COVID-19 Social and Community Supports

• Benefits payments extension is over.
• For more information, visit CRA and COVID-19 GST/HST credit. (external)

• The deadlines to file taxes and complete tax payments have been extended (external link).

• Benefits payments extension is over.
• For more information, visit: Canada child benefit (CCB) payment increase: CRA and COVID-19. (external)

• The Support for Families program is closed and not accepting new applications.
• For more information, visit Support for Families (external link).

Information on local municipal tax relief programs:

• City of Burlington - COVID-19 Interim Property Tax Relief FAQs (exernal link)
• Town of Halton Hills - Tax Relief Programs and Rebates (exernal link)
• Town of Milton - Service Changes in Response to COVID-19 – Taxes section (exernal link)
• Town of Oakville - COVID -19 Information – Tax section (exernal link)

• If you are behind on your electricity or natural gas bill and face having your service disconnected, you may qualify for emergency financial help through the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).

Learn more and apply to LEAP

• If you are a Hydro One Customer, a Pandemic Relief Fund (external link) has been established. Contact Hydro One at 1-888-664-9376 to check if you qualify.

• The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is temporarily deferring loan payments and interest accrual for OSAP borrowers (external link).

• To support older adults with costs incurred due to COVID-19, the Canadian Government is providing a one-time tax free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for the Old Age Security (OAS) Pension.
• It is also providing an additional $200 for those eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Learn more about the one-time special payment

• On March 25, 2020, the Ontario government announced a temporary top-up (external link) to payments for low-income older adults made through the Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) for up to 6 months, beginning April 2020.

If you're an older adult and a homeowner living in Halton Region on a fixed income, you may qualify for the Older Adults Property Tax Deferral Program.

• The COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program is available for Canadians traveling abroad who do not have an available source of funds to return home.

Learn more and apply to the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program

• The Canada Student Service Grant is a new national initiative to promote and recognize students’ service contributions to the COVID-19 efforts.
• It provides students with a grant of up to $5,000 to support their post-secondary education costs in the fall.
• The application is now available.

Learn more about the Canada Student Service Grant

• Services are available online or by calling 311.
• Essential in-person services are available by appointment.
• If you are in an immediate financial crisis, you may qualify for financial assistance through the Ontario Works program or health-related items through the Region's Low Income Program.

• If you are looking to find affordable rental housing in Halton Region’s private market, Halton Housing Help can assist with resources.
• To learn more, visit the Region's Halton Housing Help page or call 311.

• You may be eligible for assistance with rental arrears, hydro arrears and other one-time housing related supports.
• To learn more, visit the Region's Housing Stability Fund page or call 311 to review your eligibility. 

• The Provincial government has implemented temporary changes to the residential rental and eviction process (external link) in Ontario due to COVID-19.

• Shelter services are available online for homeless individuals and families.
• For emergency shelter services, please call 311.

Local child care operators are supporting eligible front line and health care providers with children age four to 12 who may not be able to accommodate their child’s learning/care at home during the period where schools are operating virtually as part of the Province-wide Stay-at-Home Order and Shutdown. This targeted emergency child care program is offered at no cost to eligible parents.

Learn more about emergency child care

Whether you reside with your aging parent, or live separately, caring for aging parents at home during COVID-19 is no easy task. Here are a few tips to help you, as a caregiver, through this difficult time:

What you can do to help the older adult:

• Arrange for groceries, medication or other essential items to be delivered directly to their door
• When caring for, or living with, someone over the age of 70:
• Wash your hands often and clean regularly touched items
• Limit visitors
• Avoid sharing household items such as cups and towels
• Sleep in separate rooms and use separate bathrooms (if able)
• Avoid close contact by practicing physical distancing (2 metres or 6 feet) as much as possible
• When possible, encourage the older adult to book a virtual doctor appointment instead of going into the doctor’s office
• Set the older adult up with a laptop or tablet device. Remember to sanitize it before you give it to them.

*If you think you, or your aging parent, has COVID-19 symptoms, use the Ontario COVID-19 online self-assessment (external link) to help determine how to seek further care. If testing or self-isolation is recommended, follow Public Health Ontario’s guideline for caregivers (external PDF).

What you can do to help yourself as a care giver:

• Create an inventory of all of the tasks you manage. Ask for help if your list is too long to manage alone.
• Take care of yourself first. Your own self-care and well-being is integral in your ability to care for someone else.

Reach out to fellow caregivers for support. No one understands the hardships of caregiving better than another caregiver.

• You or someone you care for may be eligible for care and services at home or in your community. To learn more, contact the Local Health Integration Network at 1-877-336-9090 in Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville and 905-639-5228 in Burlington.
• Distress Centre Halton (external link) provides telephone and online support to people in our community to better cope with crisis, loneliness, and emotional stress.
• For more information, visit the Halton Senior Services Directory (external link).