Rules about spending your inheritance

ODSP will not count any part of your inheritance that you use to:

• buy items or services for your disability
• pay first and last month’s rent if you need to get a place to live
• help buy a home for you to live in
• buy a car

Using it for items and services

Items or services for your disability can be anything that helps you to live with your disability. For example:

• assisted devices like hearing aids and wheelchair lifts
• support services like nursing and cleaning services
• health care and safety items like prescriptions and artificial limbs
• renovations like ramps and safety rails
• education and training like a support person who reads for you and sign language training

ODSP must approve the item or service. So talk to your ODSP worker first.

Saving for an item or service

You may also be able to save your inheritance for an item or service in the future.

ODSP can let you have more assets than usual if you’re planning on using the money for an item or service related to your disability.

Talk to your ODSP worker if you want to do this.

Make sure you use the money for the item or service. If you use it for something else, ODSP may make you pay back some of the benefits you got while you were saving it.

Using it for rent, a car, or a home

If you plan to use the inheritance for your rent or to buy a car, do it within 6 months of getting the inheritance.

ODSP will not count the value of your first car. But they do count part of the value of any other cars you buy.

If you plan to use the inheritance to buy a home, do it within 12 months of getting the inheritance.

If you need more time to use the inheritance for rent, a car, or a home, talk to your ODSP worker.

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