Skip to main content
Ombudsman Ontario Home

Ombudsman Ontario

Secondary navigation

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • News
  • Careers
Français
Français

Main navigation

  • Make a complaint
    • What you can expect
    • What we can help you with
    • File your complaint
    • Frequently asked questions
  • Help for…
    • Indigenous people
    • Children, youth and families
    • French speakers
  • Our work
    • Case stories
    • Investigations
    • Annual reports
    • Municipal meetings
    • Submissions to government
    • Brochures, posters and resources
    • Outreach and engagement
  • Info for public bodies and officials
    • What to expect if we contact you
    • Members of Provincial Parliament
    • Provincial government
    • Municipal government
    • Services for children and youth
    • Services for French speakers
    • School boards
    • Training and education
    • Questions and inquiries

Main navigation

  • Make a complaint
    • What you can expect
    • What we can help you with
    • File your complaint
    • Frequently asked questions
  • Help for…
    • Indigenous people
    • Children, youth and families
    • French speakers
  • Our work
    • Case stories
    • Investigations
    • Annual reports
    • Municipal meetings
    • Submissions to government
    • Brochures, posters and resources
    • Outreach and engagement
  • Info for public bodies and officials
    • What to expect if we contact you
    • Members of Provincial Parliament
    • Provincial government
    • Municipal government
    • Services for children and youth
    • Services for French speakers
    • School boards
    • Training and education
    • Questions and inquiries

Secondary navigation

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • News
  • Careers
Ombudsman Ontario Home

Ombudsman Ontario

Français

Search

Refine your search

  • Annual Reports
  • Case Stories
  • Investigations
  • Submissions to government

Keyword

Category

  • Certificates and permits
  • Children and youth
  • Education - Daycare - Grade 12
  • Education - Post-Secondary
  • Employment
  • Energy and environment
  • (-) French language services
  • Health
  • Law and order
  • Money and property
  • Municipalities
  • (-) Social services
  • Transportation
Displaying 121 - 140 of 182

Long overdue

A man with significant medical issues contacted us with the help of his social worker because he was experiencing financial hardship due to the Family Responsibility Office garnishing his Canada Pension Plan benefits for past child support arrears – although his children were now in their 30s. Our …
Body
A man with significant medical issues contacted us with the help of his social worker because he was experiencing financial hardship due to the Family Responsibility Office garnishing his Canada Pension Plan benefits for past child support arrears – although his children were now in their 30s.

Address unknown

A woman complained to us that she had not received any family support payments in over a year, despite submitting paperwork to the Family Responsibility Office asking that she receive them via direct deposit rather than by mailed cheque. Our inquiries revealed that FRO officials never received her …
Body
A woman complained to us that she had not received any family support payments in over a year, despite submitting paperwork to the Family Responsibility Office asking that she receive them via direct deposit rather than by mailed cheque.

Our opinion matters

An education worker complained to our French Language Services Unit about a unilingual English survey about technology that was being conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Because it was in English only, she said the survey - done by a third party - excluded the views of Francophone …
Body
An education worker complained to our French Language Services Unit about a unilingual English survey about technology that was being conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

Broken telephone

Our staff helped a woman who was having trouble reaching a manager at the Family Responsibility Office (FRO), due to recent changes to its phone system. We spoke with FRO officials and they committed to getting in touch with her, but there was a substantial delay before the woman was able to …
Body
Our staff helped a woman who was having trouble reaching a manager at the Family Responsibility Office (FRO), due to recent changes to its phone system.

Paid upfront

A cancer patient who is an Ontario Disability Support Program recipient told us she was about to have surgery and urgently needed funds to pay for transportation, but could not reach her caseworker. We spoke with ODSP officials, who explained that caseworkers are rotating in and out of the office …
Body
A cancer patient who is an Ontario Disability Support Program recipient told us she was about to have surgery and urgently needed funds to pay for transportation, but could not reach her caseworker.

Failing the test

A man visited a London DriveTest centre with his son, who wanted to take the theory component of the road test, and requested services in French. He told us the person at the counter was unable to provide services in French and did not try to find a French-speaking colleague to help. Our staff …
Body
A man visited a London DriveTest centre with his son, who wanted to take the theory component of the road test, and requested services in French.

Hold, s’il vous plaît

A francophone man complained to our French Language Services Unit that he waited an hour on the phone for service in French when he called the disability eligibility decision unit of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. He finally hung up in frustration, called back and chose …
Body
A francophone man complained to our French Language Services Unit that he waited an hour on the phone for service in French when he called the disability eligibility decision unit of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Au revoir, not goodbye

A woman complained to our French Language Services Unit that the Superior Court in Toronto could not serve her in person in French, resulting in a wasted trip and frustration. Our staff contacted the administrative services of the Superior Court to assess the lack of services in French and to …
Body
A woman complained to our French Language Services Unit that the Superior Court in Toronto could not serve her in person in French, resulting in a wasted trip and frustration.

Website faux pas

A French-speaking woman sought our help after she encountered difficulties with the website of the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office. Not only was the French version of the site not equivalent to the English version, it also had sections in English. We contacted the manager of the organization, …
Body
A French-speaking woman sought our help after she encountered difficulties with the website of the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office.

Lacking language

A man who was following the complaints process regarding a bilingual community legal clinic reached out to us after receiving an English-only version of the clinic’s complaints policy. We contacted Legal Aid Ontario, which ensured the full translation of the document into French. Learn more about …
Body
A man who was following the complaints process regarding a bilingual community legal clinic reached out to us after receiving an English-only version of the clinic’s complaints policy.

The road to French services

We received a complaint from a man who had recently moved to Canada. Although his motorcycle licence was valid in his home country, he was required to re-take the test in Ontario. The man had been assigned an English-speaking examiner for his motorcycle road test, even though he requested a …
Body
We received a complaint from a man who had recently moved to Canada. Although his motorcycle licence was valid in his home country, he was required to re-take the test in Ontario. The man had been assigned an English-speaking examiner for his motorcycle road test, even though he requested a French-speaking examiner in advance at a designated DriveTest centre.

A parent error

A father complained to us that FRO had collected thousands of dollars of support payments from him for 14 years, even though his daughter was no longer in the care of her mother but had been made a Crown ward. FRO officials confirmed to us that they had received information in 2004 indicating that …
Body
A father complained to us that FRO had collected thousands of dollars of support payments from him for 14 years, even though his daughter was no longer in the care of her mother but had been made a Crown ward.

Credit undo

A mother who receives support for her adult child with disabilities sought our help after she inadvertently provided inaccurate information to FRO, resulting in the termination of her support and a $21,000 credit to the payor. Ombudsman staff inquired with FRO officials, who agreed to review the …
Body
A mother who receives support for her adult child with disabilities sought our help after she inadvertently provided inaccurate information to FRO, resulting in the termination of her support and a $21,000 credit to the payor.

Auto-threat

A pensioner who had a longstanding agreement to pay her family support arrears off at $50/month complained to us that the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) sent her a letter threatening to garnish half of her monthly income, which would leave her with no money to pay her utility bills. When our …
Body
A pensioner who had a longstanding agreement to pay her family support arrears off at $50/month complained to us that the Family Responsibility Office (FRO) sent her a letter threatening to garnish half of her monthly income, which would leave her with no money to pay her utility bills.

Not on board

An Ontario Works recipient sought our help when he received a letter saying he would have to repay $1,835 to Ontario Works, and that his monthly income would be reduced by $202. He was baffled and upset by this, and officials had not responded to his request for a review. When we looked into the …
Body
An Ontario Works recipient sought our help when he received a letter saying he would have to repay $1,835 to Ontario Works, and that his monthly income would be reduced by $202.

Builder beware

A man who has physical disabilities and cancer was issued a grant from the province’s Home and Vehicle Modification Program (HVMP) to build a porch lift at his home. The contractors falsely told the man that building permits were not required, and after a city inspection found it was not built to …
Body
A man who has physical disabilities and cancer was issued a grant from the province’s Home and Vehicle Modification Program (HVMP) to build a porch lift at his home.

Double trouble

A mother and adult daughter, both ODSP recipients who live together, complained to us about a mixup after the daughter successfully applied for ODSP for herself from a different office than the one where her mother was a client. She was not aware that her mother received additional ODSP benefits …
Body
A mother and adult daughter, both ODSP recipients who live together, complained to us about a mixup after the daughter successfully applied for ODSP for herself from a different office than the one where her mother was a client.

Mailbox full

A man whose shelter allowance was terminated by the ODSP without notice complained to us after his case worker did not respond to several email messages. He had registered for a secure email program offered to ODSP clients who wish to communicate with case workers without having to phone or meet …
Body
A man whose shelter allowance was terminated by the ODSP without notice complained to us after his case worker did not respond to several email messages.

Brother’s keeper

We helped sort out a case of mistaken identity between the FRO and a man who could not insure his house because a writ was registered in his name for unpaid support obligations – even though it was his brother who actually owed support arrears. The FRO has a process to deal with such claims, but …
Body
We helped sort out a case of mistaken identity between the FRO and a man who could not insure his house because a writ was registered in his name for unpaid support obligations – even though it was his brother who actually owed support arrears.

Cold case

A man contacted our office after the FRO issued an order to garnish his Old Age Security payments and his federal pension, according to a court order from 1982. He disputed his ex-wife’s claim that he owed $62,000 in child support arrears, and noted that the children were now 38 and 42 years old. …
Body
A man contacted our office after the FRO issued an order to garnish his Old Age Security payments and his federal pension, according to a court order from 1982.

Pagination

  • First First page
  • Previous Previous page
  • …
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • …
  • Next Next page
  • Last Last page

The Ontario Ombudsman’s work takes place on traditional Indigenous territories across the province we now call Ontario, and we are thankful to be able to work and live on this land. 

Ombudsman Ontario Home

Ombudsman Ontario

483 Bay Street
10th floor, South Tower
Toronto, ON M5G 2C9

Toll-free (Ontario only): 1-800-263-1830
Outside Ontario: 416-586-3300
info@ombudsman.on.ca

Footer menu

  • Make a complaint
  • Help for...
  • Our work
  • About us
  • Careers

Make a complaint

  • Info for public bodies and officials
  • News

Footer buttons

  • Sign up for our newsletter
  • Contact us

Follow us

All contents © 2025 Ombudsman Ontario. All rights reserved.

Footer Utility

  • Site map
  • Accessibility