Ontario Disability Benefits Hurt Dignity of Poor
Disability Recipients Complain That Stupid Rules Hurt, Not Help Them
Jun 23, 2009
The setting was in early April in downtown Toronto. Approximately 120 people were brought together to share their stories, interests and strategies on how to improve life for persons with disabilities that rely on income support from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Among participants were legal clinic workers, legal professionals, community agencies and ODSP recipients themselves.
As part of the second day’s events, persons gathered around particular tables to discuss issues of interest to them, including employment, ODSP client services, adequacy of benefits and “stupid rules”. Not surprisingly the issue of “stupid rules” came up at every table regardless of their intended content. Participants defined “stupid rules” as various regulations in the ODSP program governing such things as assets, income, travel reimbursements for medical appointments and earnings claw backs.
Recipients Speak of the Cost of Receiving ODSP Benefits
To the general public, it always appears that somebody who is receiving ODSP is getting “free money”, when in fact this money comes to recipients at a great cost to their dignity, human rights and capacity to move ahead. In order to qualify for ODSP, not only must one undergo an independent medical review of their case history to be deemed eligible, they must also strip themselves of almost all of their retirement savings, valuables and other assets earned before they became disabled. If one receives an inheritance, this could potentially rob them of their only income source. If one needs to take a loan to purchase something, ODSP may claw this loan money back as “income” even though the recipient still has to repay this money.
Many ODSP recipients can and want to work. They have made it to the ODSP system because they are deemed to have medical impairments that limit them in many of areas of daily living. Further, many of them have conditions such as HIV/AIDS or mental health issues that bring about such stigma that most find it difficult to find employers willing to accept and accommodate them. However, many ODSP recipients do try to work.
Receiving Gifts From Family Exempt, Earnings Not
The ODSP program actively encourages but does not force ODSP recipients to work. It has improved on a number of regulations over the years permitting recipients to keep more of their earnings, as well as allow former ODSP recipients to keep some of their medical benefits if they take a job without such benefits. Further, if their job does not work out, they can be rapidly reinstated into the program. However, if a recipient begins to work, they lose fifty cents from the very first dollar onwards from their net pay. This contrasts with ODSP’s other regulations that permit recipients to receive up to $6,000 a year from family and friends without losing a nickel.
Proponents of change in the ODSP program want recipients to be able to earn as much as $6,000 a year (or $500 per month) without losing income, the same way they would benefit if this money had come from their families as a gift. As many recipients point out, they are not charity cases and do want to earn as much money as they can themselves. Among all of the recommendations coming from this conference and the coalition itself, nothing spoke louder than the need to be able to earn up to $500 per month without losing any of it, as well as greater opportunities to find suitable jobs.
Time will only tell if anybody is listening.
