Can I get disability benefits?

If your income is low and you live in Ontario, you may be able to get financial help from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). This kind of help is called income support.

Income support from ODSP is for people with serious health problems. There are rules about who can get income support and what you must do to keep getting it.

You have to qualify both:

1. financially, and
2. in most cases, as a person with a disability.

You must be 18 or older to get income support on your own from ODSP. But you can apply if you will turn 18 within the next 6 months.

Who is a “person with a disability”

Most people must meet the ODSP definition of a person with a disability.

This means that an approved health professional, such as a doctor, fills out the forms that are in the Disability Determination Package to confirm that:

• you have a physical or mental health problem that's expected to last a year or more, and
• your health problem limits your ability to work, look after yourself, or do daily activities at home or in the community.

The law also says that your health problem must be substantial and must limit your abilities in a substantial way.

It can be a health problem that you have all the time or one that sometimes goes away but then comes back.

And it can be one health problem or a number of different problems that together limit your abilities.

Getting ODSP without proving you’re a “person with a disability”

Some people can get income support from ODSP without having to complete a Disability Determination Package. This is because they don't have to prove that they meet the definition of a “person with a disability”. See Step 3.

How much you can get

How much you get from ODSP depends on many things. Usually, your monthly payment includes:  

• a basic needs amount, and 
• a shelter allowance. 

Your basic needs amount is based on who's in your household.  

The shelter allowance is based on who you live with and the costs related to your housing, like rent or a mortgage.  

There's a limit to how much ODSP will pay for a shelter allowance. The most you can get is called the “maximum shelter allowance”. 

Below is the highest monthly payment for 2024, if you're:  

• single and living alone, or  
• living with a spouse who does not have a disability.   

You may also be able to get more money from ODSP in certain circumstances, including if you: 

• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• live in a remote community 
• need a special diet 
• are a single parent 

Getting help

If you need help applying for ODSP, you can contact a community legal clinic.