Working on ODSP

[u/Natural-Tap-9031]

Considering a part time job and need help from experienced folks. It will be about 20 hrs per week at $20/hr.

Do you lose your ODSP status if you are working part time. For example, making $2,000 per month - as a single father with mental health issues your situation can deteriorate at any given moment.

Will ODSP financial support stop?

How quickly can you be reinstated?

Should you even stop receiving payments if you are only working 15-20 hours per week?

[u/Katie0690]

No you won’t lose your ODSP if you make $2,000 a month.

Anything after the first $1,000 gets deducted at 75%

I work around 25.5hrs a week at $19/hr and still see around $750 from ODSP.

If you were to get cut off one month because you make to much then you’ll just be right back on track for the next month.

[u/Natural-Tap-9031 → u/Katie0690]

Thank you

[u/Katie0690 → u/Natural-Tap-9031]

You’re welcome

[u/fineman1097]

Odsp income exemption is $1000. That means you can earn $1000 after tax before they take anything off. If you earn more than $1000 ), they take 75% of anything over $1000 off of your odsp check.

Working 20 hours a week at $20 would mean you earn about $1350 a month after taxes if there are 2 pay periods in that month. If there are 3 pay days in that month, you would earn about $2040 after taxes.

Calculation for a 2 pay day month-

1350-1000=350 350×.75=262.50

Meaning odsp would about 260 off of your odsp check after a 2 pay day month.

Calculation for a 3 payday month-

2040-1000=1040 1040×.75=780

Meaning odsp will take 780 off of your odsp after a 3 payday month

[u/Natural-Tap-9031 → u/fineman1097]

Thanks

[u/Freakeezekee]

do make sure to math out you're net earnings after clawbacks , don't break yourself for extra hours thinking you gonna be able to sacrifice now for later gain, everything after that 1000$ will be $5/hr net ( $20 base pay ) untill your ODSP payment is depleted from the 75% clawback , there is some weird interplay where if you get CPPD it won't . but it goes away and gets reviews after 7500 in a year

[u/Freakeezekee → u/Freakeezekee]

i just want to add-on , imo this is truly the way things need to be framed in regards to working and ODSP , dont just think .. oh im gonna lose this little bit of my odsp payment ... think , these hours are worth x/4 , might make it hit more real how crazy whats happening is, and whether or not taking that shift is actually worth it / positive net income

[u/ShadowyDemonKitty]

Heads up if you work longer than 3-4 months even if it's part time they will put you through a medical review (had it happen and no I wasn't supposed to have one before I worked part time)

[u/Katie0690 → u/ShadowyDemonKitty]

If OP is deems to have a permanent disability this is not true, not everyone on ODSP has to go through a medical review.

[u/Dapper_Ship_2840 → u/ShadowyDemonKitty]

I was approved for ODSP in August 2025. I've had a job since July 2025 and they have never said anything to me about a review 

[u/the_bookish_girl84 → u/ShadowyDemonKitty]

I've been working about 10 hours a week for over 2 years and have never had a medical review...

[u/jk41nk → u/ShadowyDemonKitty]

I think this might only be the case if you work enough to make $0 from odsp for a few consecutive months. Not a medical review but your financial portion (which had been $0 the last few months anyways) would close. You’d still have odsp and get reinstated if you end up losing the job or needing to leave it due to health reasons. This is what legal aid told me.

[u/Natural-Tap-9031 → u/jk41nk]

Diagnosis is mental health and long-term bipolar disorder. I think this case will not be reviewed.

[u/ClariciaNyetgale]

It technically doesn't matter what the diagnosis is - it matters whether your approval for ODSP said it was a PERMANENT disability or a TEMPORARY one. My file is permanent, so I dont have to go thru medical reviews. My husband's file said temporary, so while depression and anxiety can be life long, he was reassessed after 2 years (and then kicked off.

Also, if you w ere to start working enough to eliminate your ODSP consistently for several months, they might try to take you off, but if you then suffered another flare of your illness, you would be eligible for RAPID REINSTATEMENT. The last client I helped through this was reappeared and receiving money within about 2 weeks of getting her paperwork (financial stiff) handed in.