Overview

Eligible Ontario Veterans and their families in financial need can get up to $3,000 per 12-month period to help pay for eligible expenses.

You may apply multiple times over the 12-month period until you have received the maximum amount of $3,000.

If both spouses in a household are Veterans, each spouse is eligible for up to $3,000 in a 12-month period. However, both Veterans cannot apply for funding for the same expense.

If you receive social assistance, funding from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission is in addition to any financial assistance from Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). It will not impact your eligibility for social assistance or the amount of your monthly payment.

Financial assistance through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission can supplement support offered by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Eligible expenses

You can use the financial assistance to help you pay for essential expenses in the following categories:

  • Home-related items, such as repairs, furniture, replacement/repair of roof and furnace
  • Housing-related items, such as first and last month’s rent or moving costs
  • Mental health supports and health-related items, such as hearing aids, glasses, prescription and dental needs
  • Specialized equipment, including assistive devices, wheelchairs and prosthetics
  • Personal items, such as clothing and personal care products
  • Employment-related supports, including work clothing such as work boots, and short-term courses to help improve access to the job market

Eligibility

To be eligible for financial assistance from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, you must:

  • be a Veteran or their eligible family member
  • be in financial need
  • live in Ontario

A Veteran is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who has completed basic training and was released from service. Review the complete definition of Veteran.

If you are:

  • under 18 years old, your parent or guardian must apply on your behalf
  • unable to apply due to a disability, an authorized person may apply on your behalf

Demonstrating financial need

To demonstrate financial need, you must show that:

  • you have made a reasonable effort to access funds from other Veteran-specific programs run by the federal government
  • you cannot reasonably cover the cost of an eligible expense

You will need to provide supporting documentation as part of your application, such as a quote for the expense you need help with, and your most recent bank statement or statement of benefits if you are an ODSP or Ontario Works client.   

A service officer or agent from the Royal Canadian Legion or Veterans Affairs Canada will help you with your application, including supporting documents.

Eligible family members

The following family members of an eligible Veteran may apply for funding:

  • a Veteran’s spouse, including the surviving spouse of a deceased Veteran
  • the financially dependent child of a Veteran or Veteran’s spouse, if both are deceased

To be a financially dependent child, you must have been financially dependent on the Veteran at the time of the Veteran’s death and:

  • under 18 years old
  • 18 to 24 years old and enrolled in a secondary school or taking at least a minimum course load at a postsecondary institution
  • 18 years old or older and unable to financially support yourself due to a disability that initially occurred while the Veteran was alive

A minimum course load is:

  • 60% of the postsecondary institution’s full course load if you do not have a disability
  • 40% of the postsecondary institution’s full course load if you do have a disability

Apply

You can apply through the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command (the Legion) or Veterans Affairs Canada. Their service officers and agents may help you access other support as well as assistance from the Commission.

Gather required documents

Before you contact the Legion or Veterans Affairs Canada, please have the following documents ready. This will make the application process easier:

  • the Veteran’s Service Number or date of birth
  • a quote for the expense you need help with
  • a copy of your most recent bank statement or statement of benefits if you are on ODSP or Ontario Works

Option 1: Contact the Legion

You can contact the Legion directly to apply. You do not need to be a member of the Legion.

The Legion has dedicated resources to support applications for funding from the Commission.

Reach out to a Legion service officer at:

Option 2: Contact Veterans Affairs Canada

You can contact Veterans Affairs Canada directly to apply:

If you already have an account with Veterans Affairs Canada, you can log in to your profile and follow the steps under “service and benefits.”

After you apply

The Legion or Veterans Affairs Canada will send your application to the Commission for review.

You will be notified once a decision is made on your application.

The Commission provides financial assistance at its discretion. Applying for this funding does not guarantee you will get it.

The Commission’s decisions are final. You cannot appeal a decision on your application.

About the Soldiers’ Aid Commission

The Lieutenant Governor established the Soldiers’ Aid Commission in 1915 through an Order in Council to help returning First World War Veterans and their families with problems they faced as they re-entered civilian life, such as finding work and housing.

Through the decades since its inception, the Commission has continuously supported Ontario’s Veterans and their families. Following the Second World War and the Korean War, the Commission expanded to provide supports and services to these returning Veterans and their families.

The Commission receives its authority through the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020 and accompanying regulations. Eligibility for financial assistance from the Commission is set in the regulations and does not depend on where and when the Veteran served.

The Lieutenant Governor in Council appoints the members of the Commission. The Public Appointments Secretariat lists the appointed and vacant positions.

Holding the Commission accountable

The Agencies and Appointments Directive and Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive, require provincial agencies, such as the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, to publicly post their governance documents, including:

Contact us

If you have questions or are searching for general information about the Soldiers’ Aid Commission, please contact us:

For more ways to reach us, including a toll-free phone number and TTY number, please visit the contact page for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.