ODSP - I've had to apply.

[lecale]

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[enotr]

Why is that? I mean there should be certain rules and requirements in place. Do you think it is bureaucracy or they just don't have money?
The fact is that many people abuse this system and the majority ends up paying for these non legit applicants.

[Miss_April]

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I didn't create this thread for a debate.

I created it to ask questions about odsp because of all the stress I am under. I have a million questions flying around in my head and it is making my disability worse. I just wanted to see if my friends here could help me out.

I wasn't asking to be accused of "abusing the system" nor is anyone else, please take the comments else where.

[curt81]

Good luck April

[Andit]

ODSP isn't set up to try to discourage folks from applying. As per a friend who used to work in that dept, the top 2 reasons why folks are turned down - 1) the forms are not filled out correctly & 2) the claimant has too many assets (cash, RRSPs, GICs, etc).

ODSP was set up to help those with limited means. You are expected to exhaust your own resources before tapping into govt money (not saying it's right, it's just the way it is).

The reason they let you keep your home is that it is easier/less expensive for them to keep you in your home than to have to find a spot in govt housing. The portion of my ODSP assigned for shelter costs is roughly $500. There is nowhere in Toronto I could find a place for so little (as it is, I spend roughly $900/month on housing, leaving me about $100 to live on).

Getting back to the original post, if you fill out the forms correctly & don't have too many assets in your name, you should be ok. In terms of the patient portion of the form & thinking about how you live your life, almost minute by minute, to give them (& perhaps your doctor) a better idea.

For example, when I applied, I was on dialysis. My day consisted of spending a half hour getting out of bed in the morning, because I was too exhausted (even after several hours of lying in bed). I would half walk/half crawl to the bathroom, because I was nausceous. About an hour later, I was ready for breakfast & morning insulin shots. I would have to force myself to eat something (usually crackers were all I could keep down) because as a diabetic I had to have something in my system. & on & on.

Be as detailed as you can be - the more they know, the better. Also if you list everything in detail, it's easier for your doctor to understand.

Hopefully this helps.

[Miss_April]

Thanks Andi

I tried to be as detailed as I could on my pink form and included my daily seizure book (photocopies), I also spent almost an hour with my doctor filling out the yellow form and included all hospital trips (print outs) and anything else we could think of. There was no space to write anything else.

I've tried my best so we shall see. Thank you all so much.

[lecale]

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[lecale]

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[Miss_April]

Oh trust me! I am reading all you post

Sometimes I just can't bring myself to look at the computer.

I appreciate ALL the info you give me, you've put my mind at ease so much.

[Andit]

lecale, thanks so much for the info, lots of things there I didn't know.


In terms of drug coverage, there are some drugs that ODB doesn't cover, in which case you might have to apply to the Trillium program (http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/.../trillium.html
).

My situation is a bit weird (what else is new ), cause I'm on very expensive drugs ($35K/yr for transplant drugs, yikes!). I am covered through ODB, the Trillium program, & a special dispensation I have to apply for annually (section 8). I'm lucky in that the transplant clinic handles the paperwork for me for these drugs (the bad part is that I have to pay the dispensing fees cause I have to go through the hospital pharmacy).


One other thing, if you wear glasses, you are eligible for new glasses every 2 years. You have to contact your worker, send in completed forms, wait for approval, & then you take the approval letter to the store to pick up your new glasses. A bit time consuming & a pain, but it is what it is.


Oh & if you need any sort of assistive device, here is info on the program:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/...dp/adp_mn.html


In my case, I have to wear custom shoes (I have charcot syndrome which caused the bones in my feet to snap, so better safe than sorry) & orthotics. The shoes are insanely priced ($1K, ouch! & no coupons to be had for this stuff!!!), so I could never afford them without the program. I get a new pair of shoes every 3ish yrs (they literally wear out by the time I can apply for a new pair). In my case things are a bit wonky (story of my life) in that part of the funding comes from a municipal program & part from the provincial program. Needless to say, it takes forever for the 2 beaurocrats to co-ordinate.

[Miss_April]

And thank you Andi to for all your info

I don't know what I would have done without all your help!! I probably would have been laying in my bed, under the covers, crying with all the questions and concerns flying around in my head with no one to ask. But you've all answered everything without me having to ask anything!

With my anxiety it's helped so much, and I'm 100% positive you've stopped me having a few seizures that's for sure.

[Andit]

With my anxiety it's helped so much, and I'm 100% positive you've stopped me having a few seizures that's for sure.

I've learned (the hard way) that it's a bad thing to stress over the stupidity of beaurocracy. If you're financially in dire straits, your doctor or local pharmacy might be able to help you out with sample prescription pills (depending on what they are). Church groups & local charities can help with other costs like heating, food, etc. People with health issues have enough stress in their lives, they don't need extra nonsense from silly beaurocrats.

If you need any more info, or even just someone to talk to, I'm usually around.

[lecale]

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[Andit]

Andit you are an awesome SC'er and it it humbling to read about your life in this thread. You have achieved so much despite everything. You are so relentlessly positive! It is a good thing SC has people like you.

I like to think of being on ODSP as an enforced vacation. & while it's not enough money to feed a lab rat (my friend uses this expression & it fits perfectly ), I make do. There are lots of things to do in Toronto that don't cost a lot of money. & I'm very very lucky that I have a whole whack of friends who I can turn to for dinners & interest-free loans (last year, I had to deal with 2 cracked teeth that weren't covered under the ODSP dental plan - $2K is a bit much to spend in one shot!).

One thing that anyone who has to go on ODSP has to remember - there is absolutely no reason to feel any shame or guilt. The program is there to help those who need help. It does NOT make you less of a person if you are unable to work. Never forget that. I have a friend who feels horrible about being on disability - she keeps trying to push herself to work, then ends up in really bad shape & spends weeks trying to get back to the state she was in before she overdid it. There's a reason folks are on disability & it's nothing to be ashamed of.

[lecale]

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