3. Learn about trustees
Question & Answer
Can ODSP pay my assistance to someone else for me?The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) can decide to pay all or part of your to a trustee that they choose.
You don't have to pay for a trustee and having a trustee does not affect the amount of assistance you get.
A trustee can be a person or an organization. They must:
- agree to be a trustee for your ODSP income support
- not have a conflict of interest, for example, your landlord can't be your trustee because you pay them money for rent
- want to do what's best for you
- have a good relationship with you
ODSP starts by seeing if you have a family member who can be your trustee. If someone takes care of you because of your disability, ODSP usually starts by seeing if they can do it.
Your trustee could also be:
- a friend
- a community agency or religious organization
- a lawyer
If there's no one who can be your trustee, ODSP may be able to use the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee.
What a trustee does
A trustee always has to do what's best for you and the people in your household.
If possible, the trustee should talk to you about how they'll manage your money. And they should ask your opinion and involve you in decisions whenever it's possible.
A trustee must:
- tell ODSP about changes in your life, for example, if someone moves in with you
- go to the ODSP office for meetings and to sign forms
- manage your support in a way that's honest and best for you
- make sure your rent and other bills are paid on time
- keep a financial record of the ODSP income support they get for you and the payments they make from this money
- give ODSP a report with the financial record once a year, or more often if ODSP asks for it
