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In Ontario, people who are disabled or
cannot work can apply for benefits called "Ontario Disability" or ODSP.
What kind of help do you provide?
Where can I find information to help me
advocate on my own behalf?
What are the laws, rules and policies
written about this kind of social assistance?
What are some of the issues you
hear the most about?
What are my basic rights?
Go directly to:
 Tip
Sheets
ODSP NEWS (Updated April 25, 2008)
LATEST HEALTH AND DISABILITY NEWS (from CLEONet)
LATEST SOCIAL ASSISTANCE NEWS (from CLEONet)
LINKS TO OTHER SOURCES OF
ODSP INFORMATION & RESOURCES
(Be Notified by Email When This
Page Changes!)
At the clinic, we help people who are having problems getting the
disability benefits assistance they are entitled to. We can provide you
with information about your legal rights, including your right to object
to decisions of the Director, the Disability Adjudication Unit or your
worker, and your right to appeal to the Social Benefits Tribunal. Time
limits apply to your rights of objection and appeal so be sure to call
us when the problem first arises.
We've provided you with links to plain language materials on many
topics. CLEO has many
pamphlets on social assistance issues.
CLEONet has an even broader collection of materials that might help
you. We are also writing a few tip sheets for
issues not written about by someone else.
And we've given you information about the laws, rules and policies that
apply to social assistance below. We've also included below a special
section about some of the issues we hear about most often. Be sure to
check that out.
To assist you in understanding your rights and obligations when you
receive this benefit we have provided you with the following information
or links:
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The law
which is called the Ontario Disability Support Plan Act
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Special rules the government has
created to govern in a more specific way
how the law will work in practice called the
Regulations made pursuant to the
Ontario Disability Support Plan Act
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The special policies and "how
to" information the provincial government has
provided to guide their staff in how and whether assistance and benefits
should be provided and calculated which are called
Policy Directives
Legal clinic staff can help you with any problems you are having
receiving assistance. We are especially concerned at the present time
with problems with:
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People being deemed to be
“spouses” and part of the same benefit unit
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Entitlement to benefits for your
children when your children are temporarily
with the CAS or also living with another parent
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The treatment of earnings from
"self employment"
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Mandatory special necessities
for travel to medical and other appointments
(such as counsellors)
-
Overpayments being assessed
unfairly or without notice or explanation
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Eligibility for Community
Start-up and Maintenance benefits (CSUMB)
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Special
Diet Allowance
Remember the following important rights:
-
You are entitled to a written
notice of any decision made by your worker or
any other staff member
-
You may ask for an “internal
review” of that decision within ten days (in special
circumstances that notice can be extended)
-
You should receive a response to
your internal review within ten days
-
You can appeal any negative
decision after you have sent an internal review,
to the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT)
-
You can also request “interim
assistance” from SBT, which will have to be
repaid if you eventually lose your appeal.
Please contact us for help if you need it.
1. Benefits Available to People Receiving Income Support
- (130 kb,
4 pgs) - Nov 2006
2.
Appealing to the Social Benefits Tribunal (includes appeal form) -
(72 kb, 12 pages)
File Your Income Taxes to Qualify for
New Ontario Child Benefit
ODSP Back Pay and 2% Increase
November 2006
Property Tax Break for
Belleville and Prince Edward County Residents on ODSP
File your Income Taxes to Qualify for New
Ontario Child Benefit!
People who
receive OW or ODSP and who have dependent children should be
extra sure that they file their tax return for 2007 before
the end of April.
This is because
the new Ontario Child Benefit starts in July, and OW/ODSP rates
are being changed to reflect the new benefit. People with
children will only receive the Ontario Child Benefit if they
meet the eligibility criteria, which includes filing your income
tax return.
For more
information, see the Income Security Advocacy Centre's (ISAC)
alert on their website.
Additional
information on the Ontario Child Benefit and Social Assistance
Rate Restructuring is available on ISAC's "Resources" page at:
www.incomesecurity.org/resources.html.
Back to School and Winter Clothing Allowance To be Rolled
into
New Child Benefit
Starting in
July 2008, the Back-to-School and Winter Clothing
allowances for families on
OW and ODSP are going to be rolled
into the new, monthly Ontario Child Benefit payment.
Families
will continue to receive the funds, but they will be spread
out over the whole year in small, monthly amounts instead of
coming all at once in August and November.
This change will cause hardship for families
since they can’t afford to save up for these large
annual expenses.
ISAC's
Action Alert explains the changes and gives ideas for
what you can do to tell the provincial government to reverse
this decision.
ODSP BACK PAY and 2%
INCREASE NOVEMBER 2006
Ontario
to Speed $25M to disabled - Toronto Star article
Cheques totalling $25 million will start going out in
November to thousands of disabled Ontarians left
impoverished by backlogs in government support payments, the
Toronto Star has learned.
See our
Latest News page for the full article or visit the
Toronto Star website.
_______________________________
Visit the Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC) to view
their Fact Sheet "Are
you Entitled to a Retroactive ODSP Payment?" (PDF, 2 pgs) to see if
you qualify for any back pay.
ISAC also has a fact sheet on the
2% Increase Effective November/December 2006 (PDF, 2 pgs).
View a complete list of fact sheets
here.
Property Tax Break for
Belleville and
Prince Edward County (PEC) Residents on ODSP
The City of Belleville is offering a property tax credit
for recipients of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and/or low
income seniors who own
their home. Application may be made to the City for a $200 credit
towards the September property tax installment. Applications are
available at City Hall, the local Ministry of Community and Social
Services Office or at our clinic's Belleville office.
This is a new program which started in 2006, and the deadline for 2007
is August 30, 2007. The
City may extend this deadline if you ask in writing when you submit your
application.
This is an annual program, so watch for
applications to become available each year and be sure to submit
your request before the end of August in each year.
Prince Edward County also has a similar program to defer tax increases for low income
property owners. You must apply by September 30, 2007. (All
deferred taxes must be paid in full upon the sale of the property or any
registered change in title.)
Contact your municipality to see if they have similar programs
available.
_____________________________________________________
Belleville Residents: You can download the
application forms for both programs from the
City of Belleville website. ODSP recipients should click on "ODSP Application for
Property Tax Credit 2007" from the list (PDF). If you are
a senior, click on "Application for Municipal Property Tax Credit
2007 [SENIORS]".
For more information on either program, you can call the
City of Belleville's Taxation Department at 613-967-3243.
Prince Edward County Residents: Visit the
County's website to download their application form (same form for
ODSP recipients or seniors). Under
"Tax Deferral for Low Income Seniors and Persons with Disabilities"
section.
_____________________________________________________
To learn more about property tax relief for
residences built or modified to accommodate seniors or persons with
disabilities, visit
this page of the
Guide to Programs and Services for Seniors in
Ontario (scroll down to "Property Tax Relief for Residences Built or
Modified to Accommodate Seniors or Persons with Disabilities").
For more information, resources and links on ODSP
go to our
LINKS TO OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION page.
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This site provides general information only,
specific to Ontario, Canada. It is
NOT legal advice. 
