Personal Needs Allowance

If you live in a shelter where meals are provided you should get a Personal Needs Allowance (PNA). This money is issued weekly (about $27 a week to equal $112 a month).

This money is for things like toiletries and transportation.

We think it is outrageous that where you may only be getting cheese sandwiches and oatmeal that people aren’t getting money for food. Everyone on assistance lives on too little money a month. People in shelters are some of the hardest hit by low social assistance rates. OCAP is calling for a 55% raise in assistance rates immediately.

That said, we believe that everyone should be able to get access to the money they are entitled to easily. Some shelters issue PNA themselves. If your shelter issues the PNA but you miss the pick-up time for some reason, you are still entitled to your PNA. If your shelter refuses to give you your PNA, contact OCAP or your local anti-poverty group or legal clinic outside of Toronto.

If you are staying in a shelter that doesn’t issue the PNA itself, you can get it through welfare.