Canadian
Social Assistance
(Welfare) Policy Manuals
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Canadian
|
Manuels
de politiques
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Updated April 29, 2010
Page révisée le 29 avril 2010
NOTE:
The Key Provincial/Territorial Welfare Links page of
this website includes
all of the links below along with links to the legislation,
statistics, rates, related information and more.
The
jurisdictions whose links appear on this page have posted their current social
assistance (welfare) policy manual on their website.
Social assistance
policy manuals are an excellent source of detailed information about such questions
as initial and ongoing eligibility, the treatment of assets and income, how benefits
are calculated, special needs and rules regarding a wide range of program issues
(recovery of overpayments, appeals, fraud prevention and detection, etc.)
NOTES : The amount of information provided in online policy manuals varies from one jurisdiction to another, and they're not all continuously updated . For a more complete picture of social assistance policies, be sure to check the relevant legislation as well (a few provinces actually include their welfare legislation in the manual itself).
---
- this link takes you to the bottom of the page you're now
reading, where you'll
find links to two online resources with general info about how welfare works
in Canada.
| NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR |
There's no welfare policy manual as such, but the home page
of the Income Support Program offers links to more info about the Income Support
(Social Assistance) program, including : * Program Overview * Monthly Rates *
Applying for Income Support * Child Benefit * Health Related Services * more...
Dept. responsible:
- Go to the
Canadian Social Research Links Newfoundland and Labrador page -
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nfbkmrk.htm
| PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND |
The Social Assistance Program helps Islanders meet their basic needs when they are unable to provide for themselves. The program provides benefits on a case-by-case basis to Islanders who meet the program eligibility requirements according to the (PDF - 488K, 10 pages) and the Social Assistance Policy Manual.
Dept. responsible:
(formerly Social Services and Seniors and before that, Health and Social
Services)
- Go to the Canadian
Social Research Links Prince Edward Island page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/pebkmrk.htm
| NOVA SCOTIA |
- incl. links to the latest version
of the manual and to revision logs (showing recent changes)
Dept. responsible:
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Nova Scotia page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nsbkmrk.htm
| NEW BRUNSWICK |
"This electronic version of the HRD-NB policies
is an unofficial version which contains essentially the same material found in
HRD-NB's in-house on-line help. This version has been edited for relevancy of
content. For example, technical procedures unrelated to policy application have
been removed. A full, unabridged version of on-line help can be requested under
the Right to Information Act."
- includes sections on Applicant And Client
Types - Assets And Income - Benefits - Intake And Continuing Eligibility - Programs
- Rates (although not basic rates)
- includes links to the Family Income
Security Act and Regulation
of the policy manual - easier to navigate, but not for bookmarking
individual pages.
Dept. responsible:
- Go to the Canadian Social Research
Links New Brunswick page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nbkmrk.htm
| QUEBEC |
(1.5MB, 49 pages)
July
2008
... deals with the various concepts that may influence last-resort financial
assistance, such as changes in a family’s situation, the possession of certain
assets, income, parental contribution, etc.
(PDF file - 3.4MB,
23 pages)
July 2008
NOTE: the blue text box in the centre of the page also contains detailed welfare program info
Dept. responsible: (English
Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)
-
Go to the Québec Links (English) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche sociale au Québec: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm
| ONTARIO |
Everything you wanted to know about the Ontario
Works program, broken down into small PDF files. Ontario Works provides financial
and employment assistance for single people, couples with and without children,
sole support parents, and people aged 60 to 64 years.
Everything you wanted to know about
the Ontario Disability Support Program in small PDF files. For eligible people
with disabilities, ODSP provides financial assistance and other benefits and/or
services to remove disability-related barriers to competitive employment
Introduced in early 1999, the
Employment Supports component of ODSP provides people with disabilities who want
to work with more choices in what they would like to do and a range of supports
to assist them in reaching their goal.
- Toronto's
welfare policy manual, organized in alphabetical order
- includes detailed
information on welfare rates, eligibility criteria for different client types,
treatment of financial resources, etc.
Ministry responsible:
- Go to the Guide to Welfare in Ontario
page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onwelf.htm
-
guide to government information on how welfare works in Ontario, including information
about responsibilities for the delivery and payment of welfare and other programs
in Ontario
- Go to the Ontario Government Links
page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm
-
Go to the Ontario Spouse-in-the-House Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/spouse.htm
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Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (A-C) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk2.htm
-
Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm
-
Rendez-vous à la page de liens aux sites de recherche sociale en Ontario
:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onf.htm
| MANITOBA |
This is the provincial
social assistance (welfare) policy manual. It contains comprehensive and current
information about eligibility, benefits and the administration of the EIA program.
The above link will take you to a general index of the 24 sections of this extensive
manual - or you can go directly to the detailed . The manual includes the complete text of the Employment and
Income Assistance Act and Regulation.
Dept. responsible:
(formerly Manitoba Family Services and Housing)
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Manitoba page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm
| SASKATCHEWAN |
(PDF file)
(PDF file)
Dept.
responsible:
(formerly
Community Resources)
- Go to the
Canadian Social Research Links Saskatchewan page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/skbkmrk.htm
| ALBERTA |
Policy
Manual
Income Support Program Policy
===> main welfare policy
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See also:
On this page, you'll find links to:
- Income
and Employment Supports Act and Regulation
- Employment and Training Programs
(Programs and Services, Accountability, Employment Insurance Initiatives, News
and Updates)
- Child Support Services (Child Support Services Policy, News
and Updates)
- Health Benefits Programs (General Policy,
Health Benefits Card Coverage, Alberta Adult Health Benefit, Alberta Child Health
Benefit, Health Benefits Review Committee, News and Updates)
Alberta
Works replaced:
* Widows’ Pension - eff. April 2004
* Supports
for Independence (Alberta's welfare program) - eff. May 2004
* Skills
Development Program living allowances for continuing and new students beginning
a training term - eff. August 1, 2004.
Dept. responsible:
(formerly Employment, Immigration and Industry and,
before that, Human Resources and Employment)
Related Link:
-
Source:
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Alberta Links page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/abkmrk.htm
| BRITISH COLUMBIA |
- (formerly Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance)
"Effective March 27, 2006 the BCEA
(welfare) Manual has been retired and replaced with an exciting*
new information source – the Online Resource. The Online Resource
incorporates information from a number of different sources into one user-friendly
website, which will save time spent searching for up-to-date information and resources."
*"Exciting" isn't the first word that pops into most people's heads when they hear the expression "welfare information", but I, for one, found the old BC welfare manual more "exciting" because I could actually "find information" in there. The new manual has no hyperlinked table of contents - in fact, you have to open a PDF file to see the table of contents. And someone should tell the web design team that the plus sign to the left of a directory item (e.g., on the front page) is usually a simple piece of javascript that opens sub-directories, not just a graphic used in lieu of a bullet or a dash in front of each item in a list...
(Oct. 2004) - from
Ministry responsible:
(formerly Employment and Income Assistance and, before that, Human Resources)
- Go to the BC
Government Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (C-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm
- Go to the BC Welfare Time Limits Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bc_welfare_time_limits.htm
| YUKON |
There is no Yukon social assistance policy manual.
However, see the main page of the for:
* Contact Information
* Frequently Asked Questions
* How to Apply for Social Assistance
* Review Hearing
* Employment and Training Services Brochure
* Income Deductions Brochure
* Social Assistance Act
* Social Assistance Overview Booklet
* Social Assistance Review Hearing Booklet
* Supplementary Allowance Brochure
* The Yukon Child Benefit Booklet
Ministry
responsible:
-
Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Yukon page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/yk.htm
| NORTHWEST TERRITORIES |
Northwest Territories:
(PDF file - 722K, 119 pages)
(PDF - 552K, 112 pages)
- list of all relevant policy manuals
Dept. responsible:
- Go to the Canadian Social
Research Links Northwest Territories page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ntbkmrk.htm
| NUNAVUT |
Department responsible for welfare
Name of the welfare program
No policy manual found (April 2010)
- Go to the Canadian Social Research Links Nunavut page
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/nunavut.htm
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