Ontario disability aid change not as beneficial as it seems, advocates say
Terrie Meehan sometimes eats just one meal a day so she can stretch her food supply.
The $1,100 a month she receives from the Ontario Disability Support Program just doesn't go that far.
That won't change for Meehan -- or the vast majority of the Ontarians who receive aid under the program -- as the provincial government starts allowing recipients to earn more money from working before clawing back their benefits.
The change, which took effect Wednesday, will allow ODSP recipients to earn $1,000 from working, up from $200. For each dollar earned above the $1,000 exemption, the person with disability would keep 25 cents.
But like Meehan, about 95 per cent of support program recipients will see no change to their monthly income as a result. She said many of her friends are in the same boat and she isn't sure how she feels about the government making the change.
"I feel suspicious when this government is very punitive to those of us who are stuck on assistance," said Meehan.
In addition to her ODSP benefit, she earns a few hundred dollars a month doing gig work when she can, like using her wheelchair to deliver restaurant meal orders.
After paying her monthly bills, she might have $200 left. Sometimes it's less.
"I do not get enough," said Meehan. "I was considering earlier today looking at how long it would take me to pay back a payday loan."
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The Ontario auditor general said 510,000 people received ODSP support in 2018-19. Upon announcing the increase to the earning exemption, the provincial government said it would help 25,000 people.
Trevor Manson, a co-chair with the ODSP Action Coalition and a recipient of the benefit, said the exemption will help those who work, but it doesn't come close to solving the issue that many recipients are facing. He called their situation "legislated poverty."
"We know that the vast majority of people on ODSP are unable to work," Manson said. "So it's not really going to make that much of a difference for the vast majority of people on the program."
In September the provincial government increased program payments by five per cent. The change increased the maximum payment by $58 a month, to $1,228.
It will be adjusted to inflation in July.
Lisa Argiropulos is a person with disability who is reliant on ODSP and unable to work. She received the five-per-cent increase, which gave her an extra $38, but she said with the rising cost of living it barely helped.
"Considering that the rates were already below poverty level, you don't really notice the difference," said Argiropulos.
"Now with the prices of everything going up, it's actually like, we're even worse off."
Jennifer Robson, an associate professor and program director of political management at Carleton University, said the earnings exemption increase in no way closes the gap to get ODSP rates up to an acceptable minimum.
"In a city like Ottawa a single person needs a little over $25,000 (a year) just to stay at the poverty line," said Robson.
With the maximum ODSP benefit, plus earning $1,000 from working, the monthly income of a person on ODSP would just barely exceed that.
Robson said Ontario could learn from a Quebec pilot program launched last month.
The new basic income program is for people with severe limitations on their ability to work, including those with disabilities. The basic benefit is $1,138 per month, but can be higher depending on an individual's circumstances.
Meehan says she never knows what kind of jobs she can get. In December she was able to work a Christmas job daily. But she ended up earning too much money, which left her January ODSP payment at nothing.
If she could get a regular part-time job she would take it in a heartbeat.
She paid her rent this week by saving her December earnings, and is nervous as to how she's going to keep affording groceries as food prices rise.
"I had to make sure I saved that money from December so that my bills will at least get paid, food -- oh," Meehan paused. "I'll figure it out when I figure out."
"Anyone can be in this situation for any reason in a heartbeat," she added.
"People don't get to choose whether or not they have a health issue or have an accident and can't work."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.