3. Save important information
MyBenefits is useful because all documents and messages from Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) are in one place. But you cannot access these through MyBenefits forever.
MyBenefits lets you see messages between you and your caseworkers for one year after they were sent.
If your caseworker thinks a message is important, they'll copy it into your file in the Social Assistance Management System (SAMS).
Important messages and documents that are saved on SAMS are kept for longer. After you stop getting benefits, OW keeps these files for 5 years or more. And ODSP keeps them for at least 10 years.
Make a Freedom of Information request
To get these messages and documents from SAMS, you must make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
For ODSP, you must submit your FOI request to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. For OW, you must make your FOI request to the municipality where you live. You can do this at your local OW office.
It costs $5 to make an FOI request. And you may have to pay other fees depending on the type of request you make.
Get a decision
In most cases, you'll get a letter within 30 days that says whether you can have all, some, or none of the documents you asked for.
If your request is allowed and you do not have to pay any more fees, you'll also get a copy of the documents.
If there are more fees, the letter will tell you how much they are. You'll have to pay these fees before you can get your documents.
How long documents are kept
Not all documents that are sent through MyBenefits are kept. Some are deleted from SAMS after 90 days. This includes documents that a caseworker:
- did not ask for and does not think are useful to keep, or
- only needs to make a note that they've seen them. OW and ODSP have their own lists of these documents.
Notice of Decision letters
letters appear on MyBenefits for only one year. And they are also saved on SAMS.
But you should also save these somewhere safe. Otherwise, you will have to make an FOI request if you need to get them.
Save your own copies
You will not know whether your caseworker saves or deletes documents or messages. And even if messages are saved, it's a good idea to save your own copies. For example, you could print them or save them on your own computer. This gives you access to them in the future.
