I gave my ODSP appeal form to the Social Benefits Tribunal. Now what?
Long delays for appeal hearings
If you're appealing a decision made by OW or ODSP in 2020, your appeal hearing may not happen for a long time. People report that they're getting hearing dates from the that are between 9 and 16 months in the future. We'll update this information as things change.
About 2 weeks after you your Appeal Form, the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT) sends you a letter with a file number. You file your Appeal Form when you deliver it to the SBT and follow the rules about how to do this.
Keep track of the file number as you will need it whenever you contact the SBT about your appeal.
The SBT sends a copy of your Appeal Form to:
- the , if you're appealing a decision that you're not a person with a disability
- your local Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) office, if your appeal is about anything else, such as whether you qualify financially
After the SBT sends your Appeal Form
Once the Disability Adjudication Unit or the local ODSP office gets your Appeal Form, they have 30 days to fill out a Response to Appeal (Form 3) and give it to the SBT.
They can also do what's called a “written submission”. This means that they explain in writing:
- why they made the decision you're appealing, and
- why they think it's correct.
If the Disability Adjudication Unit or the local ODSP office does a written submission, they have to send it to the SBT within the same 30 days.
And they have to send you a copy of whatever they send to the SBT.
If you don't get a copy of a written submission, call the Disability Adjudication Unit at 1-888-256-6758 or your local ODSP office.
You can also contact a community legal clinic for help.
