Single mother benefits in Ontario come from two levels of government and cover income, child costs, child care, housing, and support enforcement. The biggest ones are tax-based, which means one action — filing your annual return with the Canada Revenue Agency — unlocks most of them at once. The Canada Child Benefit alone pays up to $7,997 per year for each child under six, with the Ontario Child Benefit, the GST/HST credit, and the Ontario Trillium Benefit stacking on top. Ontario Works, subsidized child care, subsidized housing, and enforcement of child support through the Family Responsibility Office each require their own application.
File Your Taxes First
Before anything else, file an income tax return, even if you had no income last year. Filing is what triggers CRA’s assessment for the Canada Child Benefit, Ontario Child Benefit, GST/HST credit, Ontario Trillium Benefit, and Canada Workers Benefit. Skip this step and you leave thousands of dollars a year on the table. If you have never filed in Canada, filing one return is the single most valuable thing you can do for your household budget.1Canada Revenue Agency. Newcomers to Canada and the CRA
Canada Child Benefit
The Canada Child Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment for parents of children under 18. For the benefit year running July 2025 through June 2026, the maximums are $7,997 per year ($666.41 per month) for each child under six, and $6,748 per year ($562.33 per month) for each child aged six to seventeen. Payments start decreasing once your adjusted family net income exceeds $37,487.2Canada Revenue Agency. How Much You Can Get – Canada Child Benefit
To qualify you must live with a child under 18, be primarily responsible for that child’s care, and be a Canadian resident for tax purposes.3Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit – Who Can Apply
How to Apply
If you just had a baby, register the birth through ServiceOntario’s Newborn Registration Service and consent to share your information with the CRA during that process. Provide your Social Insurance Number and ServiceOntario forwards your details automatically. Do not also submit Form RC66 or apply through My Account, because a duplicate application delays your payments.4Canada Revenue Agency. Birth Registration and Canada Child Benefits – Ontario
For children who are already born, or if you didn’t consent during birth registration, apply online through the CRA’s My Account or mail Form RC66 (Canada Child Benefits Application) to your tax centre. You’ll need to provide proof of birth if the CRA has never paid benefits for that child before.5Canada Revenue Agency. How to Apply for Canada Child Benefit First payments usually arrive within about eight weeks. Applying for the CCB also automatically assesses you for the Ontario Child Benefit, so there’s no second form to fill out.
Ontario Child Benefit
The Ontario Child Benefit adds up to $1,727 per child per year for low-to-moderate income families, paid monthly alongside your CCB deposit.6Government of Ontario. Ontario Child Benefit Families with an adjusted net income above $26,364 receive a partial benefit.7Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Child Benefit There’s no separate application. The CRA reviews your eligibility automatically once your tax return is assessed and you’re enrolled for the CCB.
GST/HST Credit
The GST/HST credit is a quarterly federal payment (July, October, January, April) that offsets sales tax costs. For July 2025 through June 2026, you can receive up to $533 as a single individual, plus $184 for each child under 19.8Canada Revenue Agency. How Much You Can Get – GST/HST Credit A single mother of two could receive up to $901 per year. No separate application — the CRA determines eligibility from your tax return.
Ontario Trillium Benefit
The Ontario Trillium Benefit bundles three provincial credits into one payment.9Canada Revenue Agency. Ontario Trillium Benefit Questions and Answers For the 2026 benefit year the maximum amounts are:
- Ontario Sales Tax Credit: up to $378 for you, plus up to $378 for each dependent child under 19.
- Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit: up to $1,307 if you are between 18 and 64.
- Northern Ontario Energy Credit: up to $189 for a single person or up to $290 for families, if you live in Northern Ontario.
You claim these credits by completing the ON-BEN form with your income tax return.10Government of Ontario. Ontario Trillium Benefit
Canada Workers Benefit
If you’re working on a low income, the Canada Workers Benefit tops up your earnings through a refundable tax credit. For the most recent available year the maximum was $2,739 for families, gradually reduced once adjusted family net income exceeded roughly $29,800.11Canada Revenue Agency. Canada Workers Benefit – How Much You Can Get Thresholds are adjusted annually for inflation. You claim it on your tax return.
Ontario Works
Ontario Works provides monthly financial assistance for food, housing, and other basic needs when your household can’t cover them. Eligibility is based on an assessment of your total monthly income, assets, housing costs, and expenses like child care.
Benefits are split into a basic-needs component and a shelter allowance. For a single parent with one child, the basic-needs amount is $360 per month and the maximum shelter allowance is $642 per month, a combined maximum of roughly $1,002.12City of Toronto. Monthly Ontario Works Amounts Amounts increase with family size. Ontario Works recipients can still receive the CCB, OCB, and GST/HST credit on top of their assistance, which meaningfully increases total monthly income.
Apply online through the province’s application portal, which is open 24/7 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, or by phone at 1-888-999-1142 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.13City of Toronto. Overview of Ontario Works A caseworker will contact you within four business days to follow up.14City of Windsor. Applying for Ontario Works Have documents ready that verify your identity, income, housing costs, and any other benefits you currently receive.
Child Care Support
Ontario offers two layers of help with child care costs.
Ontario Child Care Fee Subsidy
The subsidy helps eligible families cover the cost of licensed child care. Your child must be under 13, or under 18 if they have special needs, and enrolled in a licensed child care program, a before-and-after-school program run by a school board, or a children’s recreation program or camp.15Government of Ontario. Financial Support for Child Care What you pay depends on your family’s adjusted net income.
To apply, contact your local Consolidated Municipal Service Manager or District Social Services Administration Board — the municipal agencies that run subsidies in your area. You can find yours through the Ontario government’s website.15Government of Ontario. Financial Support for Child Care Some regions have online portals, others use in-person or phone applications. Wait lists are common, so apply early.
Canada-Wide $10-a-Day Child Care
Under the federal-provincial Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care agreement, Ontario has reduced average child care fees by 50% or more, with average annual savings of about $7,000 per child. Ontario extended its agreement through the 2026–2027 fiscal year.16Government of Canada. Toward $10-a-Day: Early Learning and Child Care These reductions apply automatically at participating licensed centres. Confirm with your provider that they take part.
Child Support Enforcement
If you have a court order or agreement for child or spousal support, Ontario’s Family Responsibility Office enforces it automatically. When a court makes a support order it’s filed with the FRO, which then collects payments from the payor and sends them to you.17Government of Ontario. Enforcing Child and Spousal Support Payments
If the other parent stops paying, the FRO can garnish bank accounts, intercept federal tax refunds, suspend driver’s licences and passports, place liens on property, and report missed payments to credit bureaus.17Government of Ontario. Enforcing Child and Spousal Support Payments You don’t need to go back to court yourself for enforcement.
What the FRO cannot do: change the amount of support owed, pay you when the payor misses a payment, or get involved in custody disputes. Changing a support amount requires going back to court or renegotiating the agreement.
Subsidized Housing
Subsidized housing sets your rent based on what you can afford rather than market rates. Apply through your local municipal housing service. Eligibility requirements vary by municipality but generally require Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status, or refugee claimant status, along with income and asset limits.
Applications are typically submitted online through the local housing authority. You’ll need to provide proof of Canadian status and your most recent Notice of Assessment. Wait lists are long in most Ontario communities, often measured in years, so apply as soon as you know you need it. If you are fleeing domestic abuse, ask about special priority status, which can move your application ahead of the general list.
Documents You Will Need
Most of these programs draw on the same pool of documents. Gathering them upfront saves time:
- Identification: birth certificates, Canadian passports, or immigration documents for you and your children.
- Social Insurance Number: required for tax-based benefits like the CCB, OCB, and GST/HST credit.
- Income records: pay stubs, your most recent Notice of Assessment from the CRA, or employment letters.
- Proof of residency: a utility bill, lease agreement, or mortgage statement showing your Ontario address.
- Children’s records: birth certificates, custody agreements, or other documents showing the children in your care.
- Bank account details for direct deposit, which is faster than cheques.
For Ontario Works, add documentation of your housing costs and any other income or benefits you already receive.
If Your Application Is Denied
For Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program decisions, request an internal review within 30 days of receiving the decision. You should receive the result within 30 days.18Government of Ontario. Internal Reviews and Appeals for Social Assistance
If the internal review doesn’t go your way, or if you don’t get a decision within 30 days, appeal to the Social Benefits Tribunal within 30 days of receiving the internal review decision. Appeal forms are available from your local Ontario Works office or from the Tribunal directly.18Government of Ontario. Internal Reviews and Appeals for Social Assistance If the benefit you’re appealing is one you were already receiving, you can request interim assistance on the appeal form to keep receiving support while you wait for your hearing.