Subhead:Premier Doug Ford has cut social assistance eligibility for people without legal status, putting taxpayer dollars back behind the safety net they were meant to fund.#   Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government just slammed the door shut on a quiet little racket that should never have been allowed in the first place. As of today, people living in Canada illegally are no longer eligible for social assistance programs like Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). That includes those here on student visas, work permits, visitors and tourists. The new regulation is simple: taxpayer-funded social assistance is for people who are here legally and facing genuine hardship, not for those who have no right to be collecting it. “Taxpayer-funded social assistance was never meant to support people living in Ontario illegally. As of today, it doesn’t,” Ford posted. Taxpayer-funded social assistance was never meant to support people living in Ontario illegally. As of today, it doesn’t.https://t.co/vOpHWrG1Vu https://t.co/ZzAl0KGQZ0— Doug Ford (@fordnation) August 13, 2026 Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program exist to catch Canadians (and legal residents) who fall on hard times. They were never designed as a magnet for people who overstayed visas, entered without authorization, or are here on temporary status. The new changes are intended to “protect taxpayer dollars and strengthen the integrity of Ontario Works and ODSP.”​Read More