Sometimes people with mental health-related disabilities who apply to the Ontario Disability Support Program are turned down because the decision-makers think that the medical treatment they are getting isn’t serious enough. For example, ODSP decision-makers…
Health benefits are a critical part of the Ontario Disability Support Program. Appropriate access to and funding for these benefits is crucial to make sure that ODSP recipients get the health-related items they need, like…
People who pay in to the Employment Insurance (“EI”) system are eligible for EI Regular Benefits when they lose their job. Too often, people who lose their job due to issues around addiction are denied…
The Canada Pension Plan is a social insurance program that is meant to help those who find themselves disabled and unable to work. To qualify for a CPP disability pension, a person must be “suffering…
Prior to April 2012, a body called the Review Tribunal had the responsibility to hear appeals of decisions about Canada Pension Plan (CPP) issues. That Tribunal was replaced with the Social Security Tribunal (SST) in…
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) provides monthly supports to low-income Ontarians who meet the law’s definition of “a person with a disability.” In Ontario, “disability” is defined broadly, and includes people with both permanent…
In November 2014, Ontario’s new social assistance computer program went live. The computer program caused wide-spread problems, including recipients receiving the wrong benefit amounts, getting faulty suspension letters and not receiving health-related benefits. The union…
In 2013, Canada changed sentencing laws to require anyone convicted of an offence (or discharged) to pay a mandatory “victim surcharge” regardless of whether or not they can afford to pay the fine. Every person…
Kelly Lesiuk was denied Employment Insurance (EI) benefits because, as a mother working part-time, she was unable to accumulate the number of work hours necessary to qualify. Ms. Lesiuk launched a Charter challenge to the…
Ms. Miller challenged the reduction in the regular benefit period for Employment Insurance (EI) claimants who have previously received special benefits such as maternity, parental or disability benefits. She argued that this automatic reduction violated…
In 2002, ISAC represented two public interest intervenors in the inquest into the death of Kimberly Rogers (link to Coroner’s Ruling on Standing Application here, download will automatically start). The year before, Kimberly Rogers had…
Since the implementation of the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) by the federal government in July 1998, the province of Ontario deducted the National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) portion of this benefit from income assistance…