ODSP rates in Ontario
Ontario Disability Support Program income support is built from two pieces, basic needs and shelter, and both rose in July 2026.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Since July 1, 2026, a single person on the Ontario Disability Support Program can receive up to $1,436 a month in income support, after an increase of 1.9 %. That maximum is the sum of two parts. The basic needs amount, for food, clothing and personal items, is $825 for a single recipient, $1,189 for a couple where one partner has a disability and $1,644 when both do. The shelter amount covers actual housing costs, such as rent or mortgage, heat, hydro and home insurance, up to a ceiling of $611 for one person and $959 for two. Someone whose rent is lower than the ceiling receives their actual cost, not the maximum. Work is encouraged: the first $1,000 of net earnings each month does not affect income support, and above that ODSP deducts 75 % of the excess, so every extra dollar earned still leaves a quarter in your pocket. Families with children and people with special costs can receive more, through amounts this page does not cover.
Your ODSP income support for a month
Income support
$1,436
| Basic needs | $825 |
| Shelter (actual cost, capped) | $611 |
| Deducted for earnings | $0 |
| Support plus earnings | $1,436 |
July 2026 rates, no children, no other income. The earnings exemption is applied once to the amount entered.
The July 2026 rate tables
The Ontario government raised ODSP income support by 1.9 % on July 1, 2026. The new amounts are in the program’s policy directives 6.1 on basic needs and 6.2 on shelter.
| Household with no dependants | Basic needs per month |
|---|---|
| Single recipient | $825 |
| Couple, one partner with a disability | $1,189 |
| Couple, both partners with a disability | $1,644 |
| Benefit unit size | Shelter maximum per month |
|---|---|
| 1 | $611 |
| 2 | $959 |
| 3 | $1,038 |
| 4 | $1,126 |
| 5 | $1,215 |
| 6 or more | $1,259 |
The headline figure of $1,436 is simply $825 plus $611. For a couple, the same addition gives $2,148 with one partner on ODSP and $2,603 with both; Ontario does not publish those totals as such, and households with dependants have their own basic needs rows in directive 6.1.
How shelter is really paid
Shelter is not a flat amount. ODSP reimburses verified shelter costs up to the ceiling for your benefit unit. Allowable costs include rent, mortgage principal and interest, property taxes, heat, water, hydro, sewage and insurance on the home or its contents, condominium fees and co-operative housing charges. Parking and optional services are excluded. A single person paying $450 in rent with heat and hydro included gets $450 of shelter, not $611, and a total of $1,275.
The ceiling rises with household size, but unevenly. The jump from one to two people is $348, while each person after the third adds at most $89. When rent is above the ceiling, the difference is not covered by the shelter amount and has to come out of the rest of the budget, basic needs included.
Your ODSP income support for a month
Income support
$1,436
| Basic needs | $825 |
| Shelter (actual cost, capped) | $611 |
| Deducted for earnings | $0 |
| Support plus earnings | $1,436 |
July 2026 rates, no children, no other income. The earnings exemption is applied once to the amount entered.
Working on ODSP
The first $1,000 of net monthly earnings is ignored entirely. Above that, ODSP deducts 75 % of each dollar, so a quarter of every extra dollar stays with you. The table follows a single recipient at the full $1,436.
| Net earnings per month | Income support | Support plus earnings |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $1,436 | $1,436 |
| $1,000 | $1,436 | $2,436 |
| $1,500 | $1,061 | $2,561 |
| $2,500 | $311 | $2,811 |
Income support reaches zero only when net earnings pass $2,915 a month at those rates, by our arithmetic. The work-related benefit of up to $100 a month per earning family member is added on top of the figures in the table.
Three households worked through
The rate tables only become useful once they meet a real budget, so here are three households at July 2026 rates, with no dependants and no income other than what is stated.
- A single tenant paying $1,100 for rent and hydro. Shelter is capped at $611, so income support is the full $1,436, and $489 of the rent has to come from the basic needs amount.
- A couple where one partner has a disability, renting for $1,250. Basic needs of $1,189 plus the two-person ceiling of $959 give $2,148 a month.
- A single recipient paying $700 who earns $1,400 net a month. Shelter is capped at $611, the deduction is 75 % of $400, or $300, and income support falls to $1,136. With the pay, the month brings in $2,536, before the work-related benefit.
The third case shows why the earnings rule matters more than the headline rate: a modest part-time job lifts monthly resources by roughly $1,100 compared with not working, even after the deduction. The mini-calculator above lets you replace these figures with your own rent and pay.
Other money that interacts with ODSP
The $1,000 exemption applies to earnings from work. Other income, such as a CPP disability benefit, is assessed under its own ODSP rules and can reduce income support, so it is worth asking your caseworker before assuming it adds to the cheque. Federal benefits paid through the tax system are a separate question: the Canada Disability Benefit, for example, requires an approved disability tax credit, a test that is distinct from ODSP’s own medical review. Ontario recipients who pay rent or property tax may also be eligible for the Ontario Trillium Benefit, which the CRA pays monthly from its own calculation.
Reading your statement
Each ODSP statement lists basic needs, shelter, and any deductions or additions for the month. When the figure looks wrong, the first thing to check is whether your caseworker has your current rent: a rent increase only raises shelter once it is reported and verified, so keep your lease and utility bills at hand. A partner moving in or out changes the household line used for basic needs and the size used for the shelter ceiling, and both changes should be reported without delay. Rates in this guide are those in force since July 2026; the amount you receive is the one ODSP confirms. Sources: Ontario, ODSP income support directive 6.1: basic needs (July 2026), Ontario, ODSP income support directive 6.2: shelter (July 2026), Government of Ontario, Working while on ODSP and Government of Ontario, ODSP income support (updated 2026-06-30).