Peel Region welfare recipient numbers hit record high. Households receiving Ontario Works increased by almost 50% over a single year.
The number of people in Peel Region collecting Ontario Works welfare benefits hit a record high this past August. There were 26,210 cases, the highest monthly caseload ever in the region.
In 2024 the number of Peel households receiving Ontario Works increased by 47% over 2023. The final 2025 numbers are expected to be even higher.
This rapidly increasing demand for income support comes both from the current affordability crisis and the surge in asylum claimants in Peel region over the last several years.
In August 2024, for example, there were 3,381 asylum seekers receiving Ontario Works, representing 14% of the region’s caseload. This was up from 12% the previous year.
While most of the funding for Ontario Works comes from the provincial government, the case management services paid for by Peel taxpayers are projected to cost $34.8 million in 2026.
As demand for services grows and the complexity of cases increases, the need for more caseworkers and programs also grows. Peel region is responsible for intake assessments, case management, which includes coaching, goal setting and “barrier assessment,” and referrals to Employment Ontario.
The large majority of the people receiving welfare in Peel are single individuals, 20% are single parents, 7% are couples with dependent children and 3% are couples with no dependent children. Many of these people also struggle with mental health and addictions, according to Peel Region reports.
