Ontario Works and Independent Contractor

[anun]

Hello,
I am on Ontario Works.
I would like to know if I sign a contract and become an independent contractor (work is on as-needed basis), will I still be eligible for Ontario Works? They may call me from time to time for a couple of hours, or if they don’t need, they will not call me to do the job at all during a month.
My concern is that since the job is on as-needed basis, I will not be able to have enough, if at all income, and I need to pay the rent and feed myself. Will I continue receiving Ontario Works in this case, because I have heard that freelancers are not eligible for Ontario Works.
Thanks in advance.

[Klaus]

Hi,

you may still be eligible for Ontario Works. The article As an Ontario Works client: When you earn money while on Ontario Works states:

As of September 1, 2013, you can earn up to $200 a month without having your financial support reduced. For every $1.00 you earn after that, Ontario Works will deduct $0.50 from the amount of money you receive from us.

Since you can’t predict how much income you will have in the future, it’s probably best to inform them about your situation and work something out. Their contact addresses and numbers can be found here.