Government of Ontario: Ministry of Community and Social Services

Information Sheet

Select this link to find out more about the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS WHO ARE LIVING WITH ANOTHER ADULT
Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)

Important Information

This information will help you understand the Ontario Works and ODSP rules about living with another adult. These rules can affect your eligibility for social assistance and the amount of assistance you receive.

Depending on the nature of your relationship with the adult you are living with, you may be able to receive social assistance as a single person, single parent or as a couple. If you are living with another adult in a marriage-like relationship, you and the person you are living with will be assessed for social assistance as a couple.

How does living with another adult affect eligibility for social assistance?

If you are living with another adult you will be considered to be spouses if:

you are married to each other
you have applied together for social assistance and declared yourselves as spouses
the adult you are living with is required to support you or any of your children under a court order or legal agreement
you and the adult you are living with have parented a child together
you have lived together for at least three months and are assessed as living in a marriage-like relationship based on the financial, social and family-like aspects of the relationship

If you are considered to be spouses, you will be treated as a couple for social assistance purposes. This means that the income and assets of both partners will be taken into account when determining if you are eligible for social assistance.

If you are living with another adult and are not considered to be spouses, only your income and assets are taken into account when determining your eligibility for social assistance.

How does Ontario Works or the ODSP assess if I am living in a marriage-like relationship?

The assessment is based on your responses to a questionnaire. The Questionnaire asks some basic questions about the financial, social and family-like aspects of your relationship with the adult with whom you are living.

What happens when I have completed the Questionnaire?

The purpose of the Questionnaire is to assess if you and the adult with whom you are living have a marriage-like relationship. If the relationship is assessed to be marriage-like you will be considered as a couple in determining eligibility for social assistance.

Note that your situation is always looked at individually and you can provide any additional information that helps explain your answers. If you disagree with the assessment, you can request a review.