After receiving the first of two Small Business Support Grant payments, a business owner was told he was no longer eligible for the second. He sought our help after discovering that an error in his banking information had caused his bank to reject the second payment to his account. When he tried to …
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After receiving the first of two Small Business Support Grant payments, a business owner was told he was no longer eligible for the second.
/en/our-work/case-stories/second-chance-1
Extension explained
A woman whose husband was killed in a workplace accident complained to us that she had heard nothing about the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development’s investigation of the incident for more than a year. She was concerned that it was already too late for any charges to be laid under …
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A woman whose husband was killed in a workplace accident complained to us that she had heard nothing about the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development’s investigation of the incident for more than a year.
/en/our-work/case-stories/extension-explained
Tell us more
A man contacted us on behalf of his father, who was immunocompromised and receiving cancer treatments. He had applied to the Exceptional Access Program for funding for a drug necessary for managing the elder man’s conditions – which the EAP had approved for him before. He complained that EAP staff …
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A man contacted us on behalf of his father, who was immunocompromised and receiving cancer treatments.
/en/our-work/case-stories/tell-us-more
Deductible decision
A man contacted our Office after trying unsuccessfully to have his Trillium Drug Program deductible increased. He had requested a reassessment, but the amount was still inconsistent with the program guide’s formula. He was also having trouble getting reimbursed for his wife’s kidney transplant …
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A man contacted our Office after trying unsuccessfully to have his Trillium Drug Program deductible increased.
/en/our-work/case-stories/deductible-decision
Form fix
We heard from a man who was still waiting for his semi-annual grant for ostomy supplies from the Ministry’s Assistive Devices Program. We spoke with Ministry staff and learned that they were waiting on a form from him. We arranged with staff from his doctor’s office to send the form to the Ministry …
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We heard from a man who was still waiting for his semi-annual grant for ostomy supplies from the Ministry’s Assistive Devices Program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/form-fix
Long-term loan
A man with ALS complained that when he moved into a long-term care home in 2017 due to his deteriorating condition, he become ineligible for the ventilator that he had been provided through the province’s Ventilator Equipment Pool program. Our staff confirmed with Ministry of Health and program …
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A man with ALS complained that when he moved into a long-term care home in 2017 due to his deteriorating condition, he become ineligible for the ventilator that he had been provided through the province’s Ventilator Equipment Pool program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/long-term-loan
Home safe
A group home worker raised health and safety concerns with us after he and a few colleagues contracted COVID-19. He believed they were exposed to a resident who tested positive, and said they had not been provided with personal protective equipment (PPE). We made inquiries with Ministry of …
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A group home worker raised health and safety concerns with us after he and a few colleagues contracted COVID-19.
/en/our-work/case-stories/home-safe
Exclusion explanation
A personal support worker contacted us in frustration when he and his colleagues were denied “pandemic pay,” despite being in close contact with patients. We provided him with information about the criteria for this pay program, including that it only pertained to employers who received direct …
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A personal support worker contacted us in frustration when he and his colleagues were denied “pandemic pay,” despite being in close contact with patients.
/en/our-work/case-stories/exclusion-explanation
Open and shut case
A woman who was waiting for the Fair Practices Commissioner (FPC – the WSIB’s internal ombudsman) to assist her with a loss-of-earnings assessment and prescription cost refund sought our help early in the pandemic. The FPC’s office was shut down and she was unable to reach them. We contacted staff …
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A woman who was waiting for the Fair Practices Commissioner (FPC – the WSIB’s internal ombudsman) to assist her with a loss-of-earnings assessment and prescription cost refund sought our help early in the pandemic.
/en/our-work/case-stories/open-and-shut-case
Checked and re-chequed
A woman contacted us after she missed several cheques from the province’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP), which she required to cover the cost of ostomy supplies. She explained that she had changed addresses several times. Our staff contacted ADP officials, who determined that two of the woman’s …
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A woman contacted us after she missed several cheques from the province’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP), which she required to cover the cost of ostomy supplies.
/en/our-work/case-stories/checked-and-re-chequed
Information, please
A woman who has several health issues and relies on Ontario Disability Support Program benefits complained to us that her request for coverage of her medications had been denied by the Ontario Drug Benefit program. She relied on food banks to eat so that she could purchase her medications as …
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A woman who has several health issues and relies on Ontario Disability Support Program benefits complained to us that her request for coverage of her medications had been denied by the Ontario Drug Benefit program.
/en/our-work/case-stories/information-please
Healthy extension
A woman who had lived in Canada for 76 years sought our help when she attempted to renew her health card and discovered she did not have Canadian citizenship. She feared this would affect her health coverage, as she was told she would have to apply for a passport in her birth country and then apply …
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A woman who had lived in Canada for 76 years sought our help when she attempted to renew her health card and discovered she did not have Canadian citizenship.
/en/our-work/case-stories/healthy-extension
Keep on truckin’
A truck driver who crosses the Canada-U.S. border weekly as an essential worker complained to us that a ServiceOntario location would not let him in and demanded he self-isolate for 14 days because he had recently crossed the border. Our staff discovered that ServiceOntario had a COVID-19 screening …
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A truck driver who crosses the Canada-U.S. border weekly as an essential worker complained to us that a ServiceOntario location would not let him in and demanded he self-isolate for 14 days because he had recently crossed the border.
/en/our-work/case-stories/keep-truckin
Debt free
A man sought our help when he was contacted by a collections agency many years after receiving funding from Second Career – a program now operated by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. He was told he had to repay the $28,000 he had received through the program – plus interest …
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A man sought our help when he was contacted by a collections agency many years after receiving funding from Second Career – a program now operated by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
/en/our-work/case-stories/debt-free
Sorry process
We have resolved several complaints over the past three years about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which nominates skilled immigrant workers for permanent residency. The Ministry took steps to address issues of poor customer service and delay in this program. It also worked with our …
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We have resolved several complaints over the past three years about the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which nominates skilled immigrant workers for permanent residency.
/en/our-work/case-stories/sorry-process
Wrongly charged
A patient contacted us after being told by their physician that a non-cosmetic dermatological treatment was not covered by OHIP, and could only be provided if the patient paid. We made inquiries with the Ministry, and confirmed that the treatment was in fact covered. The Ministry asked that the …
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A patient contacted us after being told by their physician that a non-cosmetic dermatological treatment was not covered by OHIP, and could only be provided if the patient paid.
/en/our-work/case-stories/wrongly-charged
Insured in time
A cancer patient who had appealed OHIP’s decision to deny him coverage complained to us when he did not receive a response within the Ministry of Health’s posted deadline. He had been living overseas for several years and OHIP had denied him coverage because he lacked proof of residency in Ontario. …
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A cancer patient who had appealed OHIP’s decision to deny him coverage complained to us when he did not receive a response within the Ministry of Health’s posted deadline.
/en/our-work/case-stories/insured-time
Worth the trip
A woman sought our help after her application for an overnight accommodation allowance was denied by the Northern Health Travel Grant because she did not meet the minimum distance requirement. She said her health needs required an overnight stay, and she had been granted many other travel …
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A woman sought our help after her application for an overnight accommodation allowance was denied by the Northern Health Travel Grant because she did not meet the minimum distance requirement.
/en/our-work/case-stories/worth-trip
Harsh choice
A provincial government employee complained to us that the practices of the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Office (WDHP) were onerous and unfair. This office, part of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, investigates complaints of discrimination and harassment in …
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A provincial government employee complained to us that the practices of the Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Office (WDHP) were onerous and unfair.
/en/our-work/case-stories/harsh-choice
Uncovered
A concerned social worker at a psychiatric hospital asked us if we could help a patient whose OHIP coverage had been suddenly cancelled. We discovered that the man had immigrated to Canada more than 50 years ago, and was under the guardianship of Ontario’s Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee, …
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A concerned social worker at a psychiatric hospital asked us if we could help a patient whose OHIP coverage had been suddenly cancelled.
