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How to apply to the Ontario Disability Support Program

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) is for people who:

  • have serious health problems, and
  • do not have enough money to live on.

The ODSP gives people money to help pay for living expenses, like housing and food. It can also help pay for some medical costs, for example:

  • prescription drugs
  • dental services
  • a special diet

It can take months to get ODSP. If you need money right now to pay for food and housing, you can apply for Ontario Works (OW).

Find out more in CLEO’s ressource How to apply to Ontario Works.

Who can get ODSP

Your income and assets

To get ODSP, your household’s income and assets must be below a certain amount. The ODSP calls this “qualifying financially”.

The ODSP has rules about who they count as part of your household. Usually, if you live with your spouse or children, they’re part of your household.

If you do not agree with who the ODSP says is part of your household, it’s important to get legal advice.

Assets

Assets are things that you own like money and property.

There are some things that the ODSP does not count as assets. These include the house you live in, one car, and most household items like furniture and appliances.

The amount of assets you can have depends on who’s in your household. For example, in 2025, a single person can have up to $40,000 worth of assets. A couple can have $50,000 in assets.

Income

You get less from the ODSP if you or the people in your household earn more than a certain amount.

You can earn up to $1,000 a month. Members of your household who do not have a disability can earn up to $200 a month. Your ODSP goes down for every dollar of income over these amounts.

There are some types of income that the ODSP does not count as income, for example:

  • Canada Pension Plan death benefit
  • Canada Child Benefit
  • income from children who are 17 years old and younger

Every month, you must report any income or assets you get to the ODSP. If you get too much, you may not qualify for ODSP that month.

Proving you have a disability

In most cases, you must prove that you have a disability to get ODSP. The ODSP calls this “qualifying as a person with a disability”.

The Disability Adjudication Unit (DAU) is the office that decides if you can get ODSP as a person with a disability.

The DAU also decides if and when you need to prove your disability again to keep getting ODSP. This is called a medical review. Usually, these reviews happen every 2 to 5 years.

To prove your disability, a health professional must confirm that you have a “substantial” physical or mental health problem.  And that problem:

  • is likely going to last a year or more, and
  • limits in a substantial way how much you can work, look after yourself, or do daily chores at home or in the community.
The ODSP has a list of health professionals that can confirm that you have a substantial health problem.

What “substantial” means

Substantial usually means that something has a big or important affect on your life. But the law does not say exactly what a “substantial” disability is or how it has to limit you for you to get ODSP.

The DAU looks at your individual situation. And based on that, it decides if your disability and how it affects you is substantial.

Not having to prove your disability

Some people can get ODSP without having to prove they have a disability. This might apply to you if you:

  • get disability benefits from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP-D) or the Québec Pension Plan
  • are over 65 but not able to get Old Age Security
  • get services or support because you have a developmental disability

How to apply

You can apply by phone or online. You can also apply in person. But in some areas you must make an appointment first.

To apply by phone, call the Social Assistance Contact Centre at 1-888-999-1142. For TTY, call 1-800-387-5559.

To apply online, go to ontario.ca/page/ontario-disabilitysupport-program.

To apply in person, find the phone number and address of your local ODSP office at www.officelocator.mcss.gov.on.ca.

Part 1: Your income and assets

In the first part of the application process, you give information about your household’s income and assets. This is how the ODSP decides if you qualify financially.

Part 2: Your disability

If your income and assets are low enough, the ODSP gives you a Disability Determination Package. There are 4 forms in it.

Your health professional fills out 2 of the forms and you fill out 2.

The DAU uses this information to decide if you’re a person with a disability.

Fill out the forms and send them to the DAU within 90 days of getting the package.

If you cannot make the deadline, you can ask the DAU for more time.

Forms you fill out

You fill out the Consent to Release Medical Information and the Self Report.

The consent form lets your health professional send the DAU the medical information that supports your application.

The Self Report lets you give more details about your health problems and how much they affect your life. This can help you show the DAU that you qualify for ODSP.

You do not have to fill out the Self Report. But you must sign it and send it in.

Forms your health professional fills out

Your health professional fills out the Health Status Report and the Activities of Daily Living Index.

These are the health professionals who can fill out your Health Status Report:

  • a family doctor or a specialist
  • a psychologist or a psychological associate
  • an optometrist
  • a registered nurse or a nurse practitioner

In the report, the health professional confirms that:

  • you have one or more physical or mental health problems that are substantial,
  • these problems will likely last for at least one year, and
  • your health problems make it very hard to do some or all of your daily tasks. This includes being able to work, look after yourself, or do things at home or in the community.

The Activities of Daily Living Index can be filled out by one of the health professionals listed above, or by one of the following:

  • an audiologist or a speech language pathologist
  • an occupational therapist or a physiotherapist
  • a chiropractor
  • a social worker

The health professional rates and describes how much your health problems limit you from:

  • working
  • looking after yourself
  • doing things at home and in the community

The same health professional can fill out both forms. Or different health professionals can fill them out.

Before or while they’re filling out the forms, tell your health professional about your disability and how it affects your life.

If you do not get ODSP

If the ODSP or DAU says you cannot get ODSP, you can appeal.

Step 1: Internal review

Write to the office that made the decision and ask for an internal review.

In an internal review, someone else from that office looks at the decision and decides whether to change it.

CLEO has a tool that helps you write a letter to the ODSP or DAU. Go to stepstojustice.ca/ask-odsp-review.

Step 2: Social Benefits Tribunal

If you do not agree with the internal review decision, you can appeal to the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT).

The SBT is not part of the ODSP or DAU and can make a different decision.

CLEO has a resource about how to make an appeal and important deadlines.

Other disability benefits

There are other benefits for people with disabilities, such as:

  • Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits
  • Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits
  • disability benefits from Veterans Affairs
  • pension benefits from another country where they lived
  • workers’ compensation benefits

Legal help and information

Contact a community legal clinic for help applying for ODSP or other benefits, or appealing a decision.

To find your local clinic, visit legalaid.on.ca/legal-clinics. Or call 1-800-668-8258. For TTY, call 711.