Living with a disability can make everyday life challenging, but the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits can help ease some of the struggles. From financial support to health coverage, the ODSP offers a helping hand when it's needed most.
In this article, we’ll explore the different ODSP benefits, how to become eligible, and other considerations. This can be used by lawyers who want to know more about these benefits or be sent to their clients as an education piece.
What is ODSP?
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is the provincial government’s program that assists persons with disabilities with income and employment opportunities. Its enabling law is the Ontario Disability Support Program Act (ODSP Act) of 1997.
As the province’s social benefits program, its main objective is to serve eligible persons with disabilities who are in need of income and employment support. It also includes family members of qualified people.
Learn more about ODSP and how it supports employment of persons with disabilities with this video:
Looking for lawyers to help you with the ODSP? Check out our directory of the best personal injury lawyers in Canada as ranked by Lexpert.
What are ODSP benefits?
There are three main benefits that Ontarians with disabilities can receive from the ODSP:
- Income support
- Employment benefits
- Healthcare support
Of course, a person must be qualified under the law and other regulations to benefit from the ODSP. In all these benefits, asking the assistance of a personal injury lawyer, before applying or even after becoming eligible, is also advisable.
To navigate the page below, you can use the table of contents above to skip to any of these benefits.
1. Income support
As one of the basic ODSP benefits, an eligible person with a disability will receive a monthly payment. This income support has two components:
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basic needs: meant to cover a person’s food, clothing, and other necessary personal items
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shelter allowance: meant to cover a person’s rent or mortgage payment, heating expenses, basic utilities, property taxes, home insurance, condominium fees, etc.
The maximum amount of ODSP income support can be up to $1,368 per month (as of the writing of this article). This amount is adjusted every June of each year to account for inflation.
For both the basic needs and shelter allowance, the final amount that an eligible person will receive depends on many factors, such as:
- family size and age
- living expenses
- family members also living with a disability
- actual shelter costs
Other unique income support benefits from ODSP include:
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board and lodging living situation: an arrangement if the eligible person is receiving food and shelter both from the same source (e.g. parents or landlord)
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remote communities allowance: additional amount if the eligible person is either living north of the 50th parallel or don't have road access all year-round
Income support payments are disbursed on the last business day of every month.
2. Employment benefits
In addition to income support, another benefit of the ODSP is that it can provide employment benefits to persons with disabilities.
To be eligible for ODSP’s employment benefits, a person must:
- be least 16 years old
- be a resident of Ontario
- be allowed to work in Canada legally
- have substantial physical or mental disability that is expected to last a year or more, making it hard for them to find or keep a job
This benefit is separate from the income support and a person may be eligible for either. It means that a person does not need to be receiving income support to qualify for employment benefits.
There are two kinds of support under ODSP’s employment benefit:
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looking and keeping a job: help in preparing for and keeping a job, including coaching, on-the-job support, job accommodations, assistive devices, etc.
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starting a business: help in developing and implementing a business plan, money management training, help in business marketing, mentoring, etc.
In both instances, a community service provider will be assigned to help the person with a disability in deciding what specific support they need. If available, these work-related disability benefits are extended to the person with a disability.
Exception to the employment benefits of ODSP
To prevent any duplication of the benefits that a person is receiving, ODSP’s employment benefits do not provide other disability benefits that are available through other sources. There are also some programs and services that are excluded from these benefits.
In sum, these exclusions are:
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
- Employment Insurance (EI)
- Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
- Ministry of Health
- Home and Vehicle Modification Program
- insurance and health companies
- employer's obligation to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code
- medical treatment and procedures
- prescription drugs
3. Healthcare support
Healthcare and disability-related support are also available for a person with a disability and their family, depending on their eligibility. This mostly covers certain medical costs and other case-to-case basis support.
Here’s a summary of the available healthcare and disability-related support from the ODSP:
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Prescription drug coverage: For those who are receiving ODSP income support. This is subject to a co-payment fee of up to $2 per prescription for those 25 years old and above.
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Dental coverage: Aside from basic dental services, it covers additional services if the disability and prescribed medications or treatment affect the person’s oral health.
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Vision coverage and glasses: For those who do not have vision care coverage under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). This covers routine eye examinations and cost assistance for prescription eyeglasses and eyeglass repairs.
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Transportation support: For those spending $15 or more every month on transportation going to their medical appointments. This can also cover costs for health emergencies, where application in advance is impossible.
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Mobility devices support: This covers the cost of the batteries and repair of a mobility device (e.g. manual or electric wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, lifting devices).
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Assistive devices coverage: This is for those who have a long-term physical disability. This includes costs that are not covered by the Assistive Devices Program. The coverage may include mobility devices, visual or hearing aids, orthotic or prosthetic devices, speech devices, respiratory devices, and some medical supplies.
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Mandatory Special Necessities Benefit: This covers the cost of diabetic and surgical supplies. This also includes transportation support for those attending mental health therapy and counselling, or drug or alcohol recovery groups.
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Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Nutritional Allowance: This covers nutrition-related costs if the person with a disability, or their family member, is pregnant. Coverage lasts until the baby reaches 12 months. Allowance is either $40 monthly for regular diet or $50 monthly for non-dairy diet.
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Special Diet Allowance: This covers the extra costs of a special diet for a medical condition, as approved by a health care professional. This applies to those who receive either the basic needs or shelter allowance, or the board and lodging amount. The maximum amount is $250 monthly per member.
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Guide Dog Benefit: This is for those who are receiving ODSP income support, and if the person with a disability owns a certified service or guide dog from an accredited training facility. This covers the costs of taking care of the guide dog. The maximum amount is $84 monthly per dog.
To use any of these health benefits from ODSP, a person with a disability will have to talk to their caseworker or any of the ODSP offices across the province.
A separate application must be filed so that one can avail of these health benefits. Applicants must submit proof of their health costs, which shall determine if they’re eligible for these benefits.
Benefits when leaving the ODSP
In addition to the ODSP benefits mentioned above, persons who are leaving the program may be eligible for two benefits:
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Extended Health Benefit: If the person with disability’s income is too high but still have high health costs. This may include prescription drugs, dental and vision care, medical supplies, transportation support, and assistive devices.
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Transitional Health Benefit: If the person with disability has a new job, they don’t qualify for the Extended Health Benefit, and their employer does not provide similar benefits.
These benefits are continued even after they’ve left the ODSP. Persons may leave the ODSP, or are discontinued from accessing it, because they’re getting more support from other sources. Some examples are a new job, the CPP, or the Old Age Security (OAS) program.
ODSP benefits vs. CPP benefits
The benefits from ODSP and CPP may be easily confused with each other, since they’re both given by the government. Here’s a short video that explains the difference between ODSP and CPP benefits:
Here’s another directory of the Lexpert-ranked best personal injury lawyers in Ontario to help you when looking for legal advice regarding ODSP benefits.
How to be eligible for ODSP benefits
To qualify for ODSP, a person must be:
- 18 years or older
- living in Ontario
- financially eligible
- physically or mentally disabled
These qualifications are the primary ones. Depending on the type of ODSP benefit, there may be additional eligibility requirements.
A caseworker will be assigned to an applicant. Once a person becomes eligible for the program, they’re still required to update the ODSP of any significant changes that may affect their continuing eligibility.
Meaning of financially eligible
Financial eligibility for ODSP benefits comes with a certain budgetary requirement that applicants must meet. An applicant must inform their caseworker how much income they’re receiving. This also includes any support and income received by the applicant’s family.
The reason for this disclosure is that it helps with the ODSP’s evaluation of how much income support an applicant should receive. More importantly, it tells a caseworker if an applicant is eligible for ODSP benefits or not.
Examples of financial support and income sources that applicants must declare are:
- employment earnings and private benefits
- tax benefits
- pension plan benefits (e.g., CPP and QPP)
- spousal support
- other support from government programs
Exempt from computation
However, there are income sources and support that are exempt from a caseworker’s consideration on an applicant’s eligibility for income support:
- child support
- some federal tax benefits (e.g. Canada Child Tax Benefit)
- some provincial tax benefits (e.g. Ontario Child Benefit)
- payments from a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
- OSAP loans and grants
Limits of income and benefits
An applicant’s income and assets must also not exceed the mandated limits, as provided by the regulations of the ODSP Act. For this purpose, “assets” that are considered in this computation are a person’s or their family’s:
- cash and money in bank accounts
- stocks and bonds
- Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP)
- vehicles
- real properties
- trust funds
However, there are exemptions to these limits, which means that they’re not included in the computation of one’s assets. These are:
- family home
- primary vehicle
- allowable limits on life insurance policies
- pre-paid funerals
- Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP)
- Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP)
- necessary household and personal items
Aside from the limits on assets, there are other limits, such as those on:
- gifts and voluntary payments
- annuities from life insurance policies
- inheritances and payments from trusts
What’s important here is that an applicant be honest when it comes to disclosing these details. It will also help the caseworker see what assets are exempt from any of these limits.
Meaning of physical or mental disability
There are certain standards when it comes to the disabilities that are eligible for ODSP. To be considered a disability, it must:
- be a substantial impairment, which is continuous or recurrent
- be expected to last one year, or even longer
- substantially limit, and have a direct and cumulative effect on, the person’s ability to work, take care of themself, or carry out daily activities
It’s also required that the physical or mental impairment, its duration, and effects, are verified by the ODSP.
What is the process of applying for the ODSP?
Applying for ODSP benefits can either be done:
In any case, here’s a general process when applying for an ODSP benefit:
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A disability determination package will be given by the caseworker; this must be completed by the applicant and their healthcare provider within a certain period.
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Once completed, the package will be reviewed by the ODSP to verify if the applicant falls within the definition of a person with a disability.
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After becoming eligible, the caseworker will develop a plan together with the person with a disability to determine the benefits they’re entitled to.
When the applicant does not agree with the ODSP’s evaluation or decision, asking for the help of a personal injury lawyer can be one of their legal options.
ODSP benefits: supporting Ontarians with disabilities
Offering both financial relief and access to essential health services, the ODSP is there for those in need. While these ODSP benefits are not perfect solutions, they at least give comfort for Ontarians with disabilities. As always, any dispute regarding the processing of these benefits may be resolved with the assistance of one’s personal injury lawyer.
Learn more about ODSP benefits from the Largest Law Firms in Toronto and other cities in Ontario.