Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction

Decision Information

Decision Content

PART C D ecis io n under A pp eal T he decisi on u nde r ap peal is the M i nis t ry's rec o nsid he ld that th e ap pellan t was n o t el igible for a crisis suppleme Assistan ce f or Person s with Disabi lit ie s Ac t Section Pe r sons wit h D is a bilities Regu lation Se cti o n 57( 1) PART D Re levant Leg isl ati on Employm ent an d A ssistance f o r Per s ons with D isabil Emplo y m e nt an d As sis tance f o r Per s ons with D is a EMT0D3(10106/01) e ratio n de c is ion date d Ja nu ar y 2 4, 2014 , whic h nt for shel ter unde r th e Em p l oyme nt an d 5 an d the Empl o ym ent and Assist a nce f or b ecause sh elte r is not an un e xpe cte d exp e nse. ities A ct (EAPW D A) Sect io n 5 bili ties Regulat io n (EAPWD R) S ecti o n 5 7 ( 1).
P A R T E S u m m a r y o f F a c t s T h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t i n a t t e n d a n c e a t t h e h e a r i n g t h e h e a r i n g p r o c e e d e d u n d e r S e c t i o n 8 6 ( b ) o f t h e T h e e v i d e n c e b e f o r e t h e M i n i s t e r a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o • S a v i n g s a c c o u n t h i s t o r y f o r t r a n s a c t i o n s f r o m D s h o w i n g a w i t h d r a w a l o f $ 8 8 0 . 0 0 o n D e c e m b e r • A 1 0 d a y n o t i c e t o e n d t e n a n c y f o r u n p a i d r e n t • S a v i n g s a c c o u n t b a l a n c e d a t e d J a n u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 • A l e t t e r f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s A d v o c a t e t o t h e M i A p p e l l a n t o w e s $ 3 7 5 . 0 0 f o r J a n u a r y r e n t a n d m l e t t e r s t a t e s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t n o r m a l l y b u d g e t s t h e A p p e l l a n t g a v e h i s r e n t m o n e y t o a n e i g h b o w a n t t o s e e h i s f r i e n d h o m e l e s s . T h e l e t t e r a l s o o n l y a n d b e s t f r i e n d " w h o w a s d i a g n o s e d w i t h t s t r e s s e d o u t o v e r t h e h o l i d a y s , h e u s e d h i s r e m s t a t e s t h a t i f t h e A p p e l l a n t i s e v i c t e d f r o m h i s r e d a n g e r t o h i s p h y s i c a l a n d m e n t a l h e a l t h . • A l e t t e r f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s d o c t o r , d a t e d J a n u m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n w h i c h r e q u i r e s s t a b i l i t y a n d m T h e A p p e l l a n t a l s o s u b m i t t e d t h e f o l l o w i n g a d d i t i o n • A r e c e i p t s h o w i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t m a d e p a y m F e b r u a r y r e n t o n J a n u a r y 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 . • I n t h e N o t i c e o f A p p e a l , t h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a s t a t e d t h a t h e d i d n o t t r a v e l . H i s f r i e n d w a s d i a g t r e a t m e n t , b u t h e d i d n o t g o . T h e p a n e l d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a d d i t i o n a l d o c u m e n t o f t h e E A A a s i t w a s i n s u p p o r t o f t h e r e c o r d s b e f o r p r o v i d e d f u r t h e r d e t a i l r e s p e c t i n g t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s r e T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t u s e d h i s D e c e m b m o n e y t o c o v e r h i s J a n u a r y r e n t . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 ). A f t e r c o n f i r m i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t i f i e d , E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n . n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g d o c u m e n t s : e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 t h r o u g h D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 , 1 8 , 2 0 1 3 . o r u t i l i t i e s , d a t e d J a n u a r y 3 , 2 C · l 4 . 1 4 s h o w i n g a b a l a n c e o f -! .f 1 . 'i : l . n i s t r y , d a t e d J a n u a r y 1 1 , , 2 1 1 \ s t a t i n g t h a t t h e u s t t h e r e f o r e m o v e o u t J y a r , a r y 1 3 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e f o r r e n t e x c e p t f o r l a s t D e : e r : J e r . T h a t m o n t h , r w h o d i d n o t h a v e a n y i n c u n e b e c a u s e h e d i d n o t s t a t e s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t t r a v e l e d t o s u p p o r t " h i s e r m i n a l c a n c e r . A s t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t w a n t t o b e a i n i n g f u n d s t o b u y g r o c e r i e s . T h e l e t t e r f i n a l l y s i d e n c e , h e w i l l b e h o m e l e s s a n d t h i s w i l l r e s u l t i n a r y 1 3 , 2 0 1 4 , s t a t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s a i n i m a l f i n a n c i a l s t r e s s . a l d o c u m e n t s w i t h h i s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l : e n t s o f $ 3 7 5 . 0 0 f o r J a n u a r y r e n t a n d $ 3 7 5 . 0 0 f o r t h i s a d v o c a t e w a s n o t a c c u r a t e i n h e r l e t t e r . H e n o s e d w i t h c a n c e r a n d w e n t o u t o f t o w n f o r a r y e v i d e n c e w a s a d m i s s i b l e u n d e r s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) e t h e M i n i s t e r a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n b e c a u s e i t c o n s i d e r a t i o n s u b m i s s i o n . e r i n c o m e s u c h t h a t h e d i d n o t h a v e e n o u g h
PART F -Reasons for Panel Decision The issue under appeal is whether the Minister's decision to deny the Appellant a crisis supplement for shelter under the EAPWDA Section 5 and EAPWDR Section 57(1) is reasonably supported by the evidence or a reasonable application of the legislation in the circumstances of the Appellant. The legislation provides the following: EAPWDA: Disability assistance and supplements 5 Subject tci the regulations, the minister may provide disability assistance or a supplement to or for a family unit that is eligible for it. EAPWDR: 57 (1) The minister may provide a crisis supplement to or for a family unit that is eligible for disability assistance or hardship assistance if (a) the family unit or a person in the family unit requires the supplement to meet an unexpected expense or obtain an item unexpectedly needed and is unable to meet the expense or obtain the item because there are no resources available to the family unit, and (b) the minister considers that failure to meet the expense or obtain the item will result in (i) imminent danger to the physical health of any person in the family unit, or (ii) removal of a child under the Child, Family and Community Service Act. (2) A crisis supplement may be provided only for the calendar month in which the application or request for the supplement is made. (3) A crisis supplement may not be provided for the purpose of obtaining (a) a supplement described in Schedule C, or (b) any other health care goods or services. (4) A crisis supplement provided for food, shelter or clothing is subject to the following limitations: (a) if for food, the maximum amount that may be provided in a calendar month is $20 for each person in the family unit, (b) if for shelter, the maximum amount that may be provided in a calendar month is the smaller of (i) the family unit's actual shelter cost, and (ii) the maximum set out in section 4 of Schedule A or Table 2 of Schedule D, as applicable, for a family unit that matches the family unit, and (c) if for clothing, the amount that may be provided must not exceed the smaller of (i) $100 for each person in the family unit in the 12 calendar month period preceding the date of application for the crisis supplement, and EAAT 003( 10/06/01)
( i i ) $ 4 0 0 f o r t h e f a m i l y u n i t i n t h e 1 2 c a l e n d a r m o n t h p e r i o d p ( 5 ) T h e c u m u l a t i v e a m o u n t o f c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t s t h a t m a y b e a m o u n t c a l c u l a t e d u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 6 ) . ( 6 ) I n t h e c a l e n d a r m o n t h i n w h i c h t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o r r e q u e s t i s c a l c u l a t e d b y m u l t i p l y i n g b y 2 t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t o f d i s a p r o v i d e d f o r t h e m o n t h u n d e r S c h e d u l e A o r I S c h e d u l e D t o ( 7 ) D e s p i t e s u b s e c t i o n ( 4 ) ( b ) o r ( 5 ) o r b o t h , a c r i s i s s u p p l e m ( a ) f u e l f o r h e a t i n g ; D ( b ) f u e l f o r c o o k i n g m e a l s ; I ( c ) w a t e r ; I ( B C R e g . 1 3 / 2 0 0 3 ) T h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h r e e l e g i s l a t e d c r i t e r i a m u f o r s h e l t e r . F i r s t , i t i s t o m e e t a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n S e c o n d , t h e r e m u s t b e n o r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o m w i l l r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o p h y s i c a l h e a l t h . A l p r o v i d e d i n f o r m a t i o n t o s h o w t h a t h e h a d n o r e s o u r s h e l t e r c o s t s a ft e r t h e e v i c t i o n n o t i c e w a s i s s u e d a n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o h i s p h y s i c a l h e a l t h , t h e M i n i s t r y u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e . T h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t i f t h e m o n e y , h e w o u l d h a v e h a d t h e f u n d s t o p a y h i s r e n A l t h o u g h t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t p r e s e n t a t t h e h e a r t h a t t h e A d v o c a t e m a d e a m i s t a k e i n t h e l e t t e r s h e h e h a d a f r i e n d g o i n t o t h e h o s p i t a l a n d d i e a n d a n o f o r t r e a t m e n t , t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t t r a v e l i n D e c e m T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e r e i s n o t e n o u g h e v i d e n c e t u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e . E v e n t h o u g h t h e A p p e l l a n t d i g a v e m o n e y t o a n e i g h b o r i n s t e a d o f u s i n g h i s i n c o T h e r e f o r e t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e M i n i s t r y ' s d e t e r m s u p p l e m e n t f o r s h e l t e r w a s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a t i o w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s A c t S e c t i o n 5 a n d t h e E m p l o y m e n t R e g u l a t i o n S e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) a n d c o n f i r m s t h e M i n i s t r y ' E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )------------r e c e d i n g t h e d a t e o f a p p l i c a t i o n f o r t h e c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t . p r o v i d e d t o o r f o r a f a m i l y u n i t i n a y e a r m u s t n o t e x c e e d t h e f o r t h e s u p p l e m e n t i s m a d e , t h e a m o u n t u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 5 ) b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e o r h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e t h a t m a y b e a f a m i l y u n i t t h a t m a t c h e s t h e f a m i l y u n i t . e n t m a y b e p r o v i d e d t o o r f o r a f a m i l y u n i t f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g : ( d ) h y d r o . s t b e m e t i n o r d e r t o r e c e i v e a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t s e o r o b t a i n a n i t e m u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d . e e t t h e e x p e n s e . T h i r d , f a i l u r e t o p r o v i d e t h e i t e m t h o u g h t h e M i n i s t r y f o u n d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t c e s a v a i l a b l e t o m e e t h i s n e e d f o r t h e J a n u a r y d t h a t a f a i l u r e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e w i l l r e s u l t i n a r g u e s t h a t t h e J a n u a r y r e n t w a s n o t a n A p p e l l a n t h a d n o t c h o s e n t o g i v e a w a y h i s t a s e x p e c t e d . i n g , i n t h e n o t i c e o f a p p e a l , h e A p p e l l a n t a r g u e s s u b m i t t e d o n h i s b e h a l f . H e s t a t e s t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e r f r i e n d w i t h t e r m i n a l c a n c e r w e n t o u t o f t o w n b e r . o s h o w t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s r e n t w a s a n d n o t t r a v e l , h e d o e s n o t d i s p u t e t h a t h e l e n t o r m e t o p a y f o r h i s u p c o m i n g r e n t i n J a n u a r y . i n a t i o n t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s i n e l i g i b l e f o r a c r i s i s n o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e f o r P e r s o n s a n d A s s i s t a n c e f o r P e r s o n s w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s s d e c i s i o n .
 You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.