Whitby Low Income Seniors Property Tax Rebate
🏛 Public serviceLocal
A Town of Whitby rebate that takes several hundred dollars off the yearly property tax bill for senior homeowners with low incomes. You qualify if you are 65 or older, receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and own and live in your Whitby home. A matching program exists for low-income homeowners with disabilities on ODSP.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Send the application form with a copy of your current GIS letter to tax@whitby.ca or the Tax Department at 575 Rossland Rd E by December 31; apply again each year.
Whitby 55+ Free Income Tax Clinic
🏛 Public serviceLocal
Each spring the Town of Whitby's 55+ Services runs a free drop-off clinic where trained volunteers prepare basic income tax returns for older adults with modest incomes. Filing every year protects benefits like GIS, the Ontario Trillium Benefit and tax credits.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Runs March 1 to April 30 each year as a drop-off clinic; call 905-668-1424 or email 55plus@whitby.ca to take part.
Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE)
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
A specialty community legal clinic funded through Legal Aid Ontario that serves low-income seniors, the first of its kind in Canada. Its lawyers give free advice and representation on elder abuse, health care consent, powers of attorney, home care, retirement home and long-term care problems. Direct casework focuses on the Greater Toronto Area; callers elsewhere in Ontario get information and referrals.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Call the intake line on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, 9 a.m. to noon or 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; intake is by phone only.
Legal Aid Ontario
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
Ontario's provincial legal aid agency gives people with low incomes free legal help, including certificates that pay for a lawyer, duty counsel at court and a province-wide network of community legal clinics. One call checks what you qualify for, with service in over 300 languages.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Call Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to check what you qualify for and be directed to the right service or local clinic.
Seniors' INFOline
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
The Ontario government's free information line for anything to do with programs and services for seniors, from benefits and tax credits to housing, safety and community supports (TTY 1-800-387-5559). One call is often the fastest way to find out which provincial program fits your situation.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Call the Seniors' INFOline for anything to do with Ontario seniors programs; no referral needed.
Ontario Electricity Support Program
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
An Ontario Energy Board program that puts a monthly credit of $35 to $113 straight onto the electricity bill of lower income households. Apply online, by paper form or with free help from a local intake agency; if you are already behind on a bill, ask about the related Low-income Energy Assistance Program at the same time.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Apply online at ontarioelectricitysupport.ca, by paper form, or with free help from a local intake agency; the OESP contact centre answers questions at 1-855-831-8151.
Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
The Ontario government office that steps in as decision maker of last resort when an adult can no longer manage their money or make care decisions and there is no family member or attorney able to act. Families can also call its investigations unit if they believe a mentally incapable person is being harmed or financially abused (TTY 1-833-813-5696).
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Call 1-800-891-0504, or email OPGT.Investigations@ontario.ca if you believe a mentally incapable adult is at risk of harm or financial abuse.
Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
A refundable Ontario government tax credit that gives seniors 70 and older back up to 25 percent of eligible medical and home care expenses, to a maximum of $1,500 a year. It is claimed on Form ON479 with the income tax return.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Claimed once a year on the senior's income tax return (ON-BEN or ON479 forms); GAINS needs no application for seniors already getting OAS and GIS.
Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS)
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
An Ontario government monthly payment that tops up the income of low-income seniors who already get Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Payments of up to $92 a month for the 2026 benefit year arrive automatically; most seniors just need to file their tax return each spring to keep them coming.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Automatic for seniors already receiving OAS and GIS; otherwise file your income tax return by April 30 or send a GIS application to Service Canada.
Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
An Ontario government grant of up to $500 a year that helps seniors with modest incomes pay the property tax on their home. It is claimed by filling in the ON-BEN form with the yearly income tax return.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Claimed once a year on the senior's income tax return (ON-BEN or ON479 forms); GAINS needs no application for seniors already getting OAS and GIS.
Ontario Trillium Benefit (energy and property tax help)
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
A monthly Ontario government benefit that combines the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, the Ontario Sales Tax Credit and the Northern Ontario Energy Credit into one payment. Seniors 65 and older qualify for a higher property tax credit, up to $1,488 a year.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. File the yearly income tax return with the ON-BEN application form; payments then arrive automatically.
Ontario Photo Card
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
Government photo ID from the Ontario government for people who do not drive, handy when a senior gives up their licence but still needs official ID for banking, travel bookings and appointments. Apply in person at a ServiceOntario centre; the card is valid for 5 years.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Apply in person at a ServiceOntario centre with identity documents; call 1-800-267-8097 with questions.
Soldiers' Aid Commission of Ontario
🏛 Public serviceProvincial
An Ontario government agency that gives veterans and their families up to $3,000 in a 12 month period for essentials such as home repairs, housing costs, health items, specialized equipment and personal needs. Many older veterans qualify; applications go through the Royal Canadian Legion or Veterans Affairs Canada.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Apply through the Royal Canadian Legion at 1-888-207-0939 (sac@on.legion.ca) or Veterans Affairs Canada at 1-866-522-2122, with quotes for the expense and recent bank statements.
Benefits Finder (canada.ca)
🏛 Public serviceNational
A free Government of Canada online tool that asks a few quick questions and builds a personal list of federal benefits, with filters for seniors and retirees aged 60 and over and for caregivers. It needs no account or personal identifying information, and it links to your province's own benefits page too.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Use the tool online at benefitsfinder.services.gc.ca; for general help with federal programs call 1 800 O-Canada at 1-800-622-6232.
Tax credits for seniors and family caregivers (CRA)
🏛 Public serviceNational
Canada Revenue Agency credits that cut the tax bill for seniors and the relatives who support them, all claimed on the yearly tax return. They include the age amount for people 65 and older, pension income splitting with a spouse, the medical expense credit that covers attendant care and many home health costs, the Canada Caregiver Credit, the Home Accessibility Tax Credit for up to $20,000 a year of safety renovations, and the Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit, which refunds 14.5% of up to $50,000 spent adding a secondary suite for a senior.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Claim these credits when filing the yearly income tax return, or ask a tax preparer or free tax clinic to check each one; call the CRA with questions.
Disability Tax Credit (DTC)
🏛 Public serviceNational
A Government of Canada tax credit that lowers income tax for people with a severe, long-term impairment, or for the family member who supports them. Long-term conditions that affect everyday life, such as dementia, may qualify. Once approved, the credit can be claimed for past years going back up to 10 years, which can mean a large refund.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Apply using the CRA's digital DTC application or Form T2201 by mail; a medical practitioner completes the medical part, then the credit is claimed at tax time.
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB)
🏛 Public serviceNational
A tax-free Government of Canada payment every three months for people with low and modest incomes, which replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026 with a 25% higher amount. There is no application; filing your tax return each year, even with no income, automatically signs you up if you qualify.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. File a tax return every year to be enrolled automatically; call 1-800-387-1193 with payment questions.
Free tax clinics (Community Volunteer Income Tax Program)
🏛 Public serviceNational
Free tax clinics supported by the Canada Revenue Agency, where trained community volunteers complete tax returns for people with a modest income and a simple tax situation. Filing every year is what keeps benefits like the Guaranteed Income Supplement flowing, so these clinics matter even when no tax is owed. In Quebec the program runs jointly with Revenu Quebec as the Income Tax Assistance volunteer program.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Find a nearby clinic with the Find a free tax clinic directory on canada.ca; clinic types and dates vary by community organization.
Allowance and Allowance for the Survivor (ages 60 to 64)
🏛 Public serviceNational
Tax-free monthly Government of Canada payments for people aged 60 to 64 with low income. The Allowance is for the spouse or common-law partner of a senior who gets the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Allowance for the Survivor is for someone whose spouse or partner has died. Apply 6 to 11 months before you turn 60, or right away if you are already in this age range.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. You must apply; call Service Canada or apply through My Service Canada Account.
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) retirement pension
🏛 Public serviceNational
A monthly taxable Government of Canada pension that replaces part of your income in retirement and is paid for life to people who contributed to the CPP while working. You can start it as early as 60 or wait until 70 for a larger amount. If you keep working while collecting before age 70, extra contributions earn a post-retirement benefit that raises your pension each year.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. You must apply; apply online through My Service Canada Account or call. If you worked in another country, international social security agreements may help you qualify.
CPP disability benefits
🏛 Public serviceNational
A monthly taxable Government of Canada benefit for people over 18 and under 65 who cannot work because of a severe and prolonged disability and who contributed to the CPP. People already collecting a CPP retirement pension who become disabled before 65 may qualify for the post-retirement disability benefit instead. At 65 it converts automatically to the regular CPP retirement pension.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. You must apply, and a health care professional completes the medical part of the application; apply through My Service Canada Account or by paper form.
CPP survivor's pension and death benefit
🏛 Public serviceNational
Government of Canada payments to the family of a CPP contributor who has died. The survivor's pension is a monthly payment to the legal spouse or common-law partner, and the death benefit is a one-time payment of up to $5,000 to the estate or the person who paid the funeral costs. Apply as soon as possible after the death, because the survivor's pension can only be back-paid for 12 months.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Apply online through My Service Canada Account or by mail as soon as possible after the death.
EI caregiving benefits (family caregiver and compassionate care)
🏛 Public serviceNational
Employment Insurance benefits from the Government of Canada that replace part of your pay while you are away from work caring for someone. The family caregiver benefit covers up to 15 weeks for a critically ill or injured adult, and compassionate care benefits cover up to 26 weeks for a person who needs end-of-life care. You do not have to live with or be related to the person, and eligible caregivers can share the weeks.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Apply online at canada.ca as soon as you stop work, with a medical certificate for the person you care for; call 1-800-206-7218 for help with a claim.
Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
🏛 Public serviceNational
A tax-free monthly top-up from the Government of Canada for seniors 65 and older who receive the OAS pension and have low income. It is worth checking even if you are not sure you qualify, and you must file your income tax return every year to keep the payments coming.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Many seniors are enrolled automatically and told by letter; if no letter has arrived a month after your 64th birthday, call Service Canada or apply through My Service Canada Account.
Old Age Security (OAS) pension
🏛 Public serviceNational
A monthly Government of Canada pension for people 65 and older, based on how long you have lived in Canada after age 18, whether or not you ever worked. Many seniors are enrolled automatically and get a letter from Service Canada; if no letter has arrived a month after your 64th birthday, you may need to apply. Years spent in countries that have a social security agreement with Canada can help you qualify.
Verified by us 2026-08-05. Call Service Canada or apply online through My Service Canada Account; many seniors are enrolled in OAS and GIS automatically and get a letter in the mail around their 64th birthday.