Hamilton man living on disability payments relies on support from friends to survive

Name, age: Louis, 49
Annual income: $17,926 from Ontario Disability Support Program, $1,200 from sewing projects
Debt: $0
Savings: $0
What he does: Costume designer
Where he lives: Hamilton
Top financial concern: Not having enough money to properly care for his cats. “I struggle with chronic suicidality. Having reasons not to die are important.”
Louis lives in a one-bedroom basement apartment with his three cats, for which he pays $825 a month – less than half the average rent for an apartment that size in Hamilton, according to a June report by Rentals.ca. He says his affordable rent is one of many ways he relies on support from his community as he tries to survive on a meagre income of Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments.
“Because ODSP doesn’t give you enough, you are constantly depending on and asking the people around you to compensate,” says Louis, 49, who experienced an “emotional breakdown” in his mid-thirties and is still working to improve his mental health as best he can. The gay child of a Baptist preacher, he does not have strong family ties or support. “You become a burden to everyone around you and it takes a toll.”
Louis’s monthly ODSP payments total $1,494. That breaks down to $752 for his basic needs, $556 for housing, $86 in special diet benefits and a $100 work benefit, an incentive for ODSP recipients who make other income. He tries his best to keep a tight budget – entering all his expenses into a closely monitored spreadsheet – and takes on sewing work for a bit of extra income, but still often runs out of money by the end of the month.
“ODSP doesn’t actually help you get better, it’s just barely enough to keep you off the street,” says Louis, whose mental and physical health have suffered after living in poverty for so many years. “It’s not a system that’s actually designed to help you recover.”
Being poor has meant regular use of food banks, which he appreciates, but can also mean not eating the healthiest food, he says.
“The majority of things they are stocking are carbohydrates and processed foods. My sugar has become increasingly a problem and now I am prediabetes,” he says, noting he stores the unlimited bread the food bank gives out in his freezer, so there’s usually bread to eat when other food is scarce. “Arguably, as a result of not having enough money to meet basic needs, I now walk with a cane.”
As his health deteriorates, he has found that many interventions that might help aren’t covered by ODSP, such as orthotics, anti-inflammatory pain cream and several dental procedures.
“I had three teeth that had to be pulled out, but there’s no coverage for replacement teeth. As a result of that, my gums have receded.”
Despite his own health struggles, he says he worries most about his three cats, who have been a major support to him in many low times. One is nearing the end of its life, and Louis was deeply aware he wouldn’t have the money to euthanize his pet when the time came. “I was terrified I would just have to sit there with him while he died in pain,” he says.
It was a huge relief when a friend gave him several hundred dollars for the procedure, which he tucked away in a drawer for when the sad day arrives. But it’s also yet another reminder of where he might be without charity from friends, a reality that takes a toll.
“There’s a balance of power in your relationship with your friends when they are helping you out,” he says, noting a universal basic income or robust social safety net could go a long way to help people in his position actually get better, and save public money in the long term.
“Do we care about people like me as a society? And if we don’t, could we just say so?”
Investment and savings: $0
Servicing debt: $0
Household and transportation: $986
$825 to rent. “Several hundred dollars less than market rent.”
$50 on transit
$48 on Uber or taxis. “Walking with a cane, there’s only so much you can carry safely.”
$63 on cellphone
$0 on internet. “Provided by my landlord as a courtesy.”
Food and drink: $225
$200 on groceries. “I do use the food banks.”
$5 at coffee shops
20 at restaurants
$0 on alcohol
Miscellaneous: $390
$0 on entertainment
$100 on cannabis. “I primarily use CBD for pain relief.”
$5 on clothing. “An attempt to hold some money back so I can buy some secondhand clothes in a few months.”
$50 on supplies for sewing and cleaning. “I volunteer to do mending at a charity.”
$170 on cats. “They help me deal with my mental health.”
$30 on donations. “Store donation programs and treats for front-line staff I encounter.”
$35 on books. “Wonder Woman and other super-heroines of which she reigns as queen.”
Some details may be changed to protect the privacy of the person profiled. We want to thank them for sharing their story. Are you a millennial who would like to participate in a paycheque profile? Send us an e-mail.