Ontario. Social Assistance Programs Branch

Identity area

Type of entity

Lower-level Ontario government office (type C)

Authorized form of name

Ontario. Social Assistance Programs Branch

Parallel form(s) of name

    Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

    • Social Assistance Programs Branch

    Other form(s) of name

      Identifiers for corporate bodies

      Description area

      Dates of existence

      1995-2001

      History

      The Social Assistance Programs Branch was established in 1995 under the Social Assistance and Employment Opportunities Division. The director of the Branch reported to the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Division.

      In 1995 the Branch consisted of 3 units: the Policy Development Unit, the Program Development Unit and the Statistics and Analysis Unit.

      In 1999, the Branch included the Information Sharing and Fraud Control Unit, the Operational Policy Unit, Program and Accountability Unit and the Statistics and Analysis Unit.

      In 2001, the Social Assistance Program Branch ceased to exist and the functions were transferred to Branches specifically looking after each program including the Ontario Works Branch and the Ontario Disabilities Support Program Branch.

      Places

      Legal status

      Functions, occupations and activities

      The function of the Social Assistance Programs Branch was to ensure that a responsive system of financial assistance enabled eligible persons in financial need to obtain a basic level of allowances and benefits through social assistance programs.

      These programs included Family Benefits (FBA), General Welfare Assistance (GWA), Handicapped Children's Benefit (HCB) and in 1998, with the passing of the Social Assistance Reform Act (SARA), Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

      The Branch was responsible for reviewing and developing Cabinet submissions, working on contentious policy issues, developing projects and programs, program support, approving regulations, developing and approving guidelines and liasing with the Program Management Division to ensure that implementable policies were developed.

      The Branch was also responsible for statistical analysis and forecasting of social assistance caseloads and expenditures as well as conducting research and in-depth analysis of social assistance and labour market trends.

      The Branch was not responsible for the delivery of the programs. This was done by area offices under the Program Management Division.

      Address

      Internal structures/genealogy

      General context

      Relationships area

      Related entity

      Ontario. Ministry of Community and Social Services (1972-2018)

      Identifier of related entity

      AA35

      Category of relationship

      hierarchical

      Type of relationship

      Ontario. Ministry of Community and Social Services controls Ontario. Social Assistance Programs Branch

      Dates of relationship

      1995-2001

      Description of relationship

      Access points area

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Epithet

      Control area

      Authority record identifier

      CA2202

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

      Status

      Approved

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          KWIC indexes 1995-2001

          Maintenance notes

          Archivist(s):
          Bokovay