As many of you might be aware in 2020 the new Conservative Income Rules Changes will be taking place. Doug Ford might be more cleaver then you think is a very evil way.

Photo by Nick Fewings

So what is happening in 2020 people on Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) can earn up to $6000 a year before the clawing back of the income. There is no monthly deductions anymore. So honestly it seems simple and in fact it sounds like you can get a lot more out of it.

You would be unfortunately quite wrong as now there is a 75% claw back vs 50%. Not only that but when you do the math like our friend Ron Malis had shared on his Blog, you find out quite fast your not getting a good deal at all.

My concern is even deeper and more evil plot by the Doug Ford Government. The way the system works is if you get more then $6,000 per year then they take it away the following Year. So if you earned say $12,000 in 2020 you would have a deduction from ODSP of $375 a month.

So imagine you could work in 2020 but ended up getting pretty sick and quitting your job at the end of the year. In 2021 you would end up getting $375 less a month. So with the current rates being $1,169 for a single person on ODSP with max shelter rates. Your new total each month for 2021 would be $794… There goes your apartment and now your homeless and they stop paying shelter where I assume now their deducting the $375 from your basic needs income.

Now your homeless assuming to at least earn your full Basic Needs at $672 a month to put aside and maybe be able to get an apartment again in the future. But instead it’s being clawed back by $375 so that your left with $297 a month and now your officially homeless where nowhere to go for the next 12 months.

Photo by John Moeses Bauan

It’s honestly a scary system that makes me suggest not going past $6000 a year to the point I would say quit your job the second your near that mark. Unless your fine at banking / savings then you can work past that marker, but it could be a dangerous task.

4 in 10 Canadians have less then $5000 in the bank so imagine what the bank accounts look like of someone on ODSP. Is it worth the risk? I would say 100% no it’s not worth the risk to ruin your life by becoming homeless. Many people on ODSP have both Physical and Mental Health problems. The last thing they need to worry is about budgeting the book for a year ahead when they have enough issues dealing with the month ahead.

Honestly Doug Ford is trying to encourage people to be able to go off ODSP but, this is not going to encourage anyone to go out and get a job. Instead more people are going to be afraid and scared as well as get more mental health issues like depression in the long run.

If I was Doug Ford I would personally bring the rates back down to 50% so people are not working for $3.50 cents an hour after earning a measly $6,000. In fact I would even encourage it to be lowered to 25% or let people reach closer to the poverty line before clawing back to give people a real fighting chance.

So in conclusion this system was broken and is still broken and the Doug Ford government claims to be fixing it and giving people the Dignity and Respect they Deserve. Maybe he should start sorting Nuts an Bolts for $3.75 an hour and tell us how his dignity is going.