Reply To: ADHD History, need information regarding Government help

[blackdog]

Hi @adhdj, welcome to TADD. 🙂

I haven’t finished reading your post yet but I had to stop and comment on a couple of things.

1) ADHD presents differently in adults and therefore can still be present when it seems like it is not. For example, what used to be hyperactivity is now just a restless feeling, like you want to be doing something all the time. Also, we learn coping strategies and are better able to control our symptoms.

2) An employer has absolutely no right to make you sign up for any special program or force you or your doctor to divulge any information about your disability as a condition of employment.

3) Your current doctor is wrong. ADHD is a recognized disability. So are depression and anxiety. It makes no difference that they can be treated. It may not be easy to qualify for support and there are a lot of hoops to jump through before you get it, but you certainly can apply. If your doctor will not cooperate I suggest asking for a referral to someone who specializes in ADHD and getting him/her to fill out the necessary forms.

That is all I have time for at the moment but I will come back to read the rest of your post and add to mine if I have anything else to offer.

okay….

It sounds like you called Social Services and they told you you don’t qualify for support due to your income? Or did you go for an intake interview? Did you receive an application package? I’m not sure where you are at in the process.

The cut off for receiving Welfare in Ontario is $1,000/month.

For ODSP, it’s a little higher because 50% of your income is exempt. As a couple, your maximum allowed asset level is $7,500, meaning you can’t have more than that in the bank. Your house and one vehicle don’t count as assets. You may be able to have a second vehicle if you can show there is a need for it. If you have any investments, such as RRSP’s or life insurance policies, you will most likely be required to cash them in and use the money from them to live on for however long it lasts before you qualify.

The inheritance issue is a tricky one. But if the inheritance is only around $1,000 it should only affect your eligibility for the month you received it.

The only other requirements I know of beyond financial is that your disability must be expected to last for at least one year and you must have exhausted all other options, such as EI. Also, you must apply for CPP disability and be turned down before you qualify for ODSP. If you qualify at the federal level then you don’t qualify for support at the provincial level.

I doubt that you will qualify for CPP disability because you are capable of working. They don’t consider that you have difficulty finding or keeping work, only if you can or can not.

This is all based on my experience and there may be options that I am unaware of. There is no harm in trying to apply. The worst that can happen is that they turn you down.

As for what you need to apply, you don’t need any of your employment records or stuff from school or anything.

For Canada disability you need to get an application form from Service Canada, fill it out and send it in.

For ODSP you will need to phone your local social services office and schedule an intake interview. You will need your ROE from your last job, bank statements and pay stubs going back 12 months, info on any other investments you have, any debts you have, your rent/mortgage, all your assets (deed to your property, car ownership etc.), last year’s tax return……And probably a few other things I have forgotten but they will tell you when you make the appointment. That’s all for the financial aspect of it. For the medical, you will need to get a package which will have a form for your doctor to fill out and one for you to fill out. You will mail that in along with copies of any assessments that have been done, which your doctor should provide for you along with her completed form.

 

 

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