PART C -Decision under Appeal The decision under appeal is the reconsideration decision of the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (the ministry) dated 08 January 2014 that denied the appellant's request for a crisis supplement for a portable automatic dishwasher. The ministry determined that her request did not meet the criteria set out in section 57 of the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation that the supplement was needed to meet an unexpected expense or obtain an item unexpectedly needed, and that failure to obtain the item would result in imminent danger to the physical health of the appellant. The ministry also found that a portable automatic dishwasher when . prescribed by a medical professional is a health care good and thus an item for which a crisis ยท supplement may not be provided. The ministry was satisfied that the appellant met the criterion set out in the Regulation in that there are no resources available to meet the expense. PART D -Relevant Legislation Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation (EAPWDR), Section 57 EAAT003(10/06/01)
PART E -Summar of Facts Adjournment Request 1. On 22 January 2014, the appellant sent a note to the tribunal regarding scheduling the hearing. She indicated that she is not available Wednesdays or Fridays, her advocate is not available Mondays or Tuesdays, and is not available before 14 February 2014. The hearings cannot start before noon and must start by 1p m. She will require a total of three hours allocated for the appeal but the tribunal has a doctor's note regarding scheduling. 2. On 31 January 2014, the appellant submitted an Appeal Adjournment Request. She provided the f o llowing reasons for the request: โข Her advocate will not be available before 14 February 2014. โข She needs her advocate present because of her disabilities -when she is busy she doesn't register up to 70% of what has been said and because she can misunderstand things and not really something has been sent that she needs to respond. She has several doctors' letters informing the ministry of this problem. โข Because she has a head "injury", her ability to organize thoughts and speak is impaired and she has short term memory problems. โข Without her advocate to do most of participating it could double or more the length of the hearing if she had to do it alone. As the ministry did not consent to this request, the Tribunal Chair did not approve the request. The appellant also made another request for adjournment on February 11, 2014, on substantially the same grounds as her previous request. It was also denied on the same grounds. 3. At the outset of the hearing, the appellant requested an adjournment for the f o llowing reasons: โข She has not enough time to prepare: The ministry has documents about how she has severe chronic fatigue -when she is stressed out she can't function or sleep properly. It is taken all the time since her request was denied to prepare for the appeal. In the process the ministry included multiple copies of documents in the record of the ministry decision and going through them causes her brain to stop functioning and she can't understand. The documents are all out of order and it has taken her a month to sort them out. She is always falling asleep going through all the material. โข The ministry has not provided her with the information she has requested: ministry decisions have failed to substantiate the reasons for the denial of her request. She has requested the ministry provide copies of e-mails between her and the ministry requesting such inf o rmation and the lack of ministry response. As a result of the ministry failing to provide these e-mails, she has submitted an FOi request but the ministry is delaying responding to this request. She has information that the ministry could obtain these documents within an hour. โข She has important evidence from Ombudsperson reports f o r the panel to consider, but as the hearing was being held by teleconference, she was not able to courier the material to the panel. โข For the same reason, she is unable to provide a brief doctor's note dated 08 February 2014 stating that she is unable to work on the appeal any quicker than she has been able to. โข She has not had enough time to discuss the appeal with her advocate: her advocate will not know if something stated by the ministry at the hearing needs a response. โข She is exhausted, her brain is not working and she did not get any sleep the night before at least artl because she was involved in a hearin re ardin anotherre ue.st for a c:risis ๏ฟฝ . ๏ฟฝ EAAT003(10/06/01)
s u p p l e m e n t y e s t e r d a y . โข T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s A d v o c a t e a l s o i n d i c a t e d t h a p r o p e r l y a s s i s t t h e a p p e l l a n t . A f t e r a r e c e s s t o c o n s i d e r t h e m a t t e r , t h e p a n e l d i r e a s o n s : โข I n t h e p a n e l ' s v i e w , t h e a p p e l l a n t n e e d s m i n a d v o c a t e h a d a l r e a d y a b l y a s s i s t e d t h e a p p โข I n t h e p a n e l ' s v i e w , t h e r e i s s u f f i c i e n t e v i d e n c a s e t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y d i d n o t s u b s t a n ' t i a t e i t c o u l d r e a d i n t o t h e r e c o r d m a t e r i a l f r o m t h e d o c t o r ' s n o t e . โข T h e h e a r i n g i s t o c o n s i d e r t h e r e a s o n a b l e n e t o m a k e a j u d g m e n t c o n c e r n i n g t h e d e l i v e r y r e s p o n s e s t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t s f o r i n f โข A s t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d a b l y p r e s e n t e d h e r r e q s u b s t a n t i v e i s s u e s r e s p e c t i n g h e r a r g u m e n t r e q u e s t w a s fo r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t , w i t h t h e r e q u e s t , t h e p a n e l f o u n d i t b o t h f a i r a n d e x p S u b s t a n t i v e M a t t e r s T h e a p p e l l a n t i s i n r e c e i p t o f d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e a O n A p r i l 1 7 , 2 0 1 3 , t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s p r e s c r i b e d a r e a d s a s f o l l o w s : " N e e d a n e w d i s h w a s h e r t o p r e v e n t r i s k o f f r s i n k . F r o m h i s l e g s g i v i n g w a y s u d d e n l y . U R O n M a y 9 , 2 0 1 3 , a m i n i s t r y d e c i s i o n s e t o u t i n a R d e n i a l o f h e r r e q u e s t f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o p u r " [ T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s ] m e d i c a l i s s u e s a r e n o t c o n t h e p e r s o n s w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s d e s i g n a t i o n s i n c c o u l d n o t b e a p p l i e d t o h e r r e q u e s t . " O n M a y 2 8 , 2 0 1 3 , t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s a g a i n p r e s c r i b p r e s c r i p t i o n r e a d s a s f o l l o w s : " P l e a s e n o t e t h e a p p e l l a n t r e q u i r e s a p o r t a b d e c r e a s e d m o b i l i t y , o s t e o p o r o s i s a n d r i s k o f h a s b e g u n e x p e r i e n c i n g " g i v i n g w a y " o f h e r l c a n n o t u s e a c h a i r t o d o h e r d i s h e s b e c a u s e O n J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 1 3 , a m i n i s t r y r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s f o r a c r i s i s s u l e m e n t t o u r c h a s e a d i s h w a s h e r EM T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )t s h e w a s t i r e d a n d f e l t s o r e ? a n d s o c o u l d n o t d n o t g r a n t t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g i m a l a s s i s t a n c e i n p r e s e n t i n g h e r c a s e a n d t h e e l l a n t i n h e r r e q u e s t f o r a n a d j o u r n m e n t . c e o n t h e r e c o r d f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t t o a r g u e h e r s d e c i s i o n s . T h e p a n e l a g r e e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t O m b u d s m a n ' s r e p o rt s , c o u r t d e c i s i o n s a n d h e r s s o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n , n o t o f m i n i s t r y s e r v i c e s o r t h e a d e q u a c y o f i t s o r m a t i o n . u e s t f o r a d j o u r n m e n t , m u c h o f w h i c h a d d r e s s e d s o n t h e i s s u e s u n d e r a p p e a l , a n d g i v e n t h a t t h e u r g e n c y i m p l i e d i n t h e n e e d t o a d d r e s s t h e e d i e n t t o p r o c e e d a s s c h e d u l e d . s a s o l e r e c i p i e n t . d i s h w a s h e r b y h e r p h y s i c i a n . T h e p r e s c r i p t i o n a c t u r e s a n d r i s k o f f a l l s f r o m h a v i n g t o s t a n d a t G E N T . " e q u e s t f o r R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n c o n f i r m s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s c h a s e a d i s h w a s h e r o n t h e b a s i s t h a t : s i d e r e d u n e x p e c t e d a s [ t h e a p p e l l a n t ] h a s h a d e 2 0 0 2 , t h e r e f o r e p r i c e s s u p p l e m e n t l e g i s l a t i o n e d a p o r t a b l e a u t o m a t i c d i s h w a s h e r . T h e l e a u t o m a t i c d i s h w a s h e r ( u n u s e d ) d u e t o h e r f a l l s . T h i s m o b i l i t y p r o b l e m i s a n e w i s s u e . S h e e g s a t t h e k n e e c a u s i n g f a l l s . P l e a s e n o t e t h i s p t . s h e c a n n o t g e t c l o s e e n o u g h . " i o n c o n f i r m s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e n i a l o f h e r r e q u e s t o n t h e b a s i s t h a t :
" Y o u d o n o t m e e t t h e c r i t e r i a u n d e r t h e c r i s i n e e d f o r a d i s h w a s h e r m a y b e u n e x p e c t e d p u r c h a s e t h e i t e m o n y o u r o w n , t h e m i n i s t r y w o u l d r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t t h r e a t t o y o u r p h y s h a v i n g a d i s h w a s h e r w o u l d n o t p r e v e n t y o u f a l l i n g . Y o u r r i s k o f y o u r l e g s " g i v i n g w a y " w d i s h w a s h e r o r c o m p l e t i n g o t h e r d a i l y a c t i v i t c o o k i n g y o u r m e a l s . " O n O c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 1 3 , a m i n i s t r y d e c i s i o n s e t o u t i n a p p e l l a n t ' s n e w r e q u e s t f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o " f a i l u r e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e o f t h e d i s h w a s h p h y s i c a l h e a l t h o f [ t h e a p p e l l a n t ] . A d i s h w a s d i s h e s , i t d o e s n o t p r e v e n t t h e r i s k o f l e g s g O n O c t o b e r 1 6 , 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n p r e o f f i c e d e s c r i b i n g i n s o m e d e t a i l w h y t h e a p p e l l a n t s u m m a r y t h e i s s u e s i d e n t i f i e d b y t h e a g g r a v a t i o n p r o l o n g e d s t a n d i n g a n d t h e r i s k o f i n j u r y d u e t o h e O n O c t o b e r 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 a m i n i s t r y r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e r e q u e s t f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o p u r c h a s e a d i s h r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n o f O c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 1 3 O n D e c e m b e r 5 , 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n p r o f f i c e s t a t i n g t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t n e e d s t o b e p r o v i d " s e r i o u s s o f t t i s s u e i n j u r y , p a i n a n d f u n c t i o n a l i m p a a l i g n m e n t p r o b l e m s a n d r i s k o f f r a c t u r e s . . . " . O n J a n u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e m i n i s t r y ' s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n m i n i s t r y ' s d e n i a l o f t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r a c r i b a s i s t h a t s i n c e t h e o r i g i n a l p r e s c r i p t i o n f o r t h e d i s f i n d s t h a t y o u r n e e d f o r t h e d i s h w a s h e r c a n n o t r e a d o n o t h a v e a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e , " a n d " y o u h a b e h i n d o r b e s i d e y o u t o a s s i s t y o u s h o u l d y o u r l e g s a t i s f i e d t h a t f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n a d i s h w a s h e r w i l l r e s T h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n g o e s o n t o s t a t e , " A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e M i n i s t e r n o t e s t h a t y o u a r e p r e s c r i b e d b y m e d i c a l d o c t o r s a n d i s t o b e u m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s . T h e M i n i s t e r c o n c l u d e s t A c c o r d i n g l y , y o u a r e i n e l i g i b l e f o r a c r i s i s s u p E A P W D R . " EM T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 1 0 1 )s s u p p l e m e n t l e g i s l a t i o n b e c a u s e a l t h o u g h y o u r a n d y o u m a y n o t h a v e t h e r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o i s n o t s a t i s f i e d t h a t f a i l u r e t o p r o v i d e t h e m o n e y i c a l s a f e t y . A l s o , i t i s t h e M i n i s t r y o p i n i o n t h a t r l e g s " g i v i n g w a y " a n d a v o i d t h e r i s k o f y o u o u l d s t i l l c o n t i n u e w h e n l o a d i n g a n d u n l o a d i n g a i e s i n y o u r h o u s e h o l d s u c h a s p r e p a r i n g a n d a R e q u e s t f o r R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e n i e s t h e p u r c h a s e t h e d i s h w a s h e r o n t h e b a s i s t h a t : e r w o u l d n o t r e s u l t i n a n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e h e r m a y l i m i t t h e s t a n d i n g t i m e r e q u i r e d t o w a s h i v i n g w a y a n d c a u s i n g i n j u r y . " p a r e d a l e t t e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s l o c a l m i n i s t r y r e q u i r e s a d i s h w a s h e r f o r m e d i c a l r e a s o n s . I n o f h e r e x i s t i n g m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s d u e t o r f a l l i n g a s a r e s u l t o f h e r m e d i c a l i s s u e s . c i s i o n c o n f i r m s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e n i a l o f h e r w a s h e r o n s u b s t a n t i a l l y t h e s a m e r e a s o n s a s t h e e p a r e d a l e t t e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s l o c a l m i n i s t r y e d w i t h a d i s h w a s h e r i m m e d i a t e l y t o p r e v e n t i r m e n t . . . C o n t i n u e d s o f t t i s s u e i n j u r i e s , M a l d e c i s i o n h e r e u n d e r a p p e a l c o n f i r m s t h e s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o p u r c h a s e a d i s h w a s h e r o n t h e h w a s h e r i s d a t e d A p r i l 1 7 , 2 0 1 3 , " [ t h e ] M i n i s t e r s o n a b l y b e c o n s i d e r e d u n e x p e c t e d a n d t h a t y o u v e t h e o p t i o n o f p l a c i n g a c h a i r o r o t h e r s u p p o r t s g i v e w a y w h i l e s t a n d i n g . T h e M i n i s t e r i s n o t u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o y o u r h e a l t h . " r e q u e s t i n g a d i s h w a s h e r w h i c h h a s b e e n s e d t o a s s i s t y o u a s a r e s u l t o f y o u r m u l t i p l e h a t y o u a r e r e q u e s t e d a h e a l t h c a r e a r e g o o d . p l e m e n t f o r t h i s i t e m u n d e r s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 3 ) o f t h e
O n t h e N o t i c e o f A p p e a l u n d e r t h e s e c t i o n r e a s o n " I m e e t c r i t e r i o n o f l e g i s l a t i o n " . T h e r e i s a c o n s i d e o f t h e N o t i c e o f A p p e a l , b u t i t i s n o t l e g i b l e . S u b s e q u e n t t o t h e a p p e a l b e i n g f i l e d b u t b e fo r e t h f i v e p a c k a g e s o f m a t e r i a l t i t l e d A p p e n d i x B , A p p e n T h e p a n e l r e v i e w e d t h e s e d o c u m e n t s a n d c o n c l u d e x i s t i n g d o c u m e n t s t h a t w e r e i n c l u d e d i n t h e o r i g i n A c c o r d i n g l y , p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) ( b ) , t h e p a n e c o n s i d e r e d t h e m i n m a k i n g i t s d e c i s i o n . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )s f o r a p p e a l t h e a p p e l l a n t h a s w r i t t e n t h e f o l l o w i n g : r a b l e a m o u n t o f t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s w r i t i n g o v e r m o s t e d a t e o f t h e h e a r i n g , 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 d i x C , A p p e n d i x D , A p p e n d i x E a n d A p p e n d i x F . e d t h a t t h e y w e r e s i m p l y r e o r g a n i z a t i o n s o f a l p a c k a g e . l a g r e e d t o a d m i t t h e s e d o c u m e n t s a n d
P A R T F R e a s o n s f o r P a n e l D e c i s i o n T h e i s s u e u n d e r a p p e a l i s w h e t h e r t h e m i n i s t r y d e c s u p p l e m e n t f o r a p o r t a b l e a u t o m a t i c d i s h w a s h e r u n s u p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e o r w a s a r e a s o n a b l e a p t h e a p p e l l a n t . I n p a rt i c u l a r , t h e i s s u e i s w h e t h e r t h e i n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d d i d n o t e s t a b l i s h t h a t t h e a p p e u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n 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 r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e h e a l t h o f t h e a p p e l h e a l t h c a r e g o o d a n d t h u s a n i t e m f o r w h i c h a c r i s i s T h e m i n i s t r y w a s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t m e t t h e t h e r e a r e n o r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o o b t a i n t h e i t e m . T h e r e l e v a n t l e g i s l a t i o n i s f r o m s e c t i o n 5 7 o f t h e E A C r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t 5 7 ( 1 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y p r o v i d e a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o o r h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e i f ( a ) t h e f a m i l y u n i t o r a p e r s o n i n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n a e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e i t e m b e c a ( b ) t h e m i n i s t e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t f a ( i ) i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t ( i i ) r e m o v a l o f a c h i l d u n ( 2 ) A c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t m a y b e p r o v i d e d o n l y f o r t t h e s u p p l e m e n t i s m a d e . ( 3 ) A c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t m a y n o t b e p r o v i d e d f o r t h ( a ) a s u p p l e m e n t d e s c r i b e d i n S ( b ) a n y o t h e r h e a l t h c a r e g o o d s T h e A p p e l l a n t ' s L e g a l A r g u m e n t s I n b o t h h e r a p p l i c a t i o n f o r a n a d j o u r n m e n t a n d i n h e d e c i s i o n w a s n o t r e a s o n a b l e , t h e a p p e l l a n t r a i s e d w t e c h n i c a l l e g a l a r g u m e n t s i n s u p p o r t o f w h i c h s h e c i c a s e l a w . T h e p a n e l n o t e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d t i m l a s t e d t h r e e h o u r s , w i t h t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s s u b m i s s i o n l a c o n c l u s i o n o f w h i c h s h e i n d i c a t e d t h a t s h e w a s s a t i s I n t h i s c a s e t h e l e g a l p r i n c i p l e s c i t e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n 1 ) t h e m i n i s t r y i s r e q u i r e d t o g i v e a d e q u a t e a n d d e c i s i o n s s u c h t h a t a n y o n e i m p a c t e d b y t h e d f o r t h a t d e c i s i o n , e v e n i f t h e y a r e c o g n i t i v e l y i m 2 ) t h e m i n i s t r y c a n n o t r e l y o n i t s o w n d e l a y t o s u t h e l e g i s l a t i v e c r i t e r i a t h a t i t b e u n e x p e c t e d ; 3 i t i s a r i n c i l e o f s t a t u t e i n t e r r e l a t i o n , a s e E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )i s i o n t o d e n y t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r a c r i s i s d e r s e c t i o n 5 7 o f t h e E A P W D R w a s r e a s o n a b l y p l i c a t i o n o f t h e l e g i s l a t i o n i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e l l a n t r e q u i r e s a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n y n e e d e d , t h a t f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n t h e i t e m w o u l d l a n t , a n d t h a t a p o r t a b l e a u t o m a t i c d i s h w a s h e r i s a s u p p l e m e n t m a y n o t b e p r o v i d e d . o t h e r c r i t e r i o n s e t o u t i n t h e R e g u l a t i o n : P W D R : f o r a f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i s e l i g i b l e f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e o r t h e f a m i l y u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n n i t e m u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d a n d i s u n a b l e t o m e e t t h e u s e t h e r e a r e n o r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o t h e f a m i l y u n i t , a n d i l u r e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e i t e m w i l l r e s u l t i n h e p h y s i c a l h e a l t h o f a n y p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t , o r d e r t h e C h i l d , F a m i l y a n d C o m m u n i t y S e rv i c e A c 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 f o r e p u r p o s e o f o b t a i n i n g c h e d u l e C , o r o r s e r v i c e s . r s u b s t a n t i v e a r g u m e n t s t h a t t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n h a t t h e p a n e l c o n s i d e r s t o b e a n u m b e r o f t e d b o t h a r e p o r t f r o m t h e B C O m b u d s m a n a n d e t o p r e s e n t t h e s e a r g u m e n t s i n t h a t t h e h e a r i n g s t i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 -1 / 2 h o u r s , a t t h e f i e d w i t h h e r s u b m i s s i o n . t a r e t h e f o l l o w i n g : s u b s t a n t i v e r e a s o n s f o r i t s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n e c i s i o n m u s t b e a b l e t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e g r o u n d s p a i r e d ; p p o r t i t s a r g u m e n t t h a t a n i t e m n o l o n g e r m e e t s s t a b l i s h e d h r e c e n t c a s i:1 . l a w , t h a t fl d e c i s i o n s
maker must favour any plausible interpretation of a statutory provision by an individual over the interpretation proposed by the statute-maker. While the panel is accepts that it is the right of the appellant to make these submissions, it intends to make its determination in this hearing, as in all appeals under the relevant provisions of the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act, on the basis established by that legislation: that is, "whether the decision being appealed is, as applicable, reasonably supported by the evidence, or a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the circumstances of the person appealing the decision." Substantive Matters At the hearing the appellant argued that her request for a new automatic dishwasher meets the criteria set out in section 57(1). That is, the need f o r the item is unexpected, she has no alternate resources, and failure to obtain the item will result in imminent danger to her physical health. The ministry's position is that the appellant meets only the second of these legislative requirements, in that she has no alternate resources. The Ministry maintained that the need for the item is not unexpected and the failure to obtain the item would not result in imminent danger to the appellant's physical health. The Ministry also argued that the dishwasher is a healthcare good because it is prescribed by a physician. 1. Unexpected Expense The appellant argued that the need for a dishwasher was unexpected in that she could not have foreseen that need. The ministry argued that the need for the dishwasher was not unexpected since it was based on a prescription which was prepared for the appellant in April 2013. The panel is not convinced by either of these arguments. The ministry's argument that since time has elapsed since becoming aware of the need for a dishwasher and ministry's decision, which is based at least partly on the determination that the item is not unexpected, is self-serving. The question is not only whether the item was unexpected at the time of the second request giving rise to the reconsideration decision under appeal, but also whether it was unexpected the time it was identified as a need. On the other hand, the appellant's argument is too broad. Something more than a realization of a need is required in order for that need to be unexpected. We all become aware of a need and given point in time, where bef o re that time we were not aware of the need and after that time we were aware of the need. This applies to even the most mundane of needs. In order f o r the need to be "unexpected" there must be an element of surprise or unpredictability.as would be the case with a sudden unforeseen change of circumstances or an unanticipated personal crisis. In this case the medical condition as well as the symptoms which led to the prescription of a dishwasher were well known to the appellant long before the prescription was written. So the need for the dishwasher was not the result of a sudden and unforeseen change of circumstances or unanticipated personal crisis, rather it was the result of long established medical conditions. On this basis the panel finds that the ministrv reasonably determined that this expense was not EAAT003(10/06/01)
u n e x p e c t e d . 2 . I m m i n e n t D a n g e r t o H e a l t h T h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e d t h a t n o t a c q u i r i n g a d i s h w a s h H e r p o s i t i o n w a s t h a t e v e r y t i m e s h e s t o o d a t t h e s m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s s h e c o u l d f a l l a n d s e r i o u s l y i n j u T h e m i n i s t r y c h o s e n o t t o a r g u e t h i s p o i n t a t t h e h e a r g u m e n t m a d e i n t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n a n d m i n i s t r y ' s a r g u m e n t i n t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n d a n g e r b e c a u s e s h e c a n p l a c e a c h a i r o r o t h e r s u p l e g s g i v e w a y . A s u b s e q u e n t l e t t e r f r o m t h e a p p e l l a t h a t t h i s w a s n o t a n a d e q u a t e s a f e g u a r d . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e r e d o e s a p p e a r t o b e a t h r e e v i d e n c e s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w o u l d b e m u c a p e r i o d o f t i m e t o w a s h d i s h e s b y h a n d a s o p p o s e t h a t t h i s t h r e a t i s i m m i n e n t i n t h a t i t c o u l d h a p p e n a O n t h i s b a s i s 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 u n r e a d i s h w a s h e r w o u l d n o t p l a c e t h e a p p e l l a n t h e a l t h i n 3 . H e a l t h c a r e G o o d T h e m i n i s t ry a r g u e d t h a t t h e d i s h w a s h e r s h o u l d b e p r e s c r i b e d b y a p h y s i c i a n a n d s o i s i n e l i g i b l e f o r a c T h e a p p e l l a n t m a i n t a i n e d t h a t a d i s h w a s h e r i s n o t a p h y s i c i a n . I n o r d e r t o b e a h e a l t h c a r e g o o d , t h e p u r h e a l t h . A d i s h w a s h e r i s a k i t c h e n a p p l i a n c e d e s i g n e t h e p u r p o s e o f w h i c h i s t o c a r e f o r a p e r s o n ' s h e a l t h W h e n a s k e d b y t h e p a n e l w h e t h e r a d i s h w a s h e r w o r e l e v a n t l e g i s l a t i o n t h e m i n i s t r y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s r e s p l e g i s l a t i o n d e a l i n g w i t h h e a l t h s u p p l e m e n t s , i i i s c l e p o s i t i v e l y i m p a c t t h e h e a l t h o f a p e r s o n . A d i s h w a s h A d i s h w a s h e r c a n n o t b e c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s a h e a l t h c O n t h i s b a s i s t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e d i s h w a s h e r i s u n r e a s o n a b l y d i s q u a l i f i e d i t f r o m b e i n g t h e s u b j e c t o C o n c l u s i o n B a s e d o n t h e f o r e g o i n g , t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e m i n a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r a p o r t a b l e a u t o m a t i c d i s h w a b e c a u s e i t w a s n o t u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e . T h e p a n e l E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )e r p l a c e d h e r p h y s i c a l h e a l t h i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r . i n k t o w a s h d i s h e s t h e r e i s a r i s k t h a t d u e t o h e r r e h e r s e l f . a r i n g . H o w e v e r , t h e p a n e l c o n s i d e r s t h a t i t w a s a n s o m u s t b e c o n s i d e r e d b y t h e p a n e l . T h e i s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s h e a l t h i s n o t i n i m m i n e n t p o r t b e h i n d o r b e s i d e h e r t o a s s i s t h e r s h o u l d h e r n t ' s p h y s i c i a n s u b m i t t e d t o t h e a p p e a l i n d i c a t e d a t t o t h e p h y s i c a l h e a l t h o f t h e a p p e l l a n t . T h e h m o r e l i k e l y t o f a l l a n d i n j u r e h e r s e l f s t a n d i n g f o r d t o l o a d i n g t h e d i s h w a s h e r . T h e p a n e l a l s o f i n d s t a n y t i m e , i s i m p e n d i n g o r l o o m i n g . s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n t h e i m m i n e n t d a n g e r . c l a s s i f i e d a s a h e a l t h c a r e g o o d a s i i w a s r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 3 ) . h e a l t h c a r e g o o d e v e n w h e n p r e s c r i b e d b y a p o s e o f t h e g o o d m u s t b e t o c a r e f o r a p e r s o n ' s d t o a u t o m a t i c a l l y c l e a n d i s h e s , n o t s o m e t h i n g . u l d q u a l i f y a s a h e a l t h c a r e g o o d u n d e r t h e o n s e w a s n o . U p o n r e v i e w o f t h e s e c t i o n s o f t h e a r t h a t t h e s e t y p e s o f d e v i c e s a r e d e s i g n e d t o e r i s n o t d e s i g n e d t o d o t h i s , b u t t o c l e a n d i s h e s . a r e g o o d . n o t a h e a l t h c a r e g o o d a n d t h a t t h e m i n i s t ry f a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t u n d e r s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 3 ) . i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n t o d e n y t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r s h e r w a s r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e t h e r e f o r e c o n f i r m s t h e m i n i s t r v ' 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.