Ford promised an ODSP boost. But Ontarians with disabilities say it's not nearly enough

The Progressive Conservatives' promise to modestly boost disability support payments is not enough to fix an "extremely broken" system that has left many Ontarians struggling to get by, those who rely on the program say.

"We are at a dire crossroads for a lot of people with disabilities," says Anthony Frisina, spokesperson for the Ontario Disability Coalition.

Frisina, who was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus, is one of the more than 500,000 people in the province who count on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for part or all of their income. 

After years of neglect from multiple governments, woefully inadequate payments from the program have many Ontarians with disabilities subsisting below the poverty line.

The most a single person can receive through ODSP is $1,169 per month, or $14,028 annually. That's about 30 per cent below the province's poverty line of roughly $20,000. The gap is even more pronounced in some urban centres. Monthly payments are 47.5 per cent short of the municipal poverty line in Toronto.

"How are people supposed to survive on that?" says Tony Bensley, 58. Bensley has autism and Type 1 diabetes and has been an ODSP recipient since 2005.

He lives in London, Ont., with his wife, who is also on ODSP due to severe osteoarthritis. Because they're married, their combined monthly payment is capped at around $2,000. The soaring costs of living have pushed them to a breaking point.

"The worst thing really is having to count pennies every month and then having to figure out what gets paid … We're basically overdrawn every month. That's the reality," he tells CBC News.

A $245-million promise to boost ODSP rates was one of the concrete promises that the PCs made on the campaign trail. The party said it would increase rates by five per cent and tie future increases to inflation. It would be the first rate jump in Ontario since 2018, when Premier Doug Ford's government implemented a 1.5 per cent increase.

The campaign pledge was an unexpected pivot. The PCs'  pre-election budget didn't include any increase to ODSP, despite projecting that more Ontarians will rely on the program in the coming years.

CBC News asked if there is a firm timeline for when recipients can expect to see larger payments. A spokesperson for Ford's office said the incoming government will "have more to say over the coming days."

Ivana Yelich highlighted comments Ford made after winning re-election. He said the finance ministry would make small tweaks to ODSP rates before the budget is reintroduced "because it's the right thing to do.

"We see costs going up," Ford added. The PCs have not indicated when the new budget will be tabled.

A five per cent increase would mean another $58.45 per month for a single person who qualifies for the maximum ODSP payment — still nowhere near the provincial poverty line. Adjusted for inflation, the payment would still be less than what recipients were getting on former premier Mike Harris's last day in office in 2002, according to an analysis by economist Mike Moffatt.