SIS Payment Dates in Canada for 2024

If you’re on a tight budget and struggling to make ends meet, you probably wait for the welfare dates impatiently.

Since SIS payment dates in Canada differ from one province to another, the amount of the payments, as well as the eligibility criteria, also vary.

Let’s take a look.

What is Social Assistance in Canada?

Social assistance payments are a particular type of monthly income support from the Canadian government.

These funds are meant to cover the basic living costs of Canadian households, families, or individuals in need. These are non-taxable funds, despite the fact that you still need to include them in your tax report. You can find them in line 14500 of the T4 income tax slip.

The categories for social assistance payments usually include

• People who can not afford essential goods for everyday life without assistance or support
• Individuals who are suffering from a disability or impairment, and
• Elderly Canadians (+65), regardless of whether or not they live in a retirement home.

Each Canadian province and territory imposes different legislation through various institutions; thus, the amount differs from province to province.

However, the common factors which determine the amount usually come down to

• Degree of disability
• Family size
• Financial situation (income and other assets), and
• Whether you own a house or live in a rental unit

In addition to these factors, each province or territory offers a different social assistance program and additional subsidy payments.

SIS Payment Dates in Canada’s Provinces and Territories

Social assistance in Canada has different payment dates. So, they are regulated within each Canadian province and territory specifically and differently.

We will take a look at each one in all its categories.

1.    Ontario

Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program are the two social assistance payment programs in Ontario. 

Ontario Works helps in providing employment and financial assistance for residents. On the other hand, ODSP helps citizens with eligible disabilities.

The amount is determined by the person’s financial status and disability. In this manner, a single person can get $733 for shelter allowance and necessities through the Ontario Works program, whereas a person registered in the ODSP can receive up to $1.169 per month.

You can check the requirements by contacting the Social Assistance Office, where you can also start your online application.

Let’s take a look at the social assistance pay dates in Ontario.

2022 Month	ODSP	Ontario Works
January	January 31	December 22, 2021
February	February 28	January 31
March	March 31	February 28
April	April 29	March 31
May	May 31	April 29
June	June 30	May 31
July	July 29	June 30
August	August 31	July 29
September	September 29	August 31
October	October 31	September 29
November	November 30	October 31
December	Not determined yet	November 30

For more information, make sure to contact the appropriate body.

2.    British Columbia

Residents of BC are provided with social assistance through the British Columbia Employment and Assistance (BCEA) program. Even though this is the only governmental program, it offers two payment categories::

• Income assistance
• Disability assistance

Aside from these standard categories, PPMB support is also granted. It assists persons with persistent multiple barriers in BC.

British Columbia has one of the highest income payments for its residents. It ranges from $935 for a person with income assistance to $1358 for someone with disabilities.

The eligibility check, as well as the application form, can be accessed through this link.

Here are the assistance pay dates in BC, which do not differ regardless of the group.

2022 Month	Income/Disability Assistance
February	January 19
March	February 16
April	March 23
May	April 27
June	May 25
July	June 22
August	July 20
September	August 24
October	September 21
November	October 26
December	November 23
January 2023	December 21, 2022

For more information, make sure to contact the appropriate body.

3.    Alberta

Social assistance in Alberta is divided into two separate programs:

• Alberta Supports
•  Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped

Alberta Supports works by combining the needs of unemployed residents and companies looking for an eligible workforce. In this manner, unemployed residents can contact the institution, and they will be connected to a company that can benefit from their specific set of skills.

In addition, the program offers training services and health benefits, aside from income and child support. Individuals within this program may receive up to $866 per month.

On the other hand, individuals with severe and permanent medical conditions can benefit from the AISH program. These individuals may get a monthly assistance payment of up to $1,685.

To apply for any of these programs, follow this link.

You can find the Alberta assistance pay dates in the table below.

Month	AISH/Income Support Payments
January	December 22 2021
February	February 1
March	March 1
April	April 1
May	April 29
June	June 1
July	June 30
August	July 29
September	September 1
October	October 1
November	November 1
December	December 1

Both assistance payments in Alberta are usually deposited on the first day of each month.

4.    Manitoba

Social assistance in Manitoba goes through the Employment and Income Assistance (EIA). The program offers assistance for three major groups:

• Assistance for a single person with no children – $948
• Assistance for disabled persons – $1,093
• General assistance – $796

In 2021, 7,800 single parents received EIA, while only 1,800 couples with children were part of this program.

You can apply for welfare through this link.

In Manitoba, the social assistance payment dates are as follows:

Month	Manitoba EIA Payment Date
December 2021	November 26, 2021
January	December 29, 2021
February	January 27
March	February 24
April	March 29
May	April 27
June	May 27
July	June 28
August	July 27
September	August 29
October	September 27
November	October 27

Contact the EIA for further information.

You may find these articles relevant:

5.    Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan definitely offers the most in terms of categories:

• SES – Saskatchewan Employment Supplement
• SAP – Saskatchewan Assistance Program
• SIS – Saskatchewan Income Support
• SAID – Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability
• TEA – Transitional Employment Allowance
• SRHS – Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplements

Note that ever since August 2021, the TEA and SAP programs have been integrated into the SIS program, so if you’re looking for transitional employment allowance or financial assistance in general, you need to contact the Saskatchewan Income Support program.

The participants in the SIS program can benefit from $810-$860 paid out monthly, with the exact sum depending on various eligibility criteria.

Meanwhile, individuals within the SAID program can receive anything from $931 to $1,064 per month.

Here is the table of the monthly income and disability payment dates.

Month	Mailing Checks (SAID and SIS)	Direct Deposits  (SAID and SIS)	SES/ SRHS Payment Dates
January	December 22, 2021	December 29, 2021	January 29
February	January 25	January 28	February 26
March	February 22	February 25	March 31
April	March 25	March 30	April 30
May	April 25	April 28	May 31
June	May 25	May 30	June 30
July	June 24	June 29	July 30
August	July 22	July 27	August 31
September	August 25	August 30	September 30
October	September 26	September 28	October 29
November	October 25	October 28	November 30
December	November 25	November 29	December 31

In Saskatchewan, assistance payments are deposited a few days before the beginning of each month. 

6.    Quebec

There are two social assistance programs in Quebec:

• The Social Assistance Program, which sort of acts as the last resort when it comes to financial assistance. It helps families and individuals until they reenter the workforce market. Individuals in this program get a standard monthly payment of $726.
• The Social Solidarity Program focuses on financial support for individuals with a permanent medical condition or mental health disability. These individuals receive $1,138 per month, including basic benefits and adjustments.

Applications can be submitted online, while the dates of social payments in Quebec for 2022 are as follows:

2022 Month	Assistance/Solidarity Payment
January	December 30, 2021
February	February 1
March	March 1
April	April 1
May	April 29
June	June 1
July	June 30
August	August 1
September	September 1
October	September 29
November	November 1
December	December 1

The depositing dates are on the 1st of each month for the upcoming month or the last working day of the previous month.

7.    Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia pays out social assistance through the Income Assistance Program. It includes anything from prescription drug coverage and basic needs to assistance for individuals with special needs.

According to Nova Scotia’s regulation, a single individual cannot get more than $686 in monthly assistance.

When it comes to individuals with permanent mental or physical disabilities, the Disability Support Program (DSP) is the program in charge. The amount varies depending on the type of disability, but the monthly assistance does not exceed $850/month.

Let’s take a look at the 2022 payment dates for income assistance in Nova Scotia.

Month	Income Assistance Payment
January	December 29/30/31, 2021
February	January 27/28/31
March	February 24/25/28
April	March 29/30/31
May	April 27/28/29
June	May 27/30/31
July	June 28/29/30
August	July 27/28/29
September	August 29/30/31
October	September 27/28/29
November	October 27/28/31
December	November 28/29/30
January 2023	December 28/29/30
February 2023	January 27/30/31

Payments in Nova Scotia are deposited 4-5 days before the start of each month. 

8. New Brunswick

The social assistance program in NB is a ‘last resort’ financial provider for residents who can work but struggle to make ends meet.

The program includes two types of benefits:

• Transitional Assistance Program
• Extended benefits

Individuals in the Transitional Assistance program get $564 per month, while the Extended Benefits program grants up to $697 per month to all individuals who meet the disability criteria.

All the payment dates for 2022 are usually on the 1st of the month. The exceptions are May and October payments, which are paid on 29th April and 30th September, respectively.

So, if it is a weekend or a holiday, the funds are deposited on the last working day of the previous month.

9.    Newfoundland and Labrador

Social assistance in NL includes two types of benefits provided through the Income Support Program:

• Basic benefits (shelter, food, clothes)
• Non-basic benefits (childcare, prescription glasses, municipal taxes, burials)

When it comes to people with disabilities, they may approach several different income assistance measures.

The payment dates are on the 1st and 16th every month for the current month.

For those who aren’t enrolled in the direct deposit payments program – the checks will be issued a few days earlier to ensure they arrive on time.

You can read more about this program by following this link.

10.  Prince Edward Island

If you’re an unemployed resident of PEI but don’t have any disabilities, the Social Assistance Program in PEI might be able to help you out. The sum is calculated based on your income, household size, and whether you own your house or live in a rental unit.

Prince Edward Island offers two programs:

• Housing Assistance program – designed for low-income individuals and families with appropriate housing opportunities at a reduced cost.
• AccessAbility Supports program –  designed to help residents with disabilities.

These are the  2022 dates for social assistance payment in PEI.

Month	Assistance Payment’s Date
January	December 31
February	January 31
March	February 28
April	March 31
May	April 29
June	May 31
July	June 30
August	July 29
September	August 31
October	September 30
November	October 31
December	November 30

If your payment is late, make sure to contact the appropriate institution.

11.  Nunavut

The provincial government of Nunavut offers an income assistance program for eligible individuals and families who cannot cover their basic needs due to disability, illness, or unemployment.

The exact amount is based on personal criteria, territory, and location. However, the monthly allowance ranges between $682 and $782.

The exact payment dates for social assistance payments in Nunavut are still not officially announced.

12.  Yukon

Social assistance in Yukon is meant for individuals and families who can not support their basic needs.

You can still work while receiving social assistance, but the Yukon Social Assistance Act regulates all additional criteria for receiving assistance payments.

Aside from this, individuals eligible for this program may also get an additional Yukon Supplementary Allowance of $250 each month. Also, low-income seniors may get up to $235 extra monthly funds.

If you follow this link, you can apply for social assistance or senior support in Yukon. Note that Yukon prohibits you from leaving the country should you be selected for this program.

The close-up data sheet containing Yukon’s SIS payment dates is still unavailable.

13.  Northwest Territories

All Northern residents who are at least 19 years old can apply for social assistance in their closest ECE Service Center. Aside from the age requirement, they also need to be stuck in a severe financial crisis, and they need to be productive. This means that you still either need to be an active student or an individual looking for employment.

The Northwest Territories offer several assistance programs:

• NWT Senior Citizen Supplementary Benefit (SCSB)
• Senior Home Heating Subsidy (SHHS)
• Student Financial Assistance (SFA)
• the regular NWT Child Benefit

Unfortunately, both the payment dates and the amounts remain undisclosed. However, according to a 2020 stat sheet, the overall benefit of each assistance program in NWT amounts to around $27,171 for unattached singles that can work.

At the same time, this amount is significantly higher when it comes to unattached singles with a disability or mental illness, standing at around $33,000.

Finishing Thoughts

As we can conclude, the government checks arrive on different dates in each separate Canadian province or territory. But, what is common for all the social assistance payments in Canada is that they are not taxable.