Office of the Community Advocate

LIFE*SPIN promises to provide a safe, comfortable atmosphere, where everyone is treated with the respect, dignity, and genuine concern they deserve.

Compassionate Social Service & Alleviation of Poverty

Much of London’s working poor, those new to unemployment, and families surviving on social assistance are struggling to house, feed, and clothe themselves and their families. Our Community Advocate, Nicole, assists clients with applications for disability supports, pension benefits, and discretionary assistance. Between 25-35 people in our community request help from LIFE*SPIN every day to deal with social assistance agencies, and other service providers. Depending on the situation, we provide information, support, and community-based programs to low-income members of our community. We take the time to listen to the overlapping difficulties that impact their families.

We have proven that direct intervention, at an early stage, often prevents a problem from becoming a crisis.

The Advocacy Team at LIFE*SPIN is specialized in the following legislations:

Basic Needs & Shelter

  • Also known as welfare, this is the net meant to prevent people from falling through the cracks, and is considered income of the last resort. If an individual is denied or suspended from OW, they are left with no income, and are at risk of becoming homeless. The advocates start the appeal process in mediation with the OW worker who made the decision. There are numerous reasons for suspensions and termination of cases. The mediation process can often resolve the issue.

    The advocates at LIFE*SPIN also apply for social housing, provide a list of food banks, and ensures that, if there is a medical condition, medical coverage is continued with OW.

  • This is the provincial disability program. Individuals without insurance plans, who cannot work and have few assets can apply for this program. The Social Benefits Tribunal reports that more than 80% of applications are denied, due to missing objective medical evidence to support the applications. Most of the sick applicants waiting for their appeals to ODSP are on welfare, and many are without doctors.

    The advocate’s role is to help gather and review supporting medical documents, contact doctors for updated reports, and frequently help clients complete the complicated application forms.

  • This is the Federal disability pension. In order to qualify for this disability benefit, you must have worked and contributed to the CPP plan. The application forms are detailed, and often confusing to many who are in need. Increasingly, our advocacy team is assisting with additional CPP applications, such as Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplements.

    The advocate’s role is to guide and assist clients in making the application and accessing the medical reports, similar to the ODSP process.

Health Care

There are numerous overlapping needs and program barriers that require research and application support to ensure that all the client’s basic needs are met. This includes housing, food, and the necessary medical support, such as hearing tests, eye examinations, assisting clients in accessing a doctor, applying for assistive devices supports to obtain TENS machines, scooters, grab bars, hearing aids and the like.

If you are on OW, ODSP, or have a child with a severe disability, and you are in a medical group where heat is a risk factor, you may be able to request funding for an air conditioner through Discretionary Benefits:

Cooling Services - Low Income Engergy Network (PDF)

Educational Resources and Videos

We have created many videos to help you with many processes and in various ways. Please go to the following to see our list of informational and instructional videos. Includes videos on:

Community Advocate Video RESOURCES

“If everyone who wants to see an end to poverty, hunger, and suffering, speaks out, then the noise will be deafening. Politicians will have to listen.”

— Archbishop Desmond Tutu