May I ask what is considered social assistance? Trillium Benefit? Ontario Drug Benefit? GST rebate? I've read a lot about how sponsored persons should not receive any social assistance but I've never figured out what is meant by social assistance. Thank you.
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.
EI, OSAP, Trillium Benefits, HST Rebate are not Social Assistance.
They do this check mainly when you sponsor somebody (or you were sponsored by someone) to see if the person you sponsor took any social assistance.