Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) is a provincial program that provides basic and essential financial benefits for food, clothing, personal and health needs for Manitobans who are unable to financially pay for these needs. All Manitobans are able to make an application for EIA to see if they are financially eligible for income assistance benefits.
You may be eligible for EIA if you:
Are a resident of Manitoba
Need money to pay for basic needs (food, housing, clothing) for yourself and your family
Need money to pay for your health needs that are not covered by another program
However, the Department has other financial support programs that you could apply for if you are able to pay for most of your basic living costs but are having difficulty paying for some of your monthly needs.
There are programs that can help you with your rental costs in private (e.g. Rent Assist ) or subsidized (e.g. Manitoba Housing ) rental arrangements.
Other programs are there to help you with the costs of raising your children (e.g. Manitoba Child Care Program and Manitoba Child Benefit ).
If you live in Winnipeg and are looking for work or are between jobs, Jobs on Market can help with your job search right away. Employment counsellors are on site to offer advice about your job search. You can also use computer and printing services and access job bank information to help with your job search planning. There is no cost to use Jobs on Market services. You may also receive help to pay for essential needs like food, housing and transportation while you look for work.
Getting financial help from these programs may mean that you do not need to apply for Employment and Income Assistance.
What would you like to do?
EIA financial eligibility
This online tool will ask you questions about your personal, household, financial and employment-related circumstances so that EIA can begin to determine if you meet EIA financial eligibility. Please complete all the questions in each section that apply to you and your household.
This is not a formal application for EIA.
The information you provide will help you and EIA prepare for your intake appointment. Once you complete this online tool you will be given further information about what will happen in order to set up your formal EIA intake appointment.
I have read and understand this information
Before starting your online application
Before starting your online application, it is important that you are aware of how your financial, personal and household circumstances may affect your application process.
You may be financially eligible for income assistance if the total cost of your monthly basic needs are more than your household’s total financial resources.
The amount you get from EIA benefits is based on:
People who are married or live as common-law couples must apply for income assistance together. Employment and Income Assistance considers you a common-law couple if you:
If you are able to work, EIA will work with you to develop an employment action plan that best fits your personal and household situation to help you go back to work.
If you recently left your job, please make sure you apply for Employment Insurance and bring confirmation of this application to your EIA intake appointment. For more information on Employment Insurance, please click here.
Note: Your application for EIA may be affected if you quit, were fired, or refused a job without a good reason, or just cause. Please read the Reasons for Leaving or Refusing a Job policy for more information on what you need to do if this situation applies to you.
If you live in Winnipeg and would like help finding a job right away, Jobs on Market may be able to help. There is no cost to use Jobs on Market employment counselling services and supports. You may also receive help to pay for essential needs like food, housing and transportation while you look for work instead of having to apply for EIA.
If you have an outstanding warrant for certain serious offences (see Schedule C of The Assistance Regulation for a list of these offences), your application for EIA may be affected. For more information on what to do if this applies to you, or a member of your household, please review the EIA Outstanding Warrants Policy.
I have read and understand this information
Spouse / Partner Information
Not Applicable.
Click 'SAVE' to save a partial copy of your application in a secure location on your computer or flash drive if you would like to come back and complete it later.
Dependent Children Information
This section refers to someone who is living with you, who you financially support and who is under 18.
You can add a maximum of 8 children using this form. If you need to add more than 8 children, please contact your nearest EIA office.
Click 'SAVE' to save a partial copy of your application in a secure location on your computer or flash drive if you would like to come back and complete it later.
Type of Accommodation You Live In
If you have shelter costs, you may be eligible for shelter-related financial supports. You will need to bring a copy of your lease or rental agreement.
If you do not have this information, you may have an EIA Rent Form completed by your landlord and bring it to your intake appointment
If you own your home, please bring your mortgage papers, property tax information and house insurance to your intake appointment.
If you only need help with shelter costs, Non-EIA Rent Assist for persons not on income assistance may be enough to meet your financial needs.
Note: Shelter costs will be considered for payment once applicants are found eligible for income assistance.
Is your mailing address different from residence address?
Yes
No
If you do not have a lease or rental agreement, please get your landlord to complete the EIA Rent Form.
Please bring all information about what you pay for your mortgage, taxes and utilities to your intake appointment.
Are any other persons not listed on this application living with you?
Yes
No
Please bring all information about any other person(s) living with you to your intake appointment
Click 'SAVE' to save a partial copy of your application in a secure location on your computer or flash drive if you would like to come back and complete it later.
Liquid Assets and Property Assets
You must bring documentation about all of your financial resources to your intake appointment to confirm that you meet EIA financial eligibility criteria.
You must bring information on value of the following financial assets:
cash and money in all your open bank accounts
investments, bonds, stocks, insurance policies
property (real estate) or vehicles you own
collections or valuables (ex: stamp collection, jewelry)
trust funds
Note: You must bring your bank statements that show the last 60 days of your banking activity, including accounts you don’t use very often or that you have closed recently.
EIA may not count these assets when reviewing your financial eligibility:
any money (called "liquid assets") you have up to $4,000 per person or a maximum of $16,000 per family
the value of your main home (called a "primary residence")
the value of certain vehicles and other essential property you own (ex: equipment you need to do a home business)
amounts in children’s trust funds up to $40,000
amounts in Registered Education Savings Plans
amounts in Registered Disability Savings Plans up to a maximum of $200,000
These are only some examples. Even though these assets may be exempt by EIA, you are still required to bring documentation of any financial resources you have to your intake appointment.
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Please check off all the assets that you or members of your household have. Please give the total value of these assets. You must bring information about these assets and property to your EIA intake appointment.
Cash on Hand
You must bring all information about the amount of cash you have on hand to your EIA intake appointment.
Bank / Credit Union Accounts
You must bring all information about the financial assets in your Bank / Credit Union Accounts to your EIA intake appointment.
Stocks, Mutual Funds, Bonds, GIC, RRSP, RESP, RDSP, TSFA
You must bring all information about your privately owned Stocks, Bonds, GICs, RRSPs, RESPs, RDSPs, and TSFAs to your EIA intake appointment.
Insurance Policy(s)
You must bring all information about your Insurance Policy(s) to your EIA intake appointment.
Trust Funds
You must bring all information about your Trust Funds to your EIA intake appointment.
Inheritance
You must bring all information about your inheritance to your EIA intake appointment.
Other Assets
Click 'SAVE' to save a partial copy of your application in a secure location on your computer or flash drive if you would like to come back and complete it later.
Monthly Income
Any income you or members of your household get must be reviewed to determine if you are financially eligible for EIA.
You must take steps to get and use all other financial resources available to you and your family. This may include federal benefits such as Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan benefits, child and spousal support, and other pensions. Your EIA intake worker will discuss this with you further at your intake appointment.
You must bring in all information about you and your household’s income. This is money you get from:
working, or self-employment
business, or farm profits
child, or spousal support payments
pensions, insurance benefits
financial settlements from an injury or lawsuit
interest, or dividends from investments or savings
free, or reduced rent, or room and board paid to you
sponsorship payments, inheritances, winnings (ex: lottery, gambling)
income in-kind (ex: goods and services provided to you)
EIA does not count the following as part of your income:
a portion of your wages from a job
part of rent or room and board paid to you
occasional financial gifts, up to $100 per person in the family
foster home/adoption subsidy payments
Canada Child Tax Credit payments
Income tax or GST credit refunds
Manitoba Prenatal Benefit Program benefits (Healthy Child Benefit)
earnings of children (under 18) who are in school, or are part of a full-time EIA-approved program (ex: technical training)
Even though EIA does not consider these sources of income, you must bring information about any of the funds you or members of your household get to your EIA intake appointment.
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Employment / Education Information
Depending on your situation, you may have a “work expectation”. When you have a work expectation, EIA staff will help you prepare for and get a job. EIA can also help with employment and training programs, self-employment, benefits and services.
EIA is also designed to ensure that you will always have more money when you work. When you find a job, you will be eligible for an earnings exemption. You will be able to keep the first $200 of your net monthly earnings, plus a further 30 percent of any amount you earn over $200, before your EIA benefits are affected.
If your situation changes or you are having problems following your action plan, it is important that you talk to your case worker about this. If you have a work expectation and do not try to find work, or follow through on the steps included in your action plan, your EIA benefits may be affected.
I have read and understand this information
Health Information
EIA can also provide additional financial assistance or health-related supports if you are being affected by a health or medical concern or if you have a disability that is affecting your ability to consider or look for work.
If you have a mental or physical disability that is likely to last more than 90 days and this disability keeps you from earning enough money to pay for your or your family’s basic needs, you may be eligible for additional supports under the EIA persons with disabilities category.
If you would like to apply for EIA as a Person with a Disability, please discuss this with staff at your intake appointment. Depending on your circumstances, you may be asked to submit an EIA Disability Assessment Report completed by your doctor.
Do you, or your spouse/partner, wish to declare a medical condition, impairment or disability?
Yes
No
Provide Details
Please bring information about your health or medical concerns and/or needs to your intake appointment.
Do you, or your spouse/partner, have health concerns where you need special diets or special medical supplies or equipment?
Yes
No
Provide Details
Please bring information about your health or medical concerns and/or needs to your intake appointment.
Click 'SAVE' to save a partial copy of your application in a secure location on your computer or flash drive if you would like to come back and complete it later.
Your Rights and Responsibilities
If you are not satisfied with a decision made during your EIA application process, or once you are enrolled on EIA, or feel you have not been treated fairly, you may consider the following next steps:
speak again to your EIA intake or case worker. Things may have been misunderstood and can be explained better
if you continue to have questions or concerns, you may ask to speak to a supervisor
if you still feel the issue has not been addressed, you can contact The Fair Practices Office
Fair Practices Office
The Fair Practices Office provides confidential and impartial assistance to persons applying for, or receiving services under EIA and other Department of Families programs who feel they have not been treated fairly:
Staff from the Fair Practices Office will review your circumstances and concerns to ensure that:
you understand EIA eligibility requirements and rules, and the benefits you are able to receive
you are told the reasons why a program decision was made about your case
you are able to give your worker new or additional information to help them understand your needs or situation better
if you still feel the issue has not been addressed, you can contact The Fair Practices Office
For more information about the Fair Practices Office, please click here.
If your issue remains unresolved, you may file a formal appeal with the:
Social Services Appeal Board
If you feel a decision under the Employment and Income Assistance program was unfair, you may appeal if:
you were not allowed to apply or reapply for income assistance
a decision on your request for income assistance was not made in a reasonable amount of time
you were denied income assistance
the amount of your income assistance was cancelled, suspended, changed or withheld
the amount of income assistance provided was not enough to meet your needs
For more information on the Social Services Appeal Board, please click here
I have read and understand this information
What Happens Next?
Once you SUBMIT your Employment and Income Assistance online application you will be given a confirmation number. You will need to give this confirmation number if you need to contact Employment and Income Assistance staff about any changes to the information you gave in this online application (example – change in your contact telephone number, or address)
You will be contacted shortly about what you need to do to continue with your application for Employment and Income Assistance.
Contact Information
How do you wish to be contacted?
Email
Please give your Email address:
Mail
Phone
Is there any other information you would like to provide to support your application for income assistance?
Click 'SAVE' to save a partial copy of your application in a secure location on your computer or flash drive if you would like to come back and complete it later.
