Ontario's disability supports are in crisis. ODSP rates remain 47% below the poverty line while demand for services grows. Here's what the 2026 budget means for people with disabilities.
$1,368/mo
Maximum ODSP (Single)
$2,600/mo
Poverty Line (Single)
47%
ODSP Below Poverty Line
87,692
Children on Autism Waitlist
The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) provides a maximum of $1,368 per month for a single person — roughly 47% below the poverty line of $2,600/month. For people with disabilities who cannot work or face significant barriers to employment, this is the financial floor the province provides.
Since 2018, ODSP rates have received only modest increases that have been outpaced by inflation and the soaring cost of housing. The 5% increase announced in 2022 and the subsequent inflation indexing have not come close to closing the gap. A single person on ODSP is left with $1,232 less per month than what Statistics Canada defines as poverty.
Disability services beyond income support — attendant care, supportive housing, community participation, and respite — face their own funding shortfalls. Waitlists for supportive housing in Ontario can stretch 10 to 15 years, leaving families to provide care indefinitely without adequate supports.
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 funding and the autism waitlist are not separate issues — they are two chapters of the same story. Right now, 87,692 children are registered with the Ontario Autism Program. Of those, 67,399 are waiting for funded services.
Many of these families are already navigating 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 are even more stark. When children with autism do not receive early intervention during the critical developmental window, they are more likely to require intensive adult supports. Research consistently shows that every $1 invested in early intervention saves $7-$11 in lifetime costs — costs that ultimately show up on the ODSP caseload.
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.
When the budget drops on March 26, these resources will help you understand what it means for disability services — and what to do about it.
Our line-by-line breakdown of what the budget means for autism and disability services.
Send a pre-written letter to your MPP demanding action on ODSP and autism funding.
All of our 2026 Ontario budget coverage in one place — autism, disability, healthcare, and FIPPA.
Next steps
ODSP rates are 47% below the poverty line. The autism waitlist keeps growing. Tell your MPP that the 2026 budget must do better.
Verified Facts
$779M — Ontario allocated to the Ontario Autism Program in 2025-26
According to the FAO (2020 report), OAP funding covers less than one-third of estimated need at 2018-19 service levels
87,692 — children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
23.1% — 23,875 children enrolled in Core Clinical Services; 20,293 have active funding agreements ()
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
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