Basic Income Class Action

If you were a recipient of the Ontario Basic Income, you might benefit from this Class Action. 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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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.

CERTIFICATION MOTION AND APPEAL

On November 30, 2020, the Ontario Superior Court denied the plaintiffs’ motion for certification. The plaintiffs appealed this decision and were successful in the appeal. The Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) agreed that we demonstrated a reasonable cause of action in contract law, and therefore we pass the first step of the certification test. A copy of the ONCA decision can be found HERE.

NEXT STEPS

This Action will now return to the Ontario Superior Court.  A hearing has been scheduled for December 16, 2022, to determine how the action will proceed. 

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

ARE YOU A CLASS MEMBER?

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.