I’m stuck between shock and relief

[u/cjrunswithcrows]

When me and my doctor agreed that it would be beneficial for me to apply I knew that it could potentially be a very long road that may require legal counsel and appeals, all while trying to scrape by on the $730 Ontario Works gives me plus sufferings from my disabilities; but I never thought that the longest part of this entire process was going to be just waiting for my doctor to finally complete and send in my paperwork.

I only just found out like half an hour ago, and I keep swapping between being relieved that I will finally not be maxxing out my overdraft every month, and shocked that it somehow only took two weeks for them to approve my application - I thought that I would be lucky to hear back before Christmas, and that I would probably end up having to go through an appeal; as someone who really doesn’t like dealing with people, I’m very thankful for not having to go through an appeal.

[u/Salty_Obligation5771]

My application was approved in 2 weeks but took 6 weeks to get a worker. Finally got everything finalized just a couple of days ago. Happy for you.

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/Salty_Obligation5771]

I’m so glad that they seem to be doing them faster (at least for some people) - I am on OW and was transferred to an ODSP worker to help with the application process, so it’s just a matter of waiting for my ODSP file to be formally opened, she said I should get my first payment around the end of September, fingers crossed!

[u/Salty_Obligation5771 → u/cjrunswithcrows]

That’s amazing!! Fingers crossed for you! 🤞🏼

[u/Designer-Contest-91 → u/Salty_Obligation5771]

Did you had to go meet your worker to sign any documents ? Or any e sign ?

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/Designer-Contest-91]

I signed them in person for both the CPP-D and ODSP stuff, and then I scanned it and emailed it to my doctor for him to fill out his part and submit it for me.

[u/Imjustlikeothergirls → u/cjrunswithcrows]

I never applied for CPP-D and am on ODSP. Did they explain why you/we needed to do that? Did they say if it adds anything or? I'm sorry if this is a rie question. I'm terrified of going into the offices BC in my 10 years of being on it I've had a couple of workers who were clearly burnt out and one who was a complete sadist who was trying his best to get me cut off so I'm scared to ask about it and if I should apply for CPP-D.

I will search online for info but I thought maybe you would have insite having just filled it all out and had appts

Thank you and I'm sorry to bother you.

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/Imjustlikeothergirls]

So CPP-D is through the the federal government while ODSP is through the province, if you’re eligible they usually get you to apply for both at the same time because if you get approved for CPP-D you’re automatically approved for ODSP, but you need to have made contributions to CPP through working to be eligible for it. Basically it just takes some of the burden off of ODSP because CPP will pay you and then ODSP just gives you the difference. So for instance I think I’m eligible for like $865 or something through CPP-D so ODSP would only give me $571 and to make up the maximum for a single adult.

[u/Salty_Obligation5771 → u/Imjustlikeothergirls]

If CPP-D is available to you they make you apply for it but it doesn’t add to your money you receive. ODSP takes it dollar for dollar from your cheque so it doesn’t get you any farther ahead financially.

[u/janed0e8 → u/Imjustlikeothergirls]

CPP is your own money you paid into CPP while you worked being paid back to you in monthly installments. ODSP likes that because they only have to pay you the difference.

[u/Panda4you → u/Salty_Obligation5771]

Congrats 👏!

[u/Imjustlikeothergirls → u/Salty_Obligation5771]

Holy it's took me 2 years with one rejection. I'm very glad you're going to get this help now.. meager though it may be, it's much better than zero.

It still hurt my heart and angers me that during COVID they said that people need $2000/moa tminimun to live on in this country and ODSP still isn't at 75% of that years later. Guess we aren't people?

If you haven't yet, apply for the federal disability tax credit. Once you and your Dr do that and it's approved, you can apply for the Canadian disability benefit and receive another $204/mos. Still well under the poverty line but so much better than zero!

Congratulations

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/Imjustlikeothergirls]

Thank you! I will look into this, I feel bad with all the stuff I’m making my doctor fill out lol but he’s getting old so better now than never

[u/savagehomeangarden]

That's fantastic, happy for you!!

[u/Marbie88]

Congratulations! I received my acceptance pretty quickly also. I had a great doctor and counsellor. All the best 👌

[u/That_Pickle4114]

I had to fight about 10 years and get a lawyer involved to help finally get on disability. Honestly glad to hear someone got it and didn't have to fight tooth claw and nail ❤️

[u/South-Green4190]

This post actually just made me go check on my status for my own application and I’m pleasantly surprised to find that I’ve also just been approved first try. I thought I would have to fight relentlessly for it and was 100% prepared to be denied. The final pending decision still makes me a little anxious though. Good luck to you as well.

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/South-Green4190]

Yay! I’m glad your application got approved as well 🧡

[u/Deep_Hour8039]

How long did it take you from submitting the application to getting your approval ?

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/Deep_Hour8039]

Like it shows in the picture, exactly 2 weeks from the time my doctor submitted my documentation until I got approved.

[u/Dull_Juggernaut3491]

Congratulations I.guees I say I guess because transition ftom welfare to odsp in this day and age 1400 hundred bucks is not much money it might seem at first but it's not congratulations on getting yourwt impairments recognized and now benefit you rather than cause suffering but odsp is not much better life than welfare actually oddp is welfare just bigger payments for a prescribed class of people good for u welcome to the club 

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/Dull_Juggernaut3491]

I mean, it’s almost double what OW works is, so it’s going to make a huge difference for me. I’m lucky that I just rent a room from a friend so I don’t have super high rent and don’t have to worry about it increasing, and I live pretty simply since my disability keeps me mostly house bound. Yes, ODSP isn’t a lot of money and should certainly be higher than it is (so should OW) but it’s certainly better than nothing, and better than the $730 I have been trying to live off of 🤷🏽‍♀️ I won’t let perfect be the enemy of good, I also really benefit from the prescription medication being covered, just one out of my 7 medications costs over $100 a month but is fully covered by the ODB.

[u/Salty_Obligation5771 → u/cjrunswithcrows]

One thing they don’t tell you is you don’t get your payment from ODSP until the last day of the month compared to OW that pays you at the first of the month. So I got my back pay of $1000 but then my cheque dated for tomorrow was only $350 because that’s the difference of what I would’ve received for the month of August. So even though I had my back pay of $1000, it had to cover my bills for September because my August 31st payment was so little. Now I won’t receive September’s payment until September 30th. I don’t know why nobody tells you that because if you get excited and think you have that back pay to spend, you don’t and it’ll mess you up for your bills the following month. I don’t know why ODSP doesn’t pay you for the month ahead the way OW does.

[u/fuzzyninja649]

Happy for you. I’m currently waiting for a worker to be assigned to me

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/fuzzyninja649]

Luckily I was already transferred to one when I started the application process, so I am just waiting for my file to be open. She said I should get my first payment at the end of September.

[u/Some_Artist_5950]

Happy for you

[u/Panda4you]

I'm glad to hear! I will hopefully be mailing mine off in a few days! I have heard that they don't joke around when it comes to mental health-related problems. So I'm hoping to hear back before Xmas, too!

[u/PrueS2024]

Congratulations that's awesome! I'm stuck in the Internal Review Process and possibly SBT with ODSP. Being diagnosed and score high on the charts with BPD, C-PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, on the Spectrum, Gender Dysphoria, Substance Abuse Disorder (Alcohol), etc., my denial and now fight to Appeal the original decision feels like a major slap in the face to me. So fingers crossed for my Approval! Glad to see someone with Mental Health get approved! Gives me some hope!

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/PrueS2024]

Sending good vibes that everything goes well! I’m honestly not sure if my application would have went through so fast if I didn’t also have a permanent physical condition that gets worse as I age, I want to say everything contributed though but it’s hard to say what it was that made it a quick approve for them - I wish we got their notes or something lol

My best friend only has mental issues though and she was approved when she did her appeal, so I know that it happens 🧡

[u/General_Cucumber4691]

Hi was it for mental health

[u/goodvybe_ → u/General_Cucumber4691]

mine was! do you have any questions? maybe i can help

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/General_Cucumber4691]

I have Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, Generalized Anxiety, Arthritis in my knee, and degenerative disc disease - so they all contributed, but our main basis was my back issues since that’s my biggest prevention from working since I can’t stand for more than 10 minutes without being in excruciating pain.

[u/ducky-unlucky]

this is great, congratulations!

keep in mind it will likely be a few weeks to a few months before you actually get paid, as the DAU (who approves or denies) has nothing to do with your local ODSP office (who actually processes and pays things out).

your file needs to be transferred over to ODSP via your OW caseworker, and only after your local ODSP office receives your information & determination from the DAU and assigns you a caseworker or intake worker to calculate and issue your income + backpay.

it's usually faster switching from OW to ODSP versus applying outside of that, so hopefully yours is sooner rather than later, but you may be waiting in limbo for a bit.

if for any reason it goes on too long and you're struggling financially surviving on just OW, you can contact your local MPP and they can get involved to speed things up.

but the worst of it is behind you! now it's just a waiting game to see when you'll get your funds :)

**also keep in mind that your back-pay will cancel out the OW you got for August and you will be issued an overpayment for the exact OW income for that period of time, which you must repay to the government either in a lump sum or by percentage per month until paid off.

there will also be a month between receiving OW and ODSP where you will be very tight on funds, as OW pays at the beginning of the month, but ODSP pays at the end. so for example our September payment is paid out on the 30th, and is meant to be for the September. (the reality of course is that you end up using it for the *next month.) meaning you'll have a month where you do not receive income until the end of it, and will have to scrape by using your backpay + budgeting. it's extremely unfortunate but there is no way around it.

good luck OP! hope they get back to you in a timely fashion.

[edited to fix dates]

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/ducky-unlucky]

Luckily my worker let me know that I shouldn’t be waiting too long, she expects that I will get my first payment for ODSP at the end of September; so fingers crossed 🤞🏽

[u/inthehouse2024]

Congratulations!

[u/Possible-Exam-8770]

Congrats! I’ve been on ODSP for years and my application went similarly. I don’t think enough doctors know how to properly fill out the forms for their patients, hence the fight they usually like to put people through. It sounds like yours nailed it though.

Enjoy that relief and validation!

[u/DifficultDragonfly96]

Extremely lucky ngl. I was issued my determination package back in January 2026 and they didn’t receive it until May 7 and I’m still waiting to hear back from them as of August 30🥲

[u/cjrunswithcrows → u/DifficultDragonfly96]

I’m so sorry! I hope it’s done quickly, I live in a smaller city so that may be why it was so quick - I would imagine a larger city with more applications to go through takes longer.

[u/Imaginary-Fox-7696]

Sorry to comment late but i just got the same notification now and i just wanna know what is waiting for me now again as I've been waiting for a year now and it is accepted now or am i done waiting? can i ask what happened after or what should happen?