Sponsoring partner while on ODSP

Sponsoring Family
1

Hello!

I am on ODSP as a single person, and I am planning to sponsor my partner who will be on a visitor status but I am confused about income. My worker has been on leave indefinitely and the substitutes I’ve spoken with have been kind and helpful, but given me conflicting information.

I am aware that the 3 year undertaking covers the time after she becomes a PR. I am aware that once she begins to work, my ODSP will be adjusted based on her income.

During the time before that - arrival, co-habitation, waiting for marriage license, waiting for wedding, waiting for wedding registration to be uploaded to the government, waiting for the SOWP/PR - during that time, will she be added to my benefit unit? Will we receive the couples amount, or am I going to have to support us on a single person ODSP income until she gets her work permit and a job?

Thanks!

2

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us, we appreciate your interest in this information.

According to the Community Legal Education of Ontario’s guide on social assistance rules about couples:

If Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) thinks that you live with a spouse, they will:

  • look at the income and assets that both of you have, and

  • decide if you will get assistance as a couple.

The amount of assistance you get as a couple is less than what you would get as two single people.

Rules about who is a spouse

OW or ODSP will decide that you are spouses if any of the following are true:

  • You tell them that you are spouses.

  • You are married to each other.

  • The law says that one of you must support the other person or their child.

If you live together, OW or ODSP will also decide you are spouses if all of the following are true:

  1. You have been living together for at least 3 months.

  2. One of you supports the other or the two of you are “financially interdependent”.

  3. You are “living together as a couple”, not as two single people.

There is more information in the article about determining if you are considered financially interdependent, living together as a couple, and other scenarios. If someone moves in with you while you are on social assistance, you must tell OW or ODSP right away.

StepstoJustice.ca also has a number of articles on living with another adult while on ODSP. You may find the article, I live with another adult. Can this affect my ODSP? to be helpful.

In addition to connecting with your case worker, you may want to connect with a community legal clinic for further advice, here is a list of free to low-cost legal services in Ontario that can help advise you with this process.

We hope this information is helpful. Please follow up with us if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Your Settlement.Org Team