What is considered "Social Assistance?"

[Caroliner1978]

Okay, I realize getting actual money from welfare or what have you is obviously considered social assistance... But there are about a million other things that technically are social assistance, without being in receipt of funds... What counts to CIC? If you use a food bank? Have subsidized housing (or subsidized anything else, for that matter)? Are able to have fees waived for various governmental things that offer that based on financial hardship? Or is it literally just things that would show up on your tax return?

 

[Mapleson]

Social assistance means "any benefit, whether money, goods or services, provided to or on behalf of a person by a province under a program of social assistance. It includes assistance for food, shelter, clothing, fuel, utilities, household supplies, personal requirements and health care not provided by public health care."

 

[Sunkissed814]

Where did this definition of social assistance come from?

 

[Mapleson]

It is directly from the CIC website.

 

[shortyp2000]

Social assistance means "any benefit, whether money, goods or services, provided to or on behalf of a person by a province under a program of social assistance. It includes assistance for food, shelter, clothing, fuel, utilities, household supplies, personal requirements and health care not provided by public health care."

Yes, but ODSP is a social assistance, and you can be on ODSP and sponsor a spouse. They also will not refuse you if you use food banks or live in geared to income housing. OSAP is also not considered Social assistance

 

[Mapleson]

Yes, but ODSP is a social assistance, and you can be on ODSP and sponsor a spouse. They also will not refuse you if you use food banks or live in geared to income housing. OSAP is also not considered Social assistance

Yes, sponsors can receive any type of social assistance without need to repay, but the PR cannot. OSAP despite the assistance in the name is really a low interest loan with the expectations of being repaid. Thus, there is no separate onus to repay it under the spossponsorship agreement.

 

[DanSlh]

Student loans are considered social assistance too?

 

[micmac101]

Student loans are considered social assistance too?

NO it isn't

 

[micmac101]

Social Assistance means receiving a monthly check from provincial government meaning welfare per family to live on. You can get food from food banks, or student loans and this is not social assistance.

Social assistance is through a fund paid by tax payers though each province.

 

[DanSlh]

Social Assistance means receiving a monthly check from provincial government meaning welfare per family to live on. You can get food from food banks, or student loans and this is not social assistance.

Social assistance is through a fund paid by tax payers though each province.

Oh, thank you very much!

 

[MAILTEJ]

Dear Sir / Madam,

Myself and my ex-wife were granted PR in Feb 2015.
However, we mutually divorced in Dec 2015.
I got to know through sources that my ex-wife is getting "unemployment insurance" for 6 months in Canada as she could not get a job.
I am married again and wish to sponsor my current wife.
Now will the fact that my ex-wife is getting unemployment insurance affect sponsorship of my current wife?
I am really worried because it says in the sponsorship application that if any of the persons i sponsored before are getting social assistance then I am not eligible to sponsor any new person.
Please advise.

 

[nayr69sg]

Logically, if you are already needing assistance now, it would be very likely that you will need even more assistance after you sponsor someone here.

Think twice before sponsoring if you cannot even take care of yourselves now.

Might be worth waiting till your situation stabilizes or improves to a point you don't need any assistance before sponsoring

 

[PMM]

Hi

Dear Sir / Madam,

Myself and my ex-wife were granted PR in Feb 2015.
However, we mutually divorced in Dec 2015.
I got to know through sources that my ex-wife is getting "unemployment insurance" for 6 months in Canada as she could not get a job.
I am married again and wish to sponsor my current wife.
Now will the fact that my ex-wife is getting unemployment insurance affect sponsorship of my current wife?
I am really worried because it says in the sponsorship application that if any of the persons i sponsored before are getting social assistance then I am not eligible to sponsor any new person.
Please advise.

1. EA is not Social Assistance. It is an insurance scheme where you pay into it when you are employed, and can collect when you are unemployed.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Dear Sir / Madam,

Myself and my ex-wife were granted PR in Feb 2015.
However, we mutually divorced in Dec 2015.
I got to know through sources that my ex-wife is getting "unemployment insurance" for 6 months in Canada as she could not get a job.
I am married again and wish to sponsor my current wife.
Now will the fact that my ex-wife is getting unemployment insurance affect sponsorship of my current wife?
I am really worried because it says in the sponsorship application that if any of the persons i sponsored before are getting social assistance then I am not eligible to sponsor any new person.
Please advise.

You didn't sponsor your ex; she was a dependent in your PR app. Even if she was claiming welfare (she isn't, as EI is insurance), her financial situation is completely irrelevant to you.

 

[MAILTEJ]

Hi



1. EA is not Social Assistance. It is an insurance scheme where you pay into it when you are employed, and can collect when you are unemployed.

Thank you very much....you made my DAY into an awesome day !!!!