ODSP Retreats after OCAP Invades the Ministry of Social Services

OCAP was approached in October by a man who was receiving assistance from the government through the Ontario Disability Support Program. Suffering from epilepsy, John McIndless' battle was initially focused on trying to get ODSP to pay for training and certification for his dog, Kyle, as a "Seizure Alert Dog". OCAP took a delegation of 15 members with John and Kyle to John's local ODSP office on Wilson Avenue after hearing no response to letters to the district manager. The night before the action, John had worked to get his story broadcast on a primetime news channel, and he eventually got the $3000 he needed for the training through a few private, generous donations. But the friction with ODSP didn't end there.

Following the action taken by OCAP and the embarrassment suffered by ODSP due to the news story decrying its unwillingness to provide for the training despite John's inability to buy enough food to eat or pay monthly expenses, John received a "notice of overpayment" in the mail, the money owed totalling just under $9,000. An "overpayment" is the term used by welfare and ODSP for a payment previously issued that they determined should not have been made. In John's case, the overpayments stemmed from Canada Pension Plan "Survivor" payments he'd been receiving for the past 3 years, after the death of his wife. For years,the provincial government has been deducting dollar-for-dollar from the cheques of welfare and disability recipients all money coming to them from the Federal government, including CPP and the Child Tax Credit. John was informed that ODSP would be cutting not only the $212/month he was receiving from CPP, but also another $50 from all forthcoming cheques until the overpayment was recouped. While $9000 is small change for the Ministry, these deductions would have serious consequences for John.

OCAP responded by arguing to ODSP that such action was vindictive and dangerous - already paying 89% of his monthly income from ODSP towards rent on a one-bedroom apartment ($825 - average in Toronto's rental market), the overpayment deductions would place a man suffering from acute stress and depression due to his economic situation in truly dire straights. Letters from John's doctor confirming his psychological state garnered absolutely no response from ODSP.

Because ODSP has the power to waive overpayments - should they choose - a delegation of 25 OCAP members went again to John's local office to demand the manager do just that. Being forced to meet with John and OCAP, the mangaer, Sheila Judson, maintained that ODSP was powerless to act, falsely claiming that overpayments are a matter of policy, and refusing to budge. The meeting climaxed with the arrival of 9 police cruisers and just as many cops who escorted OCAP members out of the office.

A few weeks later, OCAP again took action to seek a just resolution to John's situation. The time had come to make a first visit to the Social Services Ministry - now head by Liberal MP Sandra Pupatello. After getting through security doors and occupying the Minister's office, Pupatello's staff agreed to have John and OCAP reps meet with two senior level administrators.

Just days later John got written notice from his ODSP office that his re-payments were being reduced to $5/month. While the "overpayment" still stands, the rate at which the thousands must be repayed has been significantly slowed. John shoud never have been forced to pay such costs, nor lose the few extra dollars the death benefits were worth, but this concession does take some of the pressure off.

With Premier Dalton McGuinty keeping a deadly silence about current rates and practices of welfare and disability support (save for a non-retroactive revoking of the disgusting lifetime ban for welfare fraud), it's high time his government start feeling the hheat. It is OCAP's plan to take up a campaign to get social assistance rates in Ontario raised. So the parties in power have changed - the poor continue to suffer under the same bureaucrats and the same garbage policy. ODSP has been frozen for 14 years. Welfare is 33% lower than it was in 1995. And the Liberals do nothing. Whatever it Takes!