Jail, Hospital, Rehab, Travel, etc.

Hospital or Rehab
This includes general hospitals, chronic care, convalescent, psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities.

For the first three months that you're in a hospital, your check shouldn't be reduced to provided that you keep you the place living. If you move during those three months, your shelter portion of your check may be changed to reflect that.

After three months of hospitalization, your worker can reduce the amount of your check for you (at not your kids or other dependents). However, your worker doesn't have to reduce your check. They should keep giving you the amount that you're getting if, for example, you'll be discharged in a couple of days and need to keep your place.

The matter what when you're in hospital, you should continue to get $122 a month which is the same amount as the Personal Needs Allowance.

Jail
If you go to jail not eligible for Ontario Works.

If you go to jail for a short time they will take the days off you check but if you and that inside for a long time your assistance will be canceled. If your assistance is cut off because you're in jail, when you get out, tell welfare to reinstate your check.

If you are going to jail part time (ie. Weekends) they will subtract the days that you are in jail from your check. However, you should be able to get the full shelter allowance portion of your check if you'd need it to be able to secure or maintain housing.

Being released from jail is a good reason to get Community Start-up.

Also, if you're on welfare but would qualify for ODSP, you can apply while you're in jail. While many jailhouse doctors are jerks, if you can get them to even fill out the basic parts of the form and submit them you can make your application more comprehensive when you get out. This means that you'll have to wait less time when to get out of jail for your ODSP application to be processed. For more information on how to apply to ODSP, click here.

If your put on house arrest, you should still be able to qualify for assistance. You can have sections of the participation agreement put off while you complete your house arrest.

Traveling
You are not allow to travel outside of the province for more than seven days. However, sometimes exceptions may be made if you are looking for work or need to go for family reasons like attending a funeral.

If you need to leave on for more than a week, you may be able to get this approved by your worker. If you worker doesn't approve it in advance and welfare finds out that you left the province for longer than allowed they will count the time that you were away as an overpayment.