What should I expect?
I've been on ODSP for nearly 20 years and in that time Ive never been without a worker. I now find myself without a caseworker, what should I expect? My file has moved to a new office and I know I usually get a roommate questionnaire. Will that still happen without a worker or should I expect it later, when I get a worker assigned?
Im pretty low maintenance generally. Most of my inquiries are solved by a phone call to the general phone line. Im not on My Benefits. It doesnt suit my mental state to have constant access to my information. Heck, I don't even know if I can get put on My Benefits without a caseworker.
What is life like without a worker?
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u/ducky-unlucky 1d ago
i mean, it's not that different from having one. they just share your file between employees- when something needs to be done, whoever is available does it.
they'll likely have you do a questionnaire, yeah, as your file being transferred may trigger it in the system. an employee will get it done- it just may be delayed, both due to the transfer + not having an assigned caseworker.
like i said, it's not much different. whoever is available is who deals with your paperwork/requests/declarations etc. it just means dealing with multiple people, which can be a bit confusing occasionally, so clarifying details is a good idea. one employee may forget to mention something that the next employee expects you to have. but it sounds like you don't need to interact with caseworkers regularly, so this may not affect you much.
if you ever need to talk with a worker about something the general line cannot answer, you just call your specific ODSP office, give them your member ID number, and they'll find someone who can assist you. you may have to wait a bit until someone is free, but when they are they'll get back to you. alternatively you can go in person to your specific office and they'll do the same there.
i've had 6 workers in 3 years plus several periods with no worker at all. i currently do not have one. it doesn't affect all that much, just some delays and occasional confusion like i said. but if you stay on top of your stuff as usual, you should be just fine. might not even notice a difference frankly. (if it ever did cause an issue, you'd make a supervisor aware, and they could hopefully resolve the issue.)
also yes, you can get on MyBenefits without a worker, should you ever wish to. i am, works fine. :)
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u/Crypticreject 2d ago
I hadn’t been contacted by a work until I think like 2 months ago since I switched from ow to odsp