Social Solidarity Program (Disability)

What happens if you cannot work because of a medical condition or disability?

The Social Solidarity program is available for those who have a condition that causes severe restrictions to employment. This program provides additional financial assistance for those who qualify. In order to apply, you must submit a medical report completed by a doctor that states that your medical condition or disability creates a significant challenge to you in your ability to work. As with welfare, the same rules apply about the maximum amount you are allowed to make from your own work before your social solidarity payment is deducted from the following month. 

Number of people receiving Social Solidarity	Maximum amount you can have in your bank account while receiving Social Solidarity	Amount eligible to receive per month	Maximum you are allowed to earn per month before it is deducted from your next Social Solidarity cheque
1 adult	$2500	$1008	$200
A family	$5000	$1507	$300

Eligibility - Medical and capacity considerations 

Social solidarity is a program for adults living with serious physical or mental health problems that make it difficult to find work. The condition must be noted by a doctor in an official medical report and last more than 12 months : make sure the doctor takes the time to fill up with detail all the forms before submitting it. Some examples of conditions that generally make a person eligible to receive social solidarity include the following:

• Blindness
• Intellectual disabilities and amnesia
• Cancer
• Chronic illness
• The inability to move around
• Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia, borderline personality disorder if the person is at least 40 years old and has not worked in the last 5 years

Note: For Quebec residents, there is an intermediate level for people experiencing a temporary constraint to work (ex. Non-permanent injury, etc.). This is an additional amount provided to people who are unable to work for 1 to 11 months. People who have applied for refugee status will have access to this program once they are accepted as permanent residents. 

Eligibility - Financial considerations

In order to qualify for social solidarity, there is a maximum amount of money you can have in your bank account at the time of your application (this is different from the amount you have when you arrive at the border or after you have started receiving welfare payments). 

The value of any properties you own in your country of origin may also be included in the calculations to see whether or not you are eligible to receive social solidarity. Generally, you are still eligible to receive social solidarity if the value of your properties is  $245,052 or less. If it would be unrealistic or impossible to sell the property (because of access, if it is not in your name, if it is in an area with conflict, or any other reason) be sure to include this information in the documents you send.  

Number of people	Maximum amount of money you can have at the time of your application
1 adult with no children	$887
With one child	$1,268
With 2 children	$1,502
With 3+ children	$1,782, plus $280 for each additional dependent child
2 adults with no children	$1319
With one child	$1,573
With 2 children	$1,807
With 3+ children	$2,087, plus $280 for each additional dependent child