Ontario work problems

[settleow]

Overpayment was on my account they took the money and never sent me a letter or any communication to explain why it’s there.

I am pure French in an English municipality my worker told me to go at yes employment to get help find a job but I don’t speak English I was suspended for not going.

I told them I was doing online English class but I have to provide them with the acquisition from the online class and they don’t have it.

My worker doesn’t speak French and the supervisor said we’ll remind her to communicate with you in french.

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us. It may be best to contact a Community Legal Clinic for some assistance in this situation. Steps to Justice has a comprehensive list of free to low cost legal services on the topic of Ontario Works.

You may find helpful information in the Ontario Works Policy Directives on Recovery of Overpayments.

If you live in Toronto, you may find helpful information in Make a Complaint about Employment & Social Services. You may wish to make a complaint to management in your local office, and here is an excerpt on next steps:

If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you can contact staff at the Client Services & Information Unit for further assistance. All complaints received are formally recorded and reviewed by management staff. The information you provide will be used to investigate the complaint. You may be contacted by phone for more information.

What happens if I disagree with the outcome of my complaint?
If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you may contact the General Manager’s Office, at 416-397-9682, for a further review.

If you are not satisfied after contacting the General Manager’s Office, you may contact the Office of the Ombudsman, City of Toronto at 416-392-7062, or by email at ombudsman@toronto.ca. For more information, visit the website for the Toronto Ombudsman.

You can also find some helpful information on the complaints process for Ontario Works in the discussion forum thread: Ontario Works Caseworker ignoring my emails.

Here is an excerpt:

You can contact your local office for more information or escalate your complaint above your caseworker and their direct supervisor.

If you’d like to file a complaint about your worker and the way they have conducted themselves professionally you can submit a complaint to the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

If you wish to make a complaint about the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services itself, you can do so through the Ombudsman of Ontario.

Settlement.Org also has a Financial Assistance section, where you can find information on various government programs and financial supports you may be eligible for. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.

Sincerely,

Your Settlement.Org Team