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IsisX Posts: 1
Posted On: 8/6/2012
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i am on welfare and was living in toronto and i had to move from where i was to a safe place as the neighbors who resided above me were drug dealers and drug user and were continuously harassing me and threatening to me and continuously blocked my one and only exit so i could not leave my apartment and there would be no way out for me and my child in cases of emergency or any other time the police were called on several occasions and that had only made matters worse and the landlord would not do anything to help ....
it got to the point where the neighbors were now threatening mine and my child's life and the police told me i should move fast in order to keep my child and i safe.
So i moved to another city and i applied for my welfare to transfered to the office of the city i was moving to but i had problems in transfering my file the workers would not allow the transfer i faught it and faught it and got legal aid i won at that time but it was 2 months after moving that i was allowed to have my file transfered.
i then applied for moving allowance because i needed it to bring my things that i had in storage from toronto to where i am living now and i was denied because it was not in the first 30 days of moving to the city i am in now how can i apply for moving allowance when welfare refused to transfere my file for 2 months after my moving that is not my fault as to why i could not put in the a moving allowance application in the time they say i had to have done it so now my clothes and furniture sit in a storage locker in toronto and it is interfering with my child and mine life not having all the necesary things we need to live that we have in storage coz i could not afford on my own to bring it with me .
ever since this 1 case worker and elegibilty worker has been interfering with me continously suspending me , refusing my food allowance while being under suspensions and everything and she has been treating me like a criminal.
every time i talk to her i feel violated , worthless, left with lower self esteem than i had before talking to her.
she and they left me feeling degraded, lower than life. i am left with worrying how am i going to get diapers and food for my child coz i am being denied my food portion and rent portion, this is not fair it is dehumanizing , rediculous , its nice to know that these people have a right to torture and choose whom has to suffer and worry.
This is unfair and rude and dehumanizing being forced to lived well below the poverty belt because the workers made it their job to torture and single out an individual who needs help the most.
I know i am not the only single parent who has these problems with welfare and their workers and i think it is not right.
help me please ..
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Annemi Posts: 5
Posted On: 8/8/2014
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Hello there,
I also have been in a same situation. What I learned, and what I actually did is that I complained in writing about almost everything that my caseworker said or did. Every time my application for something was declined by the PW office, I sat at the OW office computers and wrote a complain.
Since my caseworker never gave her reasons for denying my benefits in writing, I always restated our conversation in writing, outlining what were my needs and reasons for them, the fact that my needs were denied, that I asked for written explanations and they were denied, too. Finally I complained about my caseworker, and the OW replaced her. )))
Do always, ALWAYS apply to satisfy your needs in writing. Appeal every deny!
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Angele Posts: 1
Posted On: 12/15/2021
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Hi there , i need help , my worker since day one will not help me , me and my ex of 7 years broke up because he grabbed me by my throat as a result i had him charged , now im left in a unit i cant afford ,, my rent is 1400 and i only get 900 from ontario works , and now she sends all my cheque to the landlord and she deposits 2.50 cents each month in my account , i have an 11 year old and because i refuse to give his odsp of 500 each month she will not help me because she wants me to send the money i get to cover his special needs cost and if i do that then my son dont go to school and who is she to make that decision so now im getting evicted and she refuses to allow me to have a cheque in my name and last year her excuse was i dont pay rent so now shes been sending my entire cheque since november of last year and tet im still about to be homeless and she now has a diffrent reason why i cant have it in my name ,, so now since she pays the rent and im still evicted she has now come up with a new excuse and i disnt understand her or hear what she had said and i kindly asked her why and she rudely replued with” k i aint doing this angele , good by” and she hangs up , so the only way she will speak to me is if i dont cry or if i show sign of fustrations ,, basically if i dont agree with her my file gets put on hold , i asked for bus pass or tickets and she told me i dont qualify , and now im getting evicted afain she has made it clear its not her priblem and she doing her job , so now i feel like my only hope that i dont loose my child from being himeless i have to leave all my belongings and somehow find a way to move to a diffrent city just to reaply for assistance so i can have a roof over my kids head , how can she do this , im gonna be homeless if i dont go to a diffrent town because my worker will not flex or change her bullyness over me , i even asked several time for a new worker to which has no happened , my worker has taken my rights to freedom , i really need help here before something bad happens i should not have to leave the town i lived in my entire life where all my fam is , someone please help me with any type of advise im desperate ,
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4142
Posted On: 12/17/2021
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Hello There,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us. I’m sorry to hear that your OW worker isn’t supporting you the way you need.
You may find helpful information in Make a Complaint about Employment & Social Services. You may wish to make a complaint to management in your local office, and here is an excerpt on next steps:
If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled, you can contact staff at the Client Services & Information Unit for further assistance. All complaints received are formally recorded and reviewed by management staff. The information you provide will be used to investigate the complaint. You may be contacted by phone for more information.
What happens if I disagree with the outcome of my complaint?
If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you may contact the General Manager’s Office, at 416-397-9682, for a further review.
If you are not satisfied after contacting the General Manager’s Office, you may contact the Office of the Ombudsman, City of Toronto at 416-392-7062, or by email at [email protected]. For more information, visit the website for the Toronto Ombudsman.
You may also find some helpful information in the discussion forum thread: Ontario Works Caseworker ignoring my emails.
Here is an excerpt:
You can contact your local office for more information or escalate your complaint above your caseworker and their direct supervisor.
If you’d like to file a complaint about your worker and the way they have conducted themselves professionally you can submit a complaint to the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
If you wish to make a complaint about the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services itself, you can do so through the Ombudsman of Ontario.
Settlement.Org also has a Financial Assistance section, where you can find information on various government programs and financial supports you may be eligible for, as well as, our emergency housing section if you are in need of short-term accommodation.
You may want to connect with a settlement agency that provides employment services using our Services Near Me section. Settlement agencies can also help you find financial assistance options as well as housing help.
It may help to connect with a community resource navigator at 211 to narrow your search.
211 Ontario is a free, confidential service. Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.
We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.
Sincerely,
Your Settlement.Org Team
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DWLEWINGTON Posts: 1
Posted On: 2/24/2022
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The purpose of this post is to clarify and establish my rights as a tenant faced with a somewhat distressing and troubling current situation.
I'll try be be clear in describing the particulars.
On New Years eve a fire broke out at a structure neighbouring my rental unit. The fire was located in a commercial business (shop).
The same landlord owns this establishment as well as the building where my apartment is located.
The source of the fire was proven to be an electrical fault In the business itself.
Fortunately I was at home at the time noticed the smoke and promptly called 911. The FD arrived, at that point smoke was thick but few flames.
However my apartment living room was next to the source but separated by a brick firewall. Still the Firefighters entered my apartment to check the extent of any fire, just a great deal of smoke. A front window in my apartment was smashed out to evacuate smoke with the firefighters proceeding to pull down ceiling and wall drywall in the living room area to check for any flame spread, there was none. In this process various items were damaged some seriously which i shall have to replace.
Needless to say I was required to find accommodation at a friends house that night and have been out of my apartment since staying with friends.
I did not have tenants insurance so the burden is mine to date.
The insurers were soon called in with their recommendation was for a complete restoration of the interior surfaces which required me to hire, move, and store monthly the contents of the apartment. There was also severe damage to the flat roof above my unit partially due to FD access.
No hose water entered the unit. So a thorough renovation process wasiniticated to strip all ceiling and wall drywall and some wood flooring.
Regardless I have been made essentially 'homeless' staying at acquaintances with few personal items and clothing.
I am currently preparing to move again to a temporary accommodation till restoration work is complete.
With this being an Ontario winter the question is when to replace the compromised roof and front window. I have yet to see any scope of work or timeline schedule.
What are my rights if any as a tenant and is there any compensation for my out of apartment stay or damages?
As I see it, an accidental fire in an adjoining building (same landlord) has forced me out due to extreme smoke damage.
Restoration work has commenced but due to the need to replace a roof structure in winter will require my absence.
To date I have paid for moving and monthly storage as well as temporary rental until allowed back.
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4142
Posted On: 2/28/2022
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DWLEWINGTON wrote:
The purpose of this post is to clarify and establish my rights as a tenant faced with a somewhat distressing and troubling current situation.
I'll try be be clear in describing the particulars.
On New Years eve a fire broke out at a structure neighbouring my rental unit. The fire was located in a commercial business (shop).
The same landlord owns this establishment as well as the building where my apartment is located.
The source of the fire was proven to be an electrical fault In the business itself.
Fortunately I was at home at the time noticed the smoke and promptly called 911. The FD arrived, at that point smoke was thick but few flames.
However my apartment living room was next to the source but separated by a brick firewall. Still the Firefighters entered my apartment to check the extent of any fire, just a great deal of smoke. A front window in my apartment was smashed out to evacuate smoke with the firefighters proceeding to pull down ceiling and wall drywall in the living room area to check for any flame spread, there was none. In this process various items were damaged some seriously which i shall have to replace.
Needless to say I was required to find accommodation at a friends house that night and have been out of my apartment since staying with friends.
I did not have tenants insurance so the burden is mine to date.
The insurers were soon called in with their recommendation was for a complete restoration of the interior surfaces which required me to hire, move, and store monthly the contents of the apartment. There was also severe damage to the flat roof above my unit partially due to FD access.
No hose water entered the unit. So a thorough renovation process wasiniticated to strip all ceiling and wall drywall and some wood flooring.
Regardless I have been made essentially 'homeless' staying at acquaintances with few personal items and clothing.
I am currently preparing to move again to a temporary accommodation till restoration work is complete.
With this being an Ontario winter the question is when to replace the compromised roof and front window. I have yet to see any scope of work or timeline schedule.
What are my rights if any as a tenant and is there any compensation for my out of apartment stay or damages?
As I see it, an accidental fire in an adjoining building (same landlord) has forced me out due to extreme smoke damage.
Restoration work has commenced but due to the need to replace a roof structure in winter will require my absence.
To date I have paid for moving and monthly storage as well as temporary rental until allowed back.
Hello There,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.
You may want to contact the nearest Community Legal Clinic for some advice regarding your situation. If you do not qualify to receive services from a Community Legal Clinic, please contact the Landlord and Tenant Board directly.
It may also help to connect with a community resource navigator at 211 to narrow your search. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service.
Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.
We hope this information is helpful.
Settlement.Org Team
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4142
Posted On: 2/28/2022
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DWLEWINGTON wrote:
The purpose of this post is to clarify and establish my rights as a tenant faced with a somewhat distressing and troubling current situation.
I'll try be be clear in describing the particulars.
On New Years eve a fire broke out at a structure neighbouring my rental unit. The fire was located in a commercial business (shop).
The same landlord owns this establishment as well as the building where my apartment is located.
The source of the fire was proven to be an electrical fault In the business itself.
Fortunately I was at home at the time noticed the smoke and promptly called 911. The FD arrived, at that point smoke was thick but few flames.
However my apartment living room was next to the source but separated by a brick firewall. Still the Firefighters entered my apartment to check the extent of any fire, just a great deal of smoke. A front window in my apartment was smashed out to evacuate smoke with the firefighters proceeding to pull down ceiling and wall drywall in the living room area to check for any flame spread, there was none. In this process various items were damaged some seriously which i shall have to replace.
Needless to say I was required to find accommodation at a friends house that night and have been out of my apartment since staying with friends.
I did not have tenants insurance so the burden is mine to date.
The insurers were soon called in with their recommendation was for a complete restoration of the interior surfaces which required me to hire, move, and store monthly the contents of the apartment. There was also severe damage to the flat roof above my unit partially due to FD access.
No hose water entered the unit. So a thorough renovation process wasiniticated to strip all ceiling and wall drywall and some wood flooring.
Regardless I have been made essentially 'homeless' staying at acquaintances with few personal items and clothing.
I am currently preparing to move again to a temporary accommodation till restoration work is complete.
With this being an Ontario winter the question is when to replace the compromised roof and front window. I have yet to see any scope of work or timeline schedule.
What are my rights if any as a tenant and is there any compensation for my out of apartment stay or damages?
As I see it, an accidental fire in an adjoining building (same landlord) has forced me out due to extreme smoke damage.
Restoration work has commenced but due to the need to replace a roof structure in winter will require my absence.
To date I have paid for moving and monthly storage as well as temporary rental until allowed back.
Hello There,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.
You may want to contact the nearest Community Legal Clinic for some advice regarding your situation. If you do not qualify to receive services from a Community Legal Clinic, please contact the Landlord and Tenant Board directly.
It may also help to connect with a community resource navigator at 211 to narrow your search. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service.
Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.
We hope this information is helpful.
Settlement.Org Team
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kayleegoodwin Posts: 3
Posted On: 4/11/2024
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I'm truly sorry to hear about the incredibly challenging situation you've had to endure. It's completely unacceptable that you and your child have had to face such threats and harassment from your former neighbors. Moving to a safer environment was undoubtedly the right decision for the well-being of your family. It's deeply frustrating to hear about the bureaucratic hurdles you faced in transferring your welfare file and subsequently being denied a moving allowance due to circumstances beyond your control. The lack of empathy and understanding from certain welfare workers is disheartening and exacerbates the difficulties you're already facing. It's crucial that systems meant to support vulnerable individuals like yourself operate with compassion and efficiency. Your experience highlights the urgent need for reform and better training within these agencies. In the meantime, I would recommend seeking assistance from organizations or legal aid services that specialize in welfare rights advocacy. Additionally, reaching out to local community resources in your new city, like Etobicoke Movers, could potentially provide support or resources to help retrieve your belongings from storage. You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and I hope you find the assistance and compassion you need during this challenging time.
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