, workers can apply for the CERB by visiting this link or by calling 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041.

You will need:

A valid SIN number (this includes SIN numbers that begin with 900), or a Temporary Tax Number

Personal contact information including your postal code

You will not need:

A medical certificate if you are sick, quarantined, or medically at risk

A Record of Employment

Workers who receive the CERB for the maximum 16-week period and who are still unemployed afterward, can access EI regular and sickness benefits if they qualify for them.

• What is missing?

This is a positive step to support workers impacted by COVID-19, including those who cannot access EI and who do not have paid leave. However, there are a number of concerning gaps in the CERB, including the following:

Workers who have been unemployed on a long term basis and who did not recently use Employment Insurance cannot access CERB;

Workers who are undocumented or who have precarious immigration status and do not have a Social Insurance Number cannot access CERB;

Workers who work in cash jobs and whose income is not reported to the Canada Revenue Agency may not be able to qualify for CERB. This impacts many low income and migrant workers who are forced to work in cash jobs to survive;

Low-income families with multiple earners who each make less than $5,000 will not be able to access the CERB;

New entrants to the job market who were unable to earn $5,000 in income before the pandemic began cannot access CERB;

CERB is not available for workers who received WSIB loss of earnings benefits because of an injury or disability, and then returned to work before being laid off due to COVID-19. WSIB loss of earnings benefits do not count towards the $5,000 “income” threshold required to qualify for CERB;

CERB is a temporary measure only. ISAC continues to call for permanent improvements to the EI program that would make it accessible to all workers, and provide a meaningful level of wage replacement.

NEW: Canada Emergency Student Benefit

• What is it?

On April 22, 2020 the federal government announced a new benefit to support students and recent graduates during the COVID-19 pandemic, called the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (“CESB”).

The federal government has announced numerous additional measures to support students, including the Canada Student Service Grant for students doing volunteer work, and improvements to financial assistance for tuition costs. For more information about these measures, please visit this link.

• What details have been announced?

CESB provides a taxable benefit to eligible students who are unable to find work due to COVID-19, for a maximum of 16 weeks from May through August 2020. This benefit is available to the following groups of students, provided they do not earn more than $1,000 in a four-week period and they do not qualify for CERB or EI:



Current post-secondary students enrolled between Dec 1, 2019 and Aug 31, 2020; Graduating post-secondary students enrolled between Dec 1, 2019 and Aug 31, 2020; and Secondary school students graduating in 2020, provided they apply and plan to enroll in post-secondary before Feb 1, 2021.

CESB is not available to secondary school students who are returning to high school in the fall or planning to work or take time off for a “gap year”.

For students who have dependants or a disability, the monthly CESB benefit is $2,000. For all others, it is $1,250.

CESB’s definition of a “disability” is broad and flexible. It includes “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — whether permanent or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”

CESB’s definition of a “dependant” includes any child (including an adopted child, a stepchild, or a foster child) under 12 years old who is completely dependent on the student, student’s spouse, or common-law partner for support, care, and upbringing. It also includes any person with a disability who is completely dependent on the student, student’s spouse or common-law partner for support, care, and upbringing.

• How to apply:

Students can apply online using CRA’s “My Account” feature or by phone at 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041. Applicants need to follow specific timelines and re-apply every four weeks. More information about the application process can be found at this link.

As part of the application process, students will be asked to attest that one of the following is true:

you are unable to work due to COVID-19

you are looking for, but cannot find work due to COVID-19

you are currently working during the COVID-19 pandemic, but your income from employment and self-employment has been $1,000 or less (before taxes) during the 4-week period you are applying for.

Those who apply may later be required to provide documents to verify their eligibility. For students who attest they are looking for work, this could include records to verify job search.

• What is missing?

For students without dependants or disabilities, CESB provides $750 less than CERB. This differential treatment signifies an assumption that students need less income to survive a pandemic as compared to others. For many students who do not or cannot rely on parental support, this assumption is simply not true.

Moreover, CESB is available only to students who are citizens, permanent residents, “protected persons” under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (such as refugees), or who are registered Indians under the Indian Act. CESB is not available to international students. This exclusion is unacceptable, as they have seen the same drop in income and rise in costs associated with COVID-19 as other students, and are often excluded from other forms of income support.

Employment Insurance (EI)

• What is it?

The Employment Insurance program provides temporary income support to individuals who lose their wages. This may occur if they lose their job, are temporarily laid off, or if they need to take time off work because they are sick or need to care for a family member who is critically ill. Employment Insurance provides income replacement at 55% of a workers’ salary, but only up to a maximum of $573 per week.

All workers who qualify for EI regular benefits or EI sickness benefits between March 15 and October 3, 2020 will receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”). Please review our section on the CERB for information on how to apply. For more information about whether you qualify for EI regular or EI sickness benefits, please continue reading below.

– Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits:

Workers who are sick or quarantined due to COVID-19 can qualify for Employment Insurance sickness benefits. In order to qualify, the worker must have worked 600 hours within the 52 weeks before they apply.

Normally, workers who qualify will receive the benefits for up to 15 weeks. On December 13, 2019, the federal government announced plans to increase the benefits period to 26 weeks, but this change has not yet been implemented.

– What has changed with Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits?

In response to the pandemic, a number of important changes to Employment Insurance sickness benefits were announced to simplify access:

Workers who have an EI sickness claim starting March 15, 2020 or later will receive the CERB, which is $2,000 per month. Applications for EI Sickness Benefits that were made between March 15 and April 5, 2020 will be automatically transferred onto the CERB. Starting April 6, 2020, applications for EI sickness benefits will be directed to the online CERB portal. Workers whose claim for EI sickness benefits began before March 15, 2020 will receive EI sickness benefits at the normal EI rates, and under the usual EI rules. Workers who apply for EI sickness benefits must have worked 600 hours in the previous 52 weeks, regardless of when they applied. Workers will not need a doctor’s note for EI claims beginning March 15, 2020 or later. Normally, there is a waiting period of 1 week before a worker can start to receive EI sickness benefits. This waiting period has been removed for claims starting March 15, 2020 or later.

– Employment Insurance Regular Benefits:

Workers who have lost their job or been temporarily laid off as a result of COVID-19 can apply for Employment Insurance Regular Benefits. In order to qualify, the worker must have worked a specific number of hours within the 52 weeks before they apply. The number of hours required will depend on where the worker lives and is usually between 420 to 700 hours. Workers can find out how many hours they need at this link.

Workers who qualify will receive the benefits from between 14 to a maximum of 45 weeks. Once a worker applies for EI Regular Benefits, there is a 1-week waiting period before they can begin to receive the benefits.

– What has changed with Employment Insurance Regular Benefits?

In response to the pandemic, a number of important changes to Employment Insurance regular benefits were announced to simplify access:

Workers who have a claim for EI regular benefits starting March 15, 2020 or later will receive the CERB, which is $2,000 per month. Applications for EI regular benefits that were made between March 15 and April 5, 2020 will be automatically transferred onto the CERB. Starting April 6, 2020, applications for EI regular benefits will be directed to the online CERB portal. Workers whose claim for EI regular benefits began before March 15, 2020 will receive EI regular benefits at the normal EI rates, and under the usual EI rules.

• What is missing from Employment Insurance?

The CERB was introduced because our current Employment Insurance program is inadequate for financially supporting people in Canada. Too few people qualify for Employment Insurance, and even when they do qualify, the income support it provides is not enough. While the CERB has been a positive step to support many people during COVID-19, it is a temporary measure only. ISAC calls for permanent improvements to the Employment Insurance program. This will best support and protect workers in Canada. In particular:

First, EI benefits should be increased. EI provides benefits only equal to 55% of a worker’s earnings, up to a maximum of $573 per week. This amount is too low to help low income workers survive, particularly in expensive urban areas. Second, eligibility for EI should be expanded. Many workers do not qualify for Employment Insurance benefits because they cannot meet the required hours to qualify. This impacts low-wage and precarious workers the most, including those who work part-time or temporary jobs, rely on tips as a part of their wages, or have irregular or unpredictable hours. ISAC and other organizations have long advocated for improvements to EI, to make it accessible to all workers. These improvements, called for in this petition, include reducing the required hours to qualify to 360 hours and increasing the amount of the benefits.

Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

• What is it?



Ontario’s social assistance system is made up of two programs: the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), which provides income support specifically to persons with disabilities, and Ontario Works (OW), which supports others who need financial assistance. Currently, a single person receives only $733 per month from OW or $1,169 from ODSP. A full, up-to-date rates sheet can be found here.

To be eligible for both OW and ODSP, Ontario residents must be from households in financial need. Many residents stand to lose all or part of their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and may become financially eligible for social assistance. Note, however, that any income received from sources other than employment is generally deducted dollar-for-dollar from OW and ODSP benefits (notable exceptions are the Canada Child Benefit and the Ontario Child Benefit, discussed below). As a result, residents who qualify for other, more generous income support programs such as Employment Insurance may not qualify for either social assistance program.

In addition to proving financial need, ODSP applicants must also show that they have a substantial physical or mental impairment that is expected to last at least one year leading to a substantial restriction in activities of daily living. Long-term effects of COVID-19 are currently unknown, but many otherwise healthy individuals exhibit mild symptoms for a shorter period of time and are therefore unlikely to qualify for ODSP. Others who are more seriously affected by COVID-19 might qualify for ODSP on a case-by-case basis if they meet the above criteria.

• What has changed?

– Additional Income Support

For March and April 2020, Ontario announced that recipients facing additional costs due to COVID-19 could access additional discretionary benefits by contacting their caseworkers. This one-time payment of up to $100 for single individuals and up to $200 for families could be used to meet specific COVID-related needs.

For May, June and July 2020, Ontario will provide a new Extended Emergency Benefit for OW and ODSP recipients who do not receive the CERB and are seeking additional assistance due to COVID-19. This is a flat-rate monthly benefit of $100 for single individuals and $200 for families. Recipients who already received the emergency discretionary benefits in March or April will receive this benefit automatically. All other recipients will need to request to receive the Extended Emergency Benefit from their caseworkers. The benefit is meant to cover extraordinary COVD-related costs (e.g. the cost of PPE required for medical visits, cleaning supplies, food delivery, travel, etc.), although cost verification is not required.

In addition to contacting their caseworkers, ODSP recipients can request the Extended Emergency Benefit by emailing ODSP.EmergencyBenefit@Ontario.ca.

– Treatment of CERB

Moreover, on April 20, 2020, the Ontario government announced how receiving the CERB will affect social assistance recipients. Generally, any income received from sources other than employment is deducted dollar-for-dollar from OW and ODSP benefits. However, the provincial government will treat CERB payments like employment earnings for all ODSP recipients (with some exceptions, noted below). This means the first $200 and 50 per cent of each additional dollar received will be exempt from claw back each month – since CERB is $2000, which amounts to a $900 claw back.

This partial claw back also applies to OW recipients who were already granted benefits by March 1st, 2020. More recent applicants will see a full claw back during the initial 3-month qualifying period, although those who have already received benefits prior to the announcement should not receive an overpayment.

Additionally, OW and ODSP recipients who see their CERB benefits partially clawed back will still receive a nominal amount even if they become financially ineligible. This ensures they will continue to have access to health benefits and other supports.

Finally, there will be no CERB claw back at all for the following groups of recipients:

1. ODSP recipients who are

under 18 years old,

full-time secondary students, or

full time post-secondary students; and

2. OW recipients who are

under 18 years old,

full-time secondary students, or

full-time post-secondary students, if they started receiving OW before March 1, 2020 or if they are past their initial 3-month qualifying period.

– Treatment of CESB



The provincial government will treat CESB payments like employment earnings for all ODSP recipients (with some exceptions, noted below). This means the first $200 and 50 per cent of each additional dollar received will be exempt from claw back each month. For those who get $1,250 from CESB, this means a $525 claw back. For those who get $2000 from CESB, the claw back is $900.

This partial claw back also applies to OW recipients who were already granted benefits by May 1st, 2020. More recent applicants will see a full claw back during the initial 3-month qualifying period, although those who have already received benefits prior to the announcement should not receive an overpayment.

Additionally, OW and ODSP recipients who see their CESB benefits partially clawed back will still receive a nominal amount even if they become financially ineligible. This ensures they will continue to have access to health benefits and other supports.

Similar to CERB, CESB will be fully exempt from claw back for the following groups of recipients:

1. ODSP recipients who are

under 18 years old,

full-time secondary students, or

full time post-secondary students; and

2. OW recipients who are

under 18 years old,

full-time secondary students, or

full-time post-secondary students, if they started receiving OW before May 1, 2020 or if they are past their initial 3-month qualifying period.

As a result of these exceptions, recipients who only get a partial exemption for CESB are likely to be adult part-time students or recent graduates.

– Other Changes

The Ontario government has also announced additional changes to the administration of social assistance in response to COVID-19. Most importantly, payments to recipients will no longer be suspended because of a recipient’s failure to report income. The Eligibility Verification Process reviews are also put on hold.

• What is missing?

ISAC, together with 150 community organizations from across Ontario, released an open letter on March 26, 2020 calling on Minister Smith to ensure that social assistance recipients to not be left behind. This letter focused on two central demands.

First, the social assistance benefit rates should be increased. These rates are far below the poverty line, and are less than the cost of food and housing alone. In the past year, the rates were not increased to keep up with inflation, and are insufficient for coping with additional needs during a pandemic.

The announced discretionary benefits and Extended Emergency Benefit are insufficient because they are too small and too hard to access. A payment of up to $100 for a single individual or $200 for families is not enough to cover even increased food costs during this pandemic. It also requires that each individual recipient know about the benefit and be able to reach their over-worked caseworker to request it.

Second, earning exemptions for OW and ODSP should be expanded. The letter called for federal benefits, including CERB and EI, to be fully exempt from claw back so low-income Ontarians would be able to supplement their income and protect their health during the pandemic.

Finally, there should be a hold on collecting and assessing overpayments from recipients. The Ministry has discretion to forgive overpayments that may arise if recipients have difficulty in reporting income during the pandemic. The resulting stress and financial pressure would be detrimental to the health of recipients and the public.

Emergency Assistance

• What is it?



In Ontario, low-income families and individuals who are not already receiving OW or ODSP may qualify for Emergency Assistance if they face an emergency situation where they cannot meet basic needs or shelter expenses. The amount of assistance is up to the discretion of an administrator, and it may include an amount for basic needs, shelter, and benefits. Typically, an applicant only receives Emergency Assistance for a period of up to 16 days and cannot apply more than once in a six-month period (with some exceptions).

• What has changed?



Ontario has announced that access to Emergency Assistance will be expanded for those who do not qualify for emergency financial support under federal programs. In particular, Ontario will make Emergency Assistance available for up to 48 days at a time (up from 16) and allow families and individuals affected by COVID-19 to apply for Emergency Assistance more often than once every six months. An application for Emergency Assistance can now be made here.

• What is missing?



It is not clear exactly how much assistance Ontarians affected by COVID-19 can expect to receive from this program, given its discretionary nature.

Canada Child Benefit and Ontario Child Benefit

• What is it?



The Canada child benefit (CCB) is a tax-free federal benefit paid monthly to help with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. Eligible families receive up to a monthly maximum of $553.25 for each child under 6 years of age or $466.83 for older children. Eligibility for CCB requires filing income taxes and meeting certain immigration status requirements.

The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) is an additional payment provided by the Province of Ontario to low and moderate income families who receive the CCB, up to a maximum of $120 per child. For those families who receive social assistance but are ineligible for the CCB or OCB, Ontario provides the Transition Child Benefit (TCB), which is $230 per child each month.

• What has changed?



The federal government has announced that the May 2020 payment would be increased by up to $300 per child, for one time only. Each family receiving CCB should have received an average of $550 more than other months, depending on their number of children and income level.

• What is missing?



Eligibility for the Canada Child Benefit should be expanded to provide a benefit to all children. Some of the most vulnerable children, including some Canadian-born children, are excluded from support under the existing federal CCB and provincial OCB (top-up) programs. Excluded children receive only TCB, an amount that is currently less than 50% of what is available under CCB, before the potential OCB top-up. The Income Tax Act must be amended to provide these benefits to all children, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

NEW: Support for Families

– What is it?



Ontario has introduced a one-time benefit for families with children who are not in school or childcare because of COVID-19. Eligible parents, guardians, and caregivers will receive $200 for each child up to 12 years old or $250 for each special needs child or youth up to 21 years old. This funding is meant to support learning at home.

Families who received Support for Parents, a different benefit provided by the Ontario government during education strikes, will automatically receive Support for Families without a need to re-apply. The payment can be received through direct deposit or by cheque, although cheques may take several months to process.

– What is missing?



The previously announced Support for Parents during education strikes was exempt from claw back from social assistance recipients, but it is not yet confirmed whether Support for Families will also be exempt.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits

• What is it?

Workers’ compensation benefits are benefits paid to workers who are absent from work because of a work-related injury or illness. The benefits are paid by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, and there are three types of benefits a worker may be able to access: (1) loss of earnings benefits for wages lost as a result of the illness or injury; (2) health care benefits for health care expenses; and (3) non-economic loss benefits for serious and permanent injuries. However, only workers in Ontario workplaces that are covered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act can access these benefits.

If a worker contracts COVID-19 at work and is required to take time off work as a result, then they might qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has stated on their website that any such claims will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The Board has also provided this guideline to determining claims in relation to COVID-19.

• What has changed?

At this time, we are not aware of any changes to the WSIB program in response to COVID-19.

• What is missing?

It is undisputed that there is community spread of the disease and that all Ontarians are susceptible to coming into contact with the virus. The Ontario government should add COVID-19 to the list of presumptive illnesses for anyone who is required to work onsite during the COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario. Further, compensation should be provided to any worker who must be removed from the workplace and isolated due to work exposure to COVID-19, whether or not they show symptoms.

Normally, the WSIB will review its decisions to award Loss of Earnings benefits to workers. The WSIB may decrease or cancel those benefits for injured workers who are not working on the basis that there is suitable work available for them in the general labour market. However, this is not the case during the pandemic. The WSIB should therefore suspend its “suitable work” requirement and not decrease or cancel injured workers’ loss of earnings benefits. This suspension should remain in place at least until October 3, 2020, or until labour market conditions improve and suitable employment again becomes available.

The WSIB should also have plans in place to address the unique challenges of migrant farm workers who are routinely housed in crowded conditions and are therefore at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. These workers also experience significant barriers to accessing health care and basic hand washing stations. The WSIB’s plan should involve education for these workers, as well as rehousing protocols in the event of recommended quarantine or self-isolation.

ISAC recently released this open letter to Minister Monte McNaughton, who is the Ontario Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to highlight inadequacies with WSIB. The letter addresses concerns and recommendations for increasing protections for injured workers during the pandemic.

Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, and GAINS

• What is it?

Old Age Security (OAS) is a taxable pension of up to $613.53 paid monthly by the federal government to seniors over 65 who meet immigration status and residency requirements. Only seniors with modest or low income obtain this benefit fully as those with an income above the threshold amount ($77,580 for 2019) are subject to a 15% recovery tax.

The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a top-up monthly benefit for low-income OAS recipients. A single, widowed, or divorced pensioner may receive up to $916.38 each month from the federal government.

The Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) is a further top-up monthly benefit paid by the province to low-income seniors who reside in Ontario and receive both OAS and GIS. Monthly GAINS payments range between $2.50 and $83.

• What has changed?

On May 13, 2020, the federal government announced a one-time tax-free benefit for seniors to cover additional costs caused by COVID-19. Seniors who qualify for OAS will receive $300, and those who also qualify for the GIS will receive an additional $200 for a total of $500. No application is required to receive this benefit as it will be provided automatically to those who qualify. The payments are expected to arrive within weeks of the announcement.

Ontario has also temporarily doubled the maximum GAINS benefit for six months, starting in April 2020.

• What is missing?

First, access to OAS, GIS and GAINS should be expanded. Current immigration status and residency requirements exclude many elderly immigrants who live in poverty.

Second, the federal government has not yet announced whether and how receiving CERB will affect GIS benefits, which are re-evaluated every July based on a recipient’s total income during the previous tax year. In the absence of a specific exemption for CERB, GIS benefits may be reduced by 50% or 75% of CERB benefits received, depending on a recipient’s total income. This would be a very harsh result for seniors living in poverty.

Goods and Services Tax Credit

• What is it?

The federal government pays the Goods and Services Tax Credit (GSTC) to low and modest income households in order to offset the sales tax. Each year, single individuals can receive up to $443 and couples up to $580, with up to an additional $153 for each child under the age of 19. The actual amount each household receives depends on their income level as reported in their tax return. The total annual GSTC for each household is broken into four quarterly payments, paid in July, October, January, and April.

• What has changed?

Canada has announced that it will double the maximum GSTC amounts for this year only. Eligible households should have received the extra GSTC in a special payment made by mid April 2020. The maximum amount of the payment will correspond to the figures noted above.

• What is missing?

This one-time payment in May 2020 will not be enough for low-income individuals and families who do not qualify for other benefits to cover shelter costs and other basic expenses during the pandemic. The pandemic is expected to last for many months (other wage replacement programs run until October 3). The ODSP Action Coalition has called on the federal government to provide this payment every month at least until September. The petition can be found here.

This tax credit is also not available to low-income individuals who pay sales taxes but who face barriers to filing their tax returns.

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance

• What is it?

Some workplaces in Ontario have private disability insurance plans that provide wage replacement to workers who unexpectedly become ill or injured, and are unable to work and earn an income. These insurance plans may allow for either short-term and/or long-term coverage of the worker’s wages. The amount of wage replacement varies depending on the specific insurance plan. It often ranges from 60% to 85% of the worker’s regular income up to a maximum amount, for a specific period of time.

If a worker becomes ill as a result of COVID-19 and is unable to work, then they may qualify for short-term or long-term disability coverage. The requirements to access either type of insurance will depend on the insurance provider’s policy. Workers should contact their employer or the insurance provider for more information about qualifying for coverage, and how to apply.

As well, many workplaces, through employment contracts, collective agreements and personnel policies, provide for a limited number of paid sick days. This is effectively a type of employer-funded short-term disability coverage. These contracts or personnel policies usually provide for a fixed number of paid days granted per calendar year or paid “sick credits” may be accrued on a monthly basis. These paid sick days vary by workplace. For example, in the Ontario Public Service, 6 days are credited every January and in many nonprofits and the private sector, it is earned at 1.25 days per month. In some workplaces, it can be accumulated and carried over from year to year. If a worker becomes ill or is required to self-isolate as a result of COVID-19 and is unable to work, then they may be able to draw on their paid sick credits as short-term disability coverage. These employer-funded sick days may be superior to federal or provincial standards concerning sick leaves, paid or unpaid.

• What has changed?

Workers should contact their employer about existing personnel policies or their insurance provider for information about any changes to their insurance policy in response to COVID-19.

• What is missing?

Many low-wage and precarious workers will not have access to private disability insurance plans or employer-paid sick days. We encourage them to review other sections of this document for information about income support programs that they may be able to access.