cavernio wrote:
I am canadian and just got on the province of ontario's disability plan. It's barely liveable on. I'm going to see how well I can manage it. If I move to a different province I will presumably have to apply with that province. They give me ~$13,000 a year, a little bit more because I have celiac disease and therefore qualify for a special diet. They give me money once a month. It's further subdivided into 'basic needs' and 'housing'. The 'housing' quantity that my province hands out is only 480$/month. Seeing as I'm renting a room in a house for $550 (moving out tomorrow actually into my own place...costs but will be worth it, sweet solitude!) which is standard for my area, their own calculations aren't even high enough. However, I can use my 'basic needs' amount on anything I choose, so it obviously goes to pay that part of rent. If I somehow found a place cheaper than $480/month they will only give me enough to cover rent and not give me the full $480.
I don't have asd as my issue but mental health issues of, officially, anxiety, depression and an 'adjustment disorder' (nothing about what I'm adjusting poorly to though, it remains a mystery!). I'm not diagnosed with an ASD. I am officially disabled only for the next 5 years until they review my case in case my situation gets better. The application for disability must be sent in by a medical doctor. I also got to free-form write as much as I wanted about my problems and how they affect my daily life as a part of my application. They also presumably looked at my SIN number (need one to work in Canada) and saw my spotty employment history as well as checked medical records of past suicide attempts and institutionalizations, etc. I was fortunate that they accepted me for disability my first application; they are notorious for rejecting well over half of applicants their first time applying.
If I do find work, or have some other source of income (eg parents) I can earn $200/month while still getting the full amount. Any more than that they will take away $0.50 for every $1 I earn/get from the cheque they give me each month. I am not allowed to own assets over a certain amount with the exception of a house and possibly car (which would only happen if I had them when I went on disability in the first place.)
Of course if I find under-the-table work or am sneakily self-employed, basically if I choose to defraud the government, I can make as much as I want on top of that.
I can ask for extra money on occasion, for instance last month's rent when moving, but I have to ask for that and I won't be able to necessarily get anything.
There are a couple other small benefits the government gives me that I don't understand that all poor people get, but it adds up to less than $50/month.
Anyways, that's specifics of the situation for anyone disabled here in Ontario, Canada. Remember that we also have a decent healthcare system. I -do- also get a dental and vision plan and some sort of drug plan, which are not covered as part of the regular medical system here in canada.
I am receiving a similar quantity of money as pretty much anyone else on disability in the province as far as I can tell. I think that if I were further disabled and say, needed a wheelchair to get around or needed a nurse to come into my home, the government just covers the cost of the extra expense directly, not through me.
I am on ODSP as well, I got accepted my first try and had a cheque sent to me within 3 days of mailing in my application, I guess they thought I was that bad. Most people have to wait 10 months or so for even a reply. I have never been able to hold a job longer than 3 months in my entire life. I had tried around 15 jobs by the time I applied for ODSP back in 2007. I had been on a massive amount of meds, done many hours of therapy, been inpatient twice, and still was disabled. My official disability is Social Anxiety and it is permanent, meaning they will never review my file again and I have the benefits until age 65(I don't know what I will do then?), however it is not my only health problem and is probably the least disabling of all the health problems I have.
After ODSP, GST rebates and Trillium tax rebate I get $16,255 a year which I am lucky cause I am pretty sure its more than most people on social assistance get. I live with my parents and pay rent, though I only request $450 from ODSP for rent and not the full $485. I think our benefits only go up by 1% every year or two which doesn't match inflation. You can also get money to look for a job, but I am so seriously ill that I absolutely cannot work, go to school anything at the moment. I can't live on my own because I am simply too ill to be able to take care of myself, so I live with my parents. Even if all my physical illnesses were to just suddenly be gone tomorrow, I think I would struggle living on my own due to Asperger's and the executive functioning deficit that I have in addition to other mental illnesses.
I had a car before but the insurance costs were too much and upkeep were too much to keep it on the road, and I didn't buy the car myself, my parents just gave it to me. I guess I could just take money out each month and set it aside to give to my parents to get me another car to drive, since I'm about to turn 30, and all my tickets and accidents will have expired from my record by then. Without a car, I pretty much am a prisoner in my own home, I am too sick to travel, so I don't go out except for doctors appointments which ODSP pays a cab for.
10 Jan 2016, 1:34 pm
