PLEASE NOTE: ODSP Action Coalition is a volunteer, grassroots advocacy group led by people with disabilities on ODSP. We are neither able nor qualified to offer ‘real’ legal advice or intervene in individual cases and we possess no special priority or privilege with regards to dealing with ODSP/the government.
Here are some common resources to which we often refer folks in need of advice or help with their individual circumstances (all links external):
Your local Community Legal Clinic
For real legal advice, you should contact your community legal clinic. They are the legal experts and they deal with ODSP issues regularly. You can find yours here: https://www.legalaid.on.ca/legal-clinics/
ARCH Disability Law Clinic
Similarly, you could try contacting ARCH, which is a specialty legal clinic that practices exclusively in disability rights law: https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/
Human Rights Legal Support Centre
If you feel your human rights have been/are being violated, you could reach out to Human Rights Legal Support Centre (note, they prefer phone calls over email): https://hrlsc.on.ca/
211 Ontario
211Ontario is a surprisingly great resource for finding resources in your community – it may be easier to dial 211 than navigate their website: https://211ontario.ca/
Social Assistance Programs Division of the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services
If you’d like to speak with someone higher up in the MCCSS, their directory is here. Social Assistance Programs Division might be a good place to start: https://www.infogo.gov.on.ca/infogo/#orgProfile/163524/en
CLEO / Steps to Justice
CLEO/Steps to Justice are public legal education websites, and they may have some helpful information/resources here: https://www.cleo.on.ca/en/resources-and-publications/income-assistance, and/or here: https://stepstojustice.ca/
Ontario Ombudsman
To file a complaint with the Ontario Ombudsman, you can do that here: https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/have-a-complaint/make-a-complaint
Your local provincial political representative / Minister of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
And it can never hurt to contact your MPP’s office to let them know what’s happening and how you feel about it. You can find yours here: https://www.ola.org/en/get-involved/contact-mpp