Ontario is shelling out $25 million to correct what the provincial watchdog called a "morally repugnant" practice of refusing to give retroactive support payments to disabled people.

The province estimates about 19,000 people are owed money because of a backlog of payments with the Ontario Disability Support Plan.

The problem stems from the length of time it takes the province to approve someone for disability.

It typically takes eight months for the government to determine whether someone qualifies for disability, but the province has been refusing to pay more than four months in arrears.

Ontario's revision in policy comes on the heels of a scathing review of the Ministry of Community and Social Services's payment system by provincial ombudsman André Marin.

In May, Marin accused the ministry of leaving thousands of disabled people without enough money to pay their bills because of the "asinine application" of rules.

Ministry officials said a new computerized system will ensure that those people who were denied backlogged payments or underpaid receive the money owed them by this November.