Ontario. Unemployment Relief Branch

• Unemployment Relief Branch

Although Ontario citizens could claim unemployment relief as early as 1930, this aid was temporary and invoked only in individual cases of emergency. After the passing of The Unemployment Relief Act in 1933, the Unemployment Relief Branch was established as an agency proper within the Ontario Department of Public Welfare and assumed the administration of a comprehensive program of financial relief for long term unemployables.

Throughout its existence the branch reported directly to the Deputy Minister.

On January 1, 1959, The General Welfare Assistance Act replaced The Unemployment Relief Act and accordingly the General Welfare Assistance Branch replaced the Unemployment Relief Branch.

The Unemployment Relief Branch provided financial assistance to Ontario residents unable to work for a variety of reasons (e.g. illness, physical disability, desertion by the wage earner). In the areas of Ontario represented by counties, the branch, in conjunction with the Dominion government, provided municipalities with grants . In these areas, the actual administration of Relief was performed by the municipalities although the branch inspected and audited municipal accounts. In the province’s eleven territorial districts the branch administered Relief directly. The branch also provided free medical care to aid recipients.

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Department of Public Welfare Annual Reports, 1932-1958.

Archivist(s):
Bill Hughey