Ontario Works Assistance Payment Methods

Direct Bank Deposit

Through Direct Bank Deposit, monthly Ontario Works payments are sent to your personal bank account. A statement of assistance, with details of your payment, will arrive in the mail along with your drug benefit card.

Benefits of using Direct Bank Deposit include:

• Faster service
• Greater privacy about receiving your payments
• No waiting for cheques to arrive in the mail
• No need to replace lost or stolen cheques
• Easier access to your funds

To sign up for this service, fill out the Direct Bank Deposit authorization portion printed on the back of your monthly Statement of Income/Changes Report form.

When filling out the form, you need to:

• give detailed information on your bank, trust company or credit union
• give your bank account number
• attach a copy of your updated bank book, or a blank cheque with the word ‘VOID’ written on it
• sign and date the form, and
• return the completed form to your caseworker.

If you need help filling out the form, ask your caseworker or speak to a bank representative.

Opening a bank account

If you don’t already have a bank account, you can open one at any bank, trust company or credit union in Toronto. You will be asked to show one or more pieces of identification. If you don’t have proper identification your caseworker can refer you to the correct government offices for the documents you need.

Banks, trust companies and credit unions usually charge a monthly fee for their services. These fees will be different depending on where you do your banking. Before you decide where to open your account, be sure to ask questions and compare the service charges.

Let your caseworker know immediately if there are changes to your banking information such as:

• A new bank account number
• Moving your account to another branch
• Choosing to bank at a different place

If you make any of these changes, you will need to fill out and sign a new Direct Bank Deposit authorization form. If you don’t let your caseworker know right away, your next Ontario Works payment could be delayed.

 

Reloadable Payment Card (RBC Right Pay™ Card)

The RBC Right Pay™ Card is a reloadable payment card for Ontario Works (OW) clients living in Toronto who cannot access their monthly funds through direct bank deposit. The payment card is a payment method that may help you avoid paying expensive fees to cash OW cheques. Once issued to you, your OW payments are loaded onto your payment card. When you make purchases or withdraw cash at automated teller machines (ATMs), money is deducted from the card until the balance reaches $0.

Benefits of using the payment card:

• funds on your card can be used right away, no need to cash a cheque or pay for cheque cashing fees
• you don’t need to carry large amounts of cash with you
• your card can be replaced if it is lost or stolen
• you create the personal identification number (PIN) for private and secure access to your funds
• your card can be used anywhere Visa cards are accepted so you can make purchases online, by phone or at retail locations, or withdraw cash at ATMs
• use your card to pay monthly bills such as your cell phone, utilities and internet

How the card works

• create a private PIN
• withdraw cash through ATMs up to a daily limit determined by Royal Bank
• use your card anywhere Visa cards are accepted or to pay monthly bills online
• visit rbcrightpay.com, call 1-855-232-0675 or TTY toll-free 1-800-833-1213 to find out your card balance or transaction history – always know your balance as transactions will be declined if your balance does not cover a purchase or withdrawal amount
• sign up to get automatic email/text alerts when funds have been added to your card, or set up a reminder to let you know when your balance is getting low

Getting this card

Speak to your caseworker about getting this card. Your caseworker will also give you more information about this payment method or answer any questions you may have.

Important information about the reloadable RBC Right Pay™ card

• The funds on the card are not insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation
• The card is issued by Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and can only be loaded with Ontario Works payments from Toronto Employment and Social Services (TESS) and only RBC may remove funds from the card if instructed to do so by the City.
• The RBC Right Pay™ card includes four no fee ATM withdrawals per month from RBC ATMs. To find your closest RBC ATM, use the RBC ATM and Branch Locator on rbcrightpay.com, call 1-855-232-0675 or TTY toll-free 1-800-833-1213.
• The fee for additional RBC ATM cash withdrawals or any cash withdrawal from non-RBC ATMs is $2.00 each.
• The card cannot be used for ‘cashback’ transactions. ‘Cashback’ is when a retailer charges an amount greater than the price of the goods/services purchased on the card and returns the difference to you in cash.
• The funds on the card will not expire however the card plastic will expire at the end of the month shown on the card. Approximately 60 days before the card expires, a new card will be sent to you by RBC unless there has been no activity on the card within the previous 12 months and the balance is zero. The funds on the expired card will automatically be transferred to the new card.
• If the amount of a purchase is greater than the balance on the card you must advise the retailer in advance, along with the available balance on the card and the form of payment you will use to cover the difference.
• If you have questions about this card, cardholder support is available online at rbcrightpay.com or call toll-free 1-855-232-0675 or TTY toll-free 1-800-833-1213.
• If the card is lost, stolen, or misused you must contact RBC immediately at 1-855-232-0675 or TTY toll-free 1-800-833-1213.
• Detailed information about your payment card including the fees, limits, the cardholder agreement and frequently asked questions are included with your RBC Right Pay™ card package. Please review and keep those documents.

RBC Royal Bank ATMs

RBC ATMs are specific bank machines located across the city where you can withdraw cash up to four times per month with no fees. To find your closest RBC ATM, use the RBC Royal Bank ATM and Branch Locator which can be found on rbcrightpay.com or visit any RBC bank branch. You can also call toll-free 1-855-232-0675 or TTY toll-free 1-800-833-1213 for more information and assistance.

Where to get help

If you have questions about your payment card, you can:

• visit rbcrightpay.com
• call RBC Right Pay Cardholder Support at 1-855-232-0675 or TTY toll-free at 1-800-833-1213 for card related questions
• speak to your caseworker

Cardholder support is available in English and French. Customer care representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Payment Card Privacy Statement

This Privacy Policy applies to current and former cardholders, in their relationships with Visa relating to the payment card. Read the Privacy Policy.

Payment Card Cardholder Agreement

The Cardholder Agreement is between the cardholder and RBC Royal Bank. To read the Cardholder Agreement please visit rbcrightpay.com. You will have to sign in or create an account with your payment card information to read your specific program’s Card Agreement.