$965M
Ontario allocated $965M to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
Primary source Government of Ontario, Ministry of Finance (2026) Verified 2026-03-26
Budget Analysis
Ontario Budget 2026 : Disability & ODSP
Ontario's single-person ODSP maximum is $1,436/month. This is what the 2026 budget means for people with disabilities.
Direct answer
ODSP rates in 2026: a single person can get up to $1,436/month, made up of $825 for basic needs and up to $611 for shelter. Ontario raised the amount 1.9% on July 1, 2026. This is what the 2026 budget means for people with disabilities.
Ontario ODSP income-support information · Ontario Budget 2026 social assistance chapter · Verified 2026-11-02
About This Article
Published: March 30, 2026
Last updated: November 2, 2026
In short
- ODSP maximum for a single person is $1,436/month as of 2026
- Disability rates have not kept pace with inflation since 2018
- Young people leaving the OAP may need adult supports; ODSP eligibility is assessed separately
- Advocates are advocating for rate doubling, inflation indexing, and expanded employment supports
Sources: Ontario ODSP income-support information; MCCSS bi-weekly OAP Core Clinical Services progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749). · Updated 2026-11-03
$1,436/month
Maximum ODSP (Single)
71,263
Children without an active OAP funding agreement
Sources: Ontario ODSP income-support information; MCCSS bi-weekly OAP Core Clinical Services progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749). · Updated 2026-11-03
Historical scenario comparison
$385M
The FAO modelled $1.35B under a 2020 scenario at 2018-19 service levels. The current OAP allocation is $965M; this is an ETWO arithmetic comparison, not a current FAO shortfall estimate.
71,263 children had no active Core funding agreement as of May 13, 2026.
Source: Ontario Budget 2026; Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, 2024; MCCSS bi-weekly OAP Core Clinical Services progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749). · Updated 2026-11-03
The Disability Funding Gap
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) provides a maximum of $1,436/month (as of 2026) for a single person.GOV For people with disabilities who cannot work or face significant barriers to employment, this is the financial floor the province provides.
Disability services beyond income support, attendant care, supportive housing, community participation, and respite, face their own funding shortfalls.
The 2026 budget is an opportunity to begin closing this gap. Whether the government takes that opportunity, or continues incremental adjustments that leave people in poverty, will define disability policy in Ontario for years to come.
Disability support at a glance
- Program
- The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) provides a maximum of $1,436/month (as of 2026) for a single person.
- Who it supports
- For people with disabilities who cannot work or face significant barriers to employment, this is the financial floor the province provides.
- Other disability services
- Disability services beyond income support, attendant care, supportive housing, community participation, and respite, face their own funding shortfalls.
Source: Ontario ODSP income-support information. · Updated 2026-11-03
What Advocates Are Asking For
- Double ODSP rates immediately. The single-person maximum is $1,436/month. The ODSP Action Coalition and over 230 organizations have called for an immediate doubling to bring recipients closer to a livable income.
- Index ODSP to actual inflation. The current indexing formula is capped and delayed. Advocates want full, automatic CPI indexing that keeps pace with real costs, especially housing, food, and utilities.
- Invest in supportive housing. Ontario needs a capital investment plan for accessible, supportive housing units. Without housing, income increases alone cannot solve disability poverty.
- Expand employment supports and remove clawbacks. Current earnings exemptions penalize people with disabilities who want to work. Advocates are asking for higher exemption thresholds and a more gradual clawback rate to make employment viable.
- Fund the autism-to-ODSP transition pipeline. Children aging off the autism waitlist at 18 often land directly on ODSP with minimal supports. A dedicated transition program could prevent lifelong dependency and improve outcomes.
The Autism Connection
Disability funding and the autism waitlist are connected. Right now, 91,974 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program. Of those, 71,263 are waiting for funded services. FOI
Many of these families are already in the disability system. Parents who have left the workforce to provide full-time care may themselves rely on ODSP. Single-parent households with autistic children face compounding financial pressures: no funded therapy, inadequate income support, and years-long waits for respite services.
The downstream consequences go further. The budget also affects the services available to adults with disabilities.
The 2026 budget has an opportunity to address both ends of this pipeline: fund early intervention now to reduce the flow of young adults onto ODSP, and increase ODSP rates for those already in the system. Doing one without the other perpetuates the cycle.
The registered and waiting populations
| Measure | Count | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Children registered with the Ontario Autism Program | 91,974 | MCCSS bi-weekly OAP progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749) |
| Children waiting for funded services | 71,263 | MCCSS bi-weekly OAP progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749) |
What the 2026 Budget Says About ODSP
The budget describes continued inflation indexation for ODSP rates. Ontario applied a 1.9% inflation-based increase on July 1, 2026, bringing the single-person maximum to $1,436/month. See the budget’s social assistance chapter and current ODSP income-support information.
Budget Analysis
Our line-by-line breakdown of what the budget means for autism and disability services.
Email your MPP
Send a pre-written letter to your MPP advocating for action on ODSP and autism funding.
Budget Hub
All of our 2026 Ontario budget coverage in one place, autism, disability, healthcare, and FIPPA.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ODSP pay per month for a single person in 2026?
The maximum ODSP payment for a single person is $1,436/month in 2026: $825 for basic needs plus up to $611 for shelter. Your actual payment depends on your housing costs, income and other benefits. Confirm current rates with Ontario's ODSP policy directives.
Is ODSP going up in 2026? Did the Ontario budget increase it?
The 2026 Ontario Budget says ODSP rates continue to be indexed to inflation. Ontario later applied a 1.9% inflation-based increase on July 1, 2026, bringing the single-person maximum to $1,436/month. Ontario adjusts ODSP income support each July. See the budget’s social assistance chapter and current ODSP income-support information.
How does ODSP connect to autism services in Ontario?
Some young people leaving the OAP may qualify for ODSP. Eligibility depends on disability, financial and other program rules; registration in the OAP does not establish future ODSP eligibility.
Sources: Ontario ODSP income-support information; Ontario Budget 2026 social assistance chapter; MCCSS bi-weekly OAP Core Clinical Services progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749). · Updated 2026-11-03
Push for Better Support
ODSP's single-person maximum is $1,436/month. The 2026 budget also affects disability services. Tell your MPP what support matters to your family.
- Ontario Budget 2026 — OAP Allocation. Ontario Ministry of Finance (March 26, 2026)
- Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services: Spending Plan Review (2024). Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (June 5, 2024)
- MCCSS Ontario Autism Program figures, May 13, 2026, obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition under Freedom of Information. Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario), obtained by the Ontario Autism Coalition (May 13, 2026)
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Facts 3
Sources 3
The FAO estimated $1.35 billion in annual OAP need at 2018-19 service levels for approximately 40,700 children in its 2020 report
Primary source Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (2020) Verified 2020-07-21
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
Primary source MCCSS FOI via OAC · May 2026 Verified 2026-11-03
Open complete source list(3)
Last system verification: 2026-11-03. Next scheduled update: 2027-02-01.