Social assistance (often called welfare or income assistance) is run by each province and territory, so each one has its own name, rates and payment day. In most provinces the money arrives near the end of the month and is meant for the month ahead. So the deposit you get in late October is your November cheque.
Below you’ll find each program’s payment rule and its next two dates. For every date this year, see the payment calendar on our homepage.
Social assistance payment dates at a glance
These are direct deposit dates. Mailed cheques can arrive a few days later.
| Province and program | When it’s paid | October 2026 benefit | November 2026 benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario: Ontario Works and ODSP | Last business day of the month before | September 29 | October 30 |
| Alberta: Income Support, AISH and ADAP | 4 business days before the 1st | September 24 | October 27 |
| British Columbia: income and disability assistance | A Wednesday in the second half of the month before | September 23 | October 21 |
| Saskatchewan: SIS and SAID | Near the end of the month before | September 29 | October 29 |
| Manitoba: EIA | A few business days before the 1st | September 25 | October 28 |
| Quebec: social assistance and social solidarity | The 1st, or earlier if the 1st is a weekend or holiday | October 1 | October 30 |
| New Brunswick: Social Assistance | The 1st, or the last working day before | October 1 | October 30 |
| Nova Scotia: Income Assistance | One of three delivery days near the end of the month before | September 25, 28 or 29 | October 28, 29 or 30 |
| Prince Edward Island: Social Assistance | Last business day of the month before | September 30 | October 30 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador: Income Support | The 1st and the 16th | October 1 and 16 | November 16 (the 1st is a Sunday; check your account) |
Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut don’t publish a payment calendar. See the territories section below.
Payment rules by province
Ontario: Ontario Works and ODSP
Both programs pay on the last business day of the month, and that money is for the next month. The December 2026 payment (for January) hasn’t been announced yet. It may come earlier in December.
You can see your payments in MyBenefits, or call the Social Assistance Support Line at 1-888-999-1142 (TTY 1-800-387-5559). More detail: Ontario Works payment dates and ODSP payment dates.
Alberta: Income Support, AISH and ADAP
All three programs share one schedule. Direct deposits land 4 business days before the 1st of the month, and cheques are mailed 6 business days before. The December benefit is paid on November 25.
Questions go to the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992 or your caseworker. See Alberta Income Support dates, AISH payment dates and ADAP dates.
British Columbia: income assistance and disability assistance
BC pays once a month, usually on a Wednesday in the second half of the month before. Income and disability assistance share the same date. The December benefit is paid on November 18, and BC has already published its 2027 dates.
Check your payment in My Self Serve or call 1-866-866-0800. See BC income assistance payment dates.
Saskatchewan: SIS and SAID
Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) and Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) share one schedule. Direct deposits come near the end of the month before, and cheques are mailed a few days earlier. The December benefit is deposited on November 27.
Call Social Services at 1-866-221-5200 (TTY 1-866-995-0099), or the SAID line at 1-888-567-7243. See SIS and SAID payment dates.
Manitoba: Employment and Income Assistance
EIA direct deposits arrive a few business days before the 1st, and mailed cheques go out 1 to 3 days later. Manitoba notes that benefits are not due until the 1st, and can be held up if you haven’t sent documents you were asked for. The December benefit is deposited on November 26, and the January 2027 benefit on December 29.
Call the EIA Service Centre at 204-948-2888 or 1-855-944-8111. See Manitoba EIA payment dates.
Quebec: social assistance and social solidarity
Both programs pay once a month on the same date, usually the 1st. When the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday, the money comes a few days early, at the end of the month before. The December benefit is paid on December 1, and the January 2027 benefit on December 30.
Your online file shows your next payment date and amount. You can also call 514-873-4000 (Montréal area) or 1-877-767-8773 elsewhere in Quebec.
New Brunswick: Social Assistance
Payments are deposited on the 1st of the month. If the 1st is a weekend or holiday, you get it on the last working day before. New Brunswick doesn’t publish a list of dates, so the dates in this guide are worked out from that rule. Cheques are usually issued on the 1st and can take longer.
Call Social Development at 1-833-733-7835 or your case manager.
Nova Scotia: Income Assistance
Nova Scotia lists three delivery dates for each month, near the end of the month before, and your deposit can come on any of them. The December benefit comes November 26, 27 or 30. The January 2027 benefit comes December 29, 30 or 31.
If nothing has arrived by the end of the third day, check with your bank, then call your caseworker or 1-877-424-1177.
Prince Edward Island: Social Assistance
PEI pays on the last business day of the month, for the month ahead. The December benefit comes November 30, and the January 2027 benefit on December 31. See PEI social assistance payment dates.
Newfoundland and Labrador: Income Support
Income Support is paid twice a month, on the 1st and the 16th. Cheques are mailed so they arrive by those days. The province doesn’t say which day it pays when the 1st or 16th falls on a weekend or holiday, so check your account or call 1-877-729-7888.
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
The territories run month-to-month programs and don’t post a payment calendar. Your worker can tell you when your payment will come.
- Yukon Social Assistance: you apply each month, and you can apply up to one month ahead. See yukon.ca.
- NWT Income Assistance: you apply and hand in your documents each month, by the end of the month. Call 1-866-973-7252 or visit your local ECE Service Centre.
- Nunavut Income Assistance: you meet your Income Assistance Worker for a financial assessment each month. You can choose direct deposit or have the money sent to a local store.
How much social assistance pays a single person
Amounts depend on your family, your housing and any other income. These are the most a single adult with no other income can get each month, from the provinces that publish a clear figure.
| Program | Single adult, per month |
|---|---|
| Ontario Works | Up to $733 (basic needs and shelter) |
| ODSP (Ontario) | Up to $1,436 (from July 1, 2026) |
| Alberta Income Support | $860 if expected to work; $1,000 with barriers to full employment (private housing) |
| AISH (Alberta) | Up to $1,940 |
| ADAP (Alberta) | $1,740 |
| BC income assistance | Up to $1,060 ($560 support + up to $500 shelter) |
| BC disability assistance | Up to $1,483.50 ($983.50 support + up to $500 shelter) |
| Saskatchewan Income Support | $375 basic benefit, plus shelter up to $615 ($675 in Saskatoon and Regina) |
| Quebec social assistance | $845 ($1,014 with temporary health limits) |
| Quebec Basic Income Program | $1,707 |
| Nova Scotia Income Assistance | $738 ($1,022 at the enhanced rate) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador Income Support | $561, plus rent up to $522 if you live alone |
| New Brunswick | Basic rate plus a $200 Household Supplement for most households |
For example, a single person on Ontario Works can get up to $733 a month, plus extra benefits in some situations. If that person qualifies for ODSP instead, the most is $1,436. Manitoba, PEI and the territories aren’t shown here, so ask your worker what applies to you.
Who qualifies
Rules differ by province, but most programs check the same things:
- You live in the province or territory.
- You’re an adult (18 in most places, 19 in Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories).
- Your income and savings are too low to cover food, clothing and shelter.
- If you can work, you may need to look for work or take part in job training.
- For disability programs (ODSP, AISH, ADAP, BC disability assistance, SAID, Quebec social solidarity), you also need a medical review of your disability.
How to apply
- Gather ID, your Social Insurance Number, bank statements, your lease or rent receipt, and proof of any income.
- Apply online or by phone. Ontario: online or 1-888-999-1142. BC: My Self Serve or 1-866-866-0800. Manitoba: 204-948-4000 in Winnipeg or 1-855-944-8111. Saskatchewan: 1-866-221-5200. New Brunswick: 1-833-733-7835. Nova Scotia: 1-877-424-1177. Newfoundland and Labrador: 1-877-729-7888. Alberta: online or at an Alberta Supports Centre. Quebec: online or on a paper form.
- Follow up if asked. In Quebec, after you apply you must visit a Services Québec office with government photo ID.
- Sign up for direct deposit. It’s faster than waiting for a cheque in the mail.
What changed in 2026
- Alberta: the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) started July 2, 2026. New applicants with a disability who can work go to ADAP, and people who generally can’t work go to AISH. AISH clients moved to ADAP get a $200 monthly transition benefit until December 31, 2027.
- Ontario: ODSP rose 1.9% on July 1, 2026. Ontario Works rates are not indexed and stayed the same.
- Saskatchewan: core SIS and SAID benefits rose 2% on May 1, 2026, and the SAID Living Income Benefit was restructured on September 1, 2026. Your notice from the Ministry shows your new amount.
- Nova Scotia: rates rose 1.6% for 2026, and they’re indexed to inflation each year.
- Quebec raises benefits each January 1, and New Brunswick each April 1.
Payment late, missing or different?
Direct deposits usually show up by the end of the payment day. If yours hasn’t, check with your bank first, then call your caseworker or the number for your province above. Cheques can take several more days in the mail. In Nova Scotia, wait until the end of the third delivery day.
Common reasons for a late or smaller payment:
- A monthly report, or documents you were asked for, weren’t sent in.
- You changed your bank account or address and the office doesn’t have the new one.
- You reported income, such as work or a CPP payment, that reduces your cheque.
- The money came early because of a weekend or holiday, so there seems to be a gap before the next one.
If you have no money for food or might lose your home, tell the worker it’s an emergency. Manitoba (1-866-559-6778) and New Brunswick (1-800-442-9799) also have after-hours emergency lines.
Watch for scams. No government office will ask you to pay a fee to get your benefit, or to pay with gift cards, prepaid cards or crypto. It won’t send you a text or email link asking for your banking details or password. If you get a message like this, don’t reply. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
Other help you might be missing
Many of these are paid through your tax return, so file every year, even with no income.
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit): up to $679 a year for a single person, paid four times a year.
- Canada Disability Benefit: up to $204.20 a month if you’re 18 to 64 and approved for the Disability Tax Credit.
- Canada Child Benefit: monthly payments for parents of children under 18.
- Canada Workers Benefit: for people earning a low income from work, with advance payments three times a year.
- Ontario Trillium Benefit: help with rent, property tax and energy costs for Ontarians.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Disability Benefit: up to $400 a month for adults with the Disability Tax Credit.
Common questions
What day does welfare get paid?
It depends on your province. Most pay in the last week of the month for the month ahead. Quebec and New Brunswick pay on the 1st, and Newfoundland and Labrador on the 1st and 16th.
Why did my welfare cheque come early?
In most provinces the end-of-month deposit is for next month, so it’s on time, not early. When a payment day falls on a weekend or holiday, it moves to the business day before. Plan for the longer wait until the next one.
When is the December 2026 welfare payment?
For the December benefit: Alberta November 25, BC November 18, Manitoba November 26, Saskatchewan November 27, PEI and Ontario November 30, Nova Scotia November 26, 27 or 30, and Quebec and New Brunswick December 1. Ontario hasn’t yet announced the payment made in December for January.
Is social assistance taxable in Canada?
No. You report it from your T5007 slip on line 14500 of your tax return and deduct the same amount on line 25000. You pay no tax on it, but it still counts in your net income, which is used to work out other benefits and credits.
How can I see my exact payment date?
Sign in to your province’s online account (MyBenefits in Ontario, My Self Serve in BC, your online file in Quebec) or ask your caseworker. The calendar on our homepage lists every date for this year.
