Qualifications for a Disability Pension in Ontario

The Ontario government provides a monthly pension to people with disabilities.

The Ministry of Community and Social Services, through the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), provides financial help to people with disabilities who need assistance in paying for living expenses. To determine if you qualify for a disability pension, the ODSP staff will meet with you twice: once to assess your financial situation and once to assess your disability. The ODSP determines each applicant's eligibility, as well as how much income assistance he can receive, on a case-by-case basis.

General Qualifications

To qualify for income assistance, you must be at least 18 years old, live in Ontario, be in financial need and have a disability (either physical or mental) that makes it hard for you to support yourself. Tourists, visitors and other temporary residents are not eligible unless they have applied for permanent residency or refugee protection. The ODSP also takes housing costs and family size into account when determining eligibility.

Assets

To qualify for a disability pension, your financial assets must be under a certain level. A single applicant must own fewer than $5,000 in liquid assets; a married couple must own fewer than $7,500. Liquid assets include cash, investments and property. Some assets, such as a house, car or life insurance policy, are exempt and will not affect your eligibility. You will need to provide the ODSP worker assigned to your case with documentation of your assets.

Income

Income level affects the amount of assistance an applicant can receive. Your income includes not only money earned by working, but also any money received from another government program or from a loan. The ODSP deducts half of your monthly earnings from your income support. For example, if you are eligible for $921 in support, but make $500 a month, your assistance will be $671 per month. As with your assets, you will need to give the ODSP documentation about your income.

Disability

The ODSP will assess your disability only after determining your financial eligibility. A disability which is continuous and expected to last for a year or more and which limits your ability to work, take care of yourself or participate in the community qualifies you for a disability pension. The ODSP provides you with forms with which to assess your disability; your doctor must fill out these forms, after which you return them to the ODSP. Some applicants' disabilities do not need to be assessed by the ODSP. For example, if you already receive federal Canada Pension Plan disability benefits, you don't need to go through this step.

References

• Ministry of Community and Social Services: Income Support: Who is Eligible
• Ministry of Community and Social Services: Treatment of Assets
• Government of Ontario: ODSP Act, Section 30
• Ministry of Community and Social Services: Treatment of Income
• Ministry of Community and Social Services: When you work and earn money

Resources

• Special Needs Planning Group - Ontario Disability Support Program