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Hi all;

Way back in May, I asked my cyber family for advice re applying for a
disability pension and was impressed with all the help I received.

Since the Ontario provincial government regulations changed radically on J=
une
1st, my application got bogged down in the ensuing confusion. But, it is a=
ll
for the best, I'm convinced.

The new regulations look like a vast improvement over the old ones.

The onus of deciding what constitutes a disability has been transferred to=
 a
separate more professionally managed adjudication committee which uses
detailed medical declarations from the applicant and the applicant's medic=
al
consultants as the basis for their decision.

The entire documentation of the Act is on the Ministry's web-site. For tho=
se
who are interested, I have downloaded all of the details of the regulation=
s
and have converted them from Adobe Acrobat format to plain text format.

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Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services
News Release Communiqu=E9
June 1, 1998
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ONTARIO KEEPS ITS PROMISE TO CREATE NEW INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT PROG=
RAM
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Kitchener =96 People with disabilities who are in financial need will bene=
fit
from a new Income Support Program, the Minister of Community and Social
Services Janet Ecker, announced today. The Ontario Disability Support Prog=
ram
Act, which receives proclamation today, creates a new disability support
program, ODSP.

The new program has two components: an Income Support Program for people w=
ith
disabilities who are in financial need; and an Employment Support Program =
that
recognizes many people with disabilities can and do want to work.

"We made a commitment to people with disabilities in this province that we
would
create a better system," said Minister Ecker. "We listened to what they to=
ld
us
about the old system that didn=92t work, we consulted with them on what th=
ey do
need, and we have delivered a program that directly responds to their
concerns."

Minister Ecker made the announcement at the Ontario Municipal Social Servi=
ce
Association=92s annual general meeting in Kitchener. She later visited the
Ontario
March of Dimes in Waterloo to meet with local agencies representing people
with
disabilities.

The President of the Ontario March of Dimes, Duncan Read, said his
organization
has supported the ODSP and worked with the government throughout its
development.

"What=92s positive is the program=92s recognition that people with disabil=
ities
have
the desire and the ability to work. The removal of the label permanently
unemployable and the elimination of a financial penalty if attempts at
employment
fail are fundamental to persons with disabilities achieving independence."

"Our government has taken a leadership role in meeting the needs of people
with
disabilities. Ontario presently provides the highest level of disability
support
among Canadian provinces," said Minister Ecker. "We worked closely with
organizations such as the Ontario March of Dimes to create a new program t=
hat
doesn=92t limit people=92s opportunities by labeling them unemployable."

Everyone eligible to receive support as a person with a disability, or bec=
ause
they have been previously classified as permanently unemployable, or becau=
se
of
their age under the Family Benefits Assistance definition on May 31, 1998,=
 are
transferred to the ODSP income support program today.

Highlights of the new income support program include: a new definition tha=
t
does not limit people=92s opportunities by labeling them unemployable;
protection of benefits if a job attempt fails; retesting only in cases whe=
re a
person=92s disability is expected to improve; people will no longer have t=
o pay
the 25 per cent consumer co-payment for the Ministry of Health=92s Assisti=
ve
Devices program; more generous rules regarding limits on assets, compensat=
ion
awards, gifts and inheritances, and cash surrender values of life insuranc=
e
policies.

The new Employment Support Program responds to long-standing calls for act=
ion
from people with disabilities to support their desire to work. It replaces=
 the
Vocational Rehabilitation Services program with a program that better meet=
s
the needs of people with disabilities who can and do want to work.

People receiving ODSP benefits will decide if they wish to use the Employm=
ent
Support Program. People with disabilities who do not receive ODSP benefits=
 may
also be eligible for employment support.

"We know the population of people with disabilities is growing. We want to
ensure that as much money as possible goes to direct service instead of
administrative costs," said Minister Ecker.

"Therefore, we are doubling the amount of available employment support to
people with disabilities from $18 to $35 million."

The Ministry has set up an information phone line at 1-888-789-4199. In
Toronto, call 416-325-5666.  Visit the Ministry Internet site at
http://www.gov.on.ca/CSS.

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janet paterson - 51/10 - almonte/ontario/canada
http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/janet/
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