Unwarranted hold

An Indigenous woman who had moved from a city to a First Nations reserve was referred to us by her local legal aid clinic for help with her Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits. The ODSP had confirmed her medical eligibility, but she had been waiting for seven months and still hadn’t received any support.

Result: We reached out to the woman’s ODSP manager, who explained that the decision was put on hold because they couldn’t contact her by phone. We helped them connect with her, and the woman received more than $6,500 in retroactive benefits, as well as ongoing monthly support. ODSP staff said they would speak to her about her rights and responsibilities. She confirmed that she was receiving the payments and thanked us for our help.