Every province in Canada has a support system in place to help inhabitants live comfortably. Each provisional government is in charge of ensuring that these social responsibilities are carried out flawlessly among beneficiaries. This assistance covers a wide range of challenges, including handicap, unemployment, domestic abuse, and so on. The Ontario Disability Support Program is one such project created by the provincial government of Ontario to assist people who have a disability that prevents them from working.
What is ODSP, and how does it work?
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is a social assistance program that offers income and employment assistance to people in Ontario who have a disability of any kind. ODSP is similar to the Alberta government’s AISHA program and Saskatchewan’s SAID. The ODSP covers the majority of people with special needs. The average monthly amount available in this program is CA$896.00. The following are the asset limits for a beneficiary per unit:
- Ca$40,000 for a single recipient.
- Ca$500 per non-spouse dependent.
- Ca$50,000 for a couple.
People who are experiencing a crisis or an emergency are eligible for ODSP emergency assistance. It contributes to the purchase of necessities such as food and shelter. The amount each recipient receives get determined by the circumstances. Depending on whether they have children, a single can get up to CA$733 per month.
Criteria for eligibility
- Get aged 18 years old or above.
- Live in the province of Ontario
- To qualify, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, a refugee claimant, or a convention refugee.
- You get a severe physical or mental disability.
- It Will last at least a year
- It is difficult for you to take care of yourself or work.
What kind of employment assistance can ODSP provide?
Community-based service providers provide ODSP employment assistance. Many services are available from service providers, including:
- Job coaching
- on-the-job training
- Interpreter/intervenor services
- Transportation assistance
- Specialized computer training
- Assistive devices and training to use them
- Adaptive software and mobility devices
- Tools and equipment
- Special clothing, and
- Other items you may need for work.
The money you receive from ODSP
Beneficiaries who work while on ODSP have a brighter financial future than those who do not because they have family income, income assistance, and the CA$100 Work-Related Benefit.
You and your family will have more money while working with all of these than you would with only ODSP income support. Here’s how you can make money:
Without affecting their ODSP income support for working adults, each family member can earn around CA$2,000 per month.
If you are a working parent who pays for child care or requires disability-related items such as specific equipment to perform your job, there is room to keep your income support.
Your wages will not affect your income support if you are still a full-time secondary or post-secondary student, but you will be ineligible for the Work-Related Benefit.
The ODSP income support is only reduced by 50 cents for every dollar over CA$200.
Working will gain you more money from ODSP, regardless of your situation; you and your family will have more funds while working than ODSP income alone.
