Basic Income Class Action

NOTICE OF CERTIFICATION

If you were a recipient of the Ontario Basic Income, you may be included in a class action against Ontario for its decision to cancel the Ontario Basic Income Pilot Project.

You are included in this Class Action if you meet the following Class Definition:

• all persons who were enrolled by the Defendant in the Basic Income Pilot Project as part of the Payment Group

To review the full Notice of Certification, please click HERE.

The French version is found here / La version française se trouve ICI.

If you meet the Class Definition and wish to remain in the Class Action, there is no further action needed from you at this time.

Under Ontario law, if you are a person falling within the Class Definition (set out above), you will automatically be included in the Class unless you choose to be excluded from this Class Action. This is known as “opting out” of the Class Action.

To exclude yourself (opt out) from this proceeding, you must contact Class Counsel by email or regular mail at the address below and provide them with your full legal name and mailing address and state that you wish to be excluded from (opt out of) the Class Action.

Class Counsel will confirm your decision to exclude yourself from (opt out of) this Class Action in writing. The deadline to opt out is May 18, 2026.

For important information about opting out of this Class Action, and how this impacts your legal rights, review the full Notice of Certification (linked above).

We encourage you to fill out the form found at the bottom of this page so that we can keep you informed about the case.

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BACKGROUND

This Class Action is against the Ontario Government, with respect to its decision to cancel the Basic Income Pilot in July 2018. This program was introduced in 2017 with the goal of studying whether granting Ontarians regular, fixed payments – In other words, giving Ontarians a "basic income" – was something that the Government should consider doing in the future.

Approximately 6,000 Ontarians living in Lindsay, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, and their surrounding areas, enrolled in the Pilot. 4,000 of these participants agreed to receive a monthly basic income in exchange for regularly completing surveys and opening their lives up to the researchers.

Approximately one year after the Pilot's introduction, on July 31, 2018, the Ontario Government announced it would be cancelling the Basic Income Pilot early. The final payments were made to participants on March 25, 2019.

This Class Action alleges that the cancellation of the Pilot amounts to a breach of contract.

The Statement of Claim seeks damages due to the cancellation of the Pilot, including $200 million in general damages. A Copy of the Statement of Claim can be found HERE.

CERTIFICATION MOTION

On March 4, 2024, the Ontario Superior Court released its decision certifying the class action. A copy of the Court’s decision can be found HERE.

The Court-approved Notice of Certification can be found HERE.

The French version is found here / La version française se trouve ICI.

NEXT STEPS

If you meet the Class Definition and wish to remain in the Class Action, there is no further action needed from you at this time.

If you wish to exclude yourself from the action, you must contact Class Counsel by email or regular mail at the address below and provide them with your full legal name and mailing address and state that you wish to be excluded from (opt out of) the Class Action. The deadline to opt out is May 18, 2026.

For important information about opting out of this Class Action, and how this impacts your legal rights, review the full Notice of Certification (linked above).

TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION

Please fill out the form below to receive updates regarding the Class Action. We will update the website accordingly as more information becomes available.

If you were a recipient of Basic Income, please fill in the information below so that we can keep you updated about the case. If you have any questions, please contact one of the lawyers listed above, or contact the firm at 416-964-1115 or by email at BasicIncome@cavalluzzo.com.