To begin the application process, contact your local Ontario Disability Support Program office and ask to set up a meeting.

If you can’t get to the local office for the appointment, we can arrange to meet with you at another location.

If you have special needs, such as sign or language interpretation, or Braille or large-print forms, we can help. Just let us know ahead of time so that we can make arrangements.

Before your appointment, the office will send you a letter confirming the day and time of the appointment. They will also include a list of all the things you need to bring to the appointment.

What happens at the meeting

The purpose of the meeting is to look at your financial situation. That’s why you have to bring the following documents (as applicable) for you and your family members:

• birth certificates
• immigration papers (such as Record of Landing, Sponsorship Agreement or Permanent Resident Card)
• social insurance numbers
• Ontario health card numbers (OHIP)
• information about your housing costs (such as rent receipts, mortgage statements, or utility and heating bills)
• information about your assets (such as bank books or statements)
• information about your income (such as pay stubs or support orders)
• information about your job or training program
• evidence of trusteeship or power of attorney

Together, we will go over in detail how much money you have and how many bills you have to pay.

When we look at your financial situation, we take into account many things, such as:

• how many people there are in your family
• how many children you have and how old they are
• if you have a spouse or adult dependants
• your income and assets
• if you are entitled to other sources of income
• where you live.

The meeting will take about 1½ hours.

After the meeting, your worker will tell you whether or not you qualify financially for Income Support.

If you qualify financially for Income Support

You will then go on to part two of the application process : looking at your disability status.

This involves looking at your disability status to see if you meet the definition of “a person with a disability” as defined in the Ontario Disability Support Program Act.

If you do not qualify financially for Income Support

If your worker tells you that you do not qualify financially for Income Support, you can ask to have the decision reviewed. This is first step in the appeal process and is called an Internal Review.

While the review takes place, you may continue with part two of the application process : looking at your disability status.

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