P ART C -Deci sion under A ppeal Th e deci sion under a ppeal is the Ministry of Soci a l Developm ent and S ocial Innovation (Mini stry ) rec o nsi derat i o n d e cision dated Februar y 12, 2 0 1 4 which h eld that the Appellant did not meet all o f the criteria to be eligible for a cr isis s up pleme nt for utilities as set out in section 57(1) of the E mp l o yment a nd Assi st ance f or Persons with D isabiliti es Regulation (EAPWDR) for the fol lo wi ng reasons: a) the requ i rement to pa y a BC Hy dro amount w a s not an unex p e ct ed need as required under s.57(1)(a), and b) th e Ministry dete rm i ned that th e non-pa ymen t of the BC Hydro amount would not r es ult in immin ent da nger to t he appellant's physical he alth or removal of a child as required under s.57(1)(b)(i). P AR T D Relevant Legislat ion E mp lo y men t and As sist a n ce for Pers ons with Di sabi li t ies R egulat ion (EAPWDR) sect ion 57(1 ) . EMT 003(10/06/01)
P A R T E S u m m a r v o f F a c t s T h e p a n e l w a i t e d 1 0 m i n u t e s t o b e g i n t h e h e a r i n g , b h e a r i n g . T h e p a n e l r e c e i v e d c o n f i r m a t i o n f r o m t h e T d a t e a n d t i m e o f t h e h e a r i n g . A c c o r d i n g l y , u n d e r s . t h e p a n e l h e a r d t h e a p p e a l i n t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s a b s e n T h e A p p e l l a n t h a s b e e n d e s i g n a t e d a p e r s o n w i t h d a s s i s t a n c e . T h e i n f o r m a t i o n b e f o r e t h e M i n i s t r y a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o a p p e l l a n t ( 3 p a g e s ) f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g d a t e s : O c t o b e r F e b r u a r y 3 & 4 , 2 0 1 4 , a s w e l l a s J a n u a r y 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 , M i n i s t r y n o t e s i n d i c a t e t h a t o n O c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 1 3 a t 1 : a d v i s e d t h a t s h e r e c e i v e d a H y d r o d i s c o n n e c t i n t h e m a k i n g H y d r o p a y m e n t s a n d h a d p a i d $ 1 2 0 . 0 0 t o w a 2 0 1 3 i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e H y d r o b i l l w a s n o t a d i s c o n n $ 8 1 0 . 0 0 . T h e M i n i s t r y ' s n o t e s f o r O c t o b e r 2 , 2 0 1 3 ( a s w e l l a s i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e M i n i s t r y p r e v i o u s l y p a i d t h e A p p e l l a F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 , b u t t h e M i n i s t r y c a n c e l l e d t h e s e p a y w a s n o t r e c e i v i n g e n o u g h m o n t h l y a s s i s t a n c e . T h e c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r $ 8 3 6 . 0 3 f o r a H y d r o d i s c o n n e c O c t o b e r 2 a n d 3 , 2 0 1 3 i n d i c a t e t h a t t h e M i n i s t r y d e n f o r u t i l i t i e s " a s n o t h i n g a p p e a r s t o b e u n e x p e c t e d a n t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t r e c e i v e d $ 4 0 0 . 0 0 G S T o n O c t o b e H y d r o b i l l . T h e M i n i s t r y n o t e f r o m J a n u a ry 7 , 2 0 1 4 i n d i c a t e s t h a a n d h a d m a d e a r r a n g e m e n t s t o p a y $ 3 3 1 t o H y d r o . c o n t a c t e d H y d r o a n d a s k e d i f s e t t i n g u p a g u a r a n t e e t o l d i t w o u l d n o t . T h e M i n i s t r y n o t e s i n d i c a t e t h a t o n c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r f o o d b e c a u s e s h e h a d t o s p e n d 2 0 1 4 , t h e M i n i s t r y d e n i e d h e r r e q u e s t f o r a c r i s i s s u p c l i e n t h a d r e q u e s t e d t h e M i n i s t r y s t o p p a y i n g h e r H y i s n o t u n e x p e c t e d a n d h a v i n g t o p a y t h e a m o u n t o f $ EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )u t t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d t h e t e l e c o n f e r e n c e r i b u n a l t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a d b e e n n o t i f i e d o f t h e 8 6 ( b ) o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t A s s i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n , c e . i s a b i l i t i e s a n d r e c e i v e s m o n t h l y d i s a b i l i t y n i n c l u d e d a c o p y o f i t s f i l e n o t e s o n t h e 1 , 2 a n d 3 , 2 0 1 3 , J a n u a r y 7 , 1 6 & 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 a n d a n d F e b r u a r y 4 , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 4 & 1 9 , 2 0 1 3 . T h e 1 4 p . m . , t h e A p p e l l a n t c a l l e d t h e M i n i s t ry a n d a m o u n t o f $ 8 0 9 . 1 7 a n d t h a t s h e h a d b e e n r d s t h e b i l l . T h e M i n i s t r y n o t e f o r O c t o b e r 2 , e c t n o t i c e , b u t a b i l l f o r t h e o u t s t a n d i n g a m o u n t o f t h e n o t e s f r o m J a n u a r y a n d F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 ) n t ' s H y d r o a s a g u a r a n t e e d s u p p l i e r t h r o u g h m e n t s a t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t a s s h e f e l t s h e M i n i s t r y h a d p r e v i o u s l y p r o v i d e d t h e A p p e l l a n t a t i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 . T h e M i n i s t r y ' s n o t e s f r o m i e d t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t d n o t a d i s c o n n e c t . " T h e s e n o t e s a l s o i n d i c a t e r 3 , 2 0 1 3 a n d i n t e n d e d t o p u t t h i s t o w a r d s h e r t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a d r e c e i v e d a d i s c o n n e c t n o t i c e T h e M i n i s t r y n o t e i n d i c a t e s a M i n i s t ry w o r k e r d s u p p l i e r w o u l d a v o i d d i s c o n n e c t i o n a n d w a s F e b r u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e A p p e l l a n t r e q u e s t e d a $ 4 0 0 o n h e r H y d r o b i l l , b u t t h a t o n F e b r u a r y 4 , p l e m e n t f o r f o o d w i t h t h e n o t e , " a s p e r h i s t o r y , d r o o v e r a y e a r a g o . C l i e n t n o t p a y i n g h e r H y d r o 4 0 0 o r f a c e d i s c o n n e c t i o n w a s n o t u n e x p e c t e d . "
PART F -Reasons f or Panel Decision The issue to be decided is whet h e r t h e Minis try's decision to supple ment for ut ilities o n the basis tha t she did n o t meet the criteria set o EAPWDR is reasonable. The crit eria to be appl ied by th e M inistry o n a request f 57(1) of the EAPWDR as follows, emphasized by the (1) The mi n i ste r may provi de a crisis supplement disability a s sistance or hardshi p assist ance i f (a) the famil y unit or a pe r son in the fam ily uni expens e o r obtain a n item un expectedly need the item because ther e are no resources availa (b) the m in ister considers that failure to meet the expense or obtain the item will (i ) imm i n ent dang e r to th e p hy sica l health of an Th e Ap pel la nt's posit ion is that she meets the elig ib util ities . I n her w ri t ten subm i ss i ons wi t h her request fo wrote that t he A ppellant ' s need for the cr isis supplem H ydro had con s i ste nt l y defer red the App e llan t' s ou tst r e ason f or her to believe t ha t t hat would chang e . " The A al s o no ted tha t a M inistry wor k er cont act ed BC Hydro woul d avoi d disco n nect i on, bu t was told no ( a s indicate The Appe ll an t's adv ocate wrote, "if a Ministry wor ker wou l d b e wil l i ng to ma k e an ar rang ement b y "sett ing u H y d ro refuse to d o so, t h e n i t wou ld foll ow t ha t [th e Ap a ccept a r eas o nable p a yme nt arr angeme nt to be "un r ec o n sid era tion i ndi c ate that she w as able t o bo rrow arrears i n Ja nua ry 2014. The Appell a nt d id not ma k for u ti liti es would res ult in i mm i nent dan ger to her phys r emoval o f a chi l d . The Ministry says that the Appell ant does not meet 2 of the 3 legislative criteria under subs. 57(1) for a crisis s upplement f o r ut i lities (the Min istry fo u nd that t as there are no resources av ailable t o her, a s req u i red by Appellant has not established that the expense of her Hydro arrears is an unexpected expense, as required b y subs . 57(1)(a ) . The rec o nsideration decis ongoing expense and ca'nnot be considered unexpected. decision (and at the hearing) that by asking the Minis BC Hydro in Febr u ar y 2 0 13, this indicate s that the Ap financia l responsibility to pay Hydro on her own and that as a result, her overdue acc unexpected. The Ministry also noted that the Appellant had rece for outstanding Hydro arrears and to avoid disconnection in February 2013 (as set out in the Ministry's file notes of February 19, 2013). The reconsideration decision also noted that the Appellant has not prov ided information to establish t h at failure to pay the Hydro arrears will result in immine danger to the a ppellant's physical health or removal EMT 003(10/06/01) d en y the Appellant's r e q uest for a crisis ut in section 5 7(1) of the or a crisis s up plem e nt are set ou t in section panel: to or for a fami ly unit that i s eligible for t re quires the supplement to meet an une x p ected ed and is unab le to meet the expense or obtain ble to the family unit, and result in y pe rson in t he fam il y unit ... ilit y crit e ri a to recei ve a cris is s u pp le men t for r r e considerati on, an advoca t e for t h e Appellant ent for ut iliti e s w as un e xpec t e d bec a use B C a nding ba l anc e for tw o y ears and "the r e wa s no pp el lan t's submi s sio n on rec on side ra tion and a s ke d if se tt ing up a guar a nteed sup plier d in t he Min i st r y note f rom Janu ary 7 , 20 1 4). ha s a reasonable expect atio n that B C Hydro p a g uara nteed sup plier chequ e" b ut h avi ng pellant] would al so find th e re fusal b y Hy d ro to ex pected." The App ellant 's subm i ss i ons on $50 0 t o put t oward s th e o ut s ta ndi n g Hydr o e an y subm i ssions that fa i lure to o b tain m oney ical healt h o r an y pers on i n he r fa mily un i t or he App ellan t was u n able to m e et th e expense subs. 57(1)(a)). T he M in ist ry say s that the io n states that the Appellant's util ities are an The Ministry noted in the reconsideration try to stop the monthly bill pay m e nt directl y t o pell ant was aware that she was assuming the ount was not ived a crisis supp l e ment for utilities nt of a ch ild, as required by subs. 57(1)(b)(i).
In order to receive a crisis sup pleme n t under section 57 of the E t hree of the criteria s e t out i n s ubs. 57(1) if t h e ap plic crisis supplement wil l no � be provided. T he panel no tes that t h e M inistry had provided the Appellan ar rears and to avoi d a disconnect in February 2013 an assumed responsibili ty for paying her Hydro b ills ( as op d i rectly to Hydr o on her b� h a lf on a month l y basis). the outstanding bal ance and the n e ed to pay down t (as set out in the Ministry's file n o t es of October 2013 reconside ration). The panel finds reaso n ab le the Ministry's determination that the established t hat the e x pe ns e of her o u tstanding Hyd by subs. 57(1 )). The panel f u rther not e s t ha t the Ap pel lant did not p rovide about the impac t th e l ac k of util it i es w o u ld ha ve on her p rem oval of a child , to d e mo nstrate th a t she met the T he pane l finds that the M inis try 's dete r m i nat io n t ha subs . 57(1)(a) and 5 7(1) ( b)(i ) was re asonab l e, as the une xpecte d and there was no e vi de nce t hat t he fai l ur ut i lities w o uld re sult in imminent danger to any me mber Th e pane l ther ef o re c on firms th e M i n istry' s reco n si deratio EAAT003(10/06/01) A PWDR, an applican t must meet all an t does not meet one of the th ree cri teria, the t a crisis supp lement for utilities for Hydro d that at that same time, t h e Appellant ha d posed to the Ministr y remitting a payment The panel not es th a t the Appellant was awar e of h e arrears prior to receiving t h e disconnect notice an d in the Appe l lant' s submi ssion o n Appellant has not ro arrears is an unexpected expens e (as requir e d a ny inform ation in any of he r subm iss i ons hysi cal h e alth or the health of h e r child or req uireme nt s et o u t in subs. 5 7( 1)(b)(i). t the Appel lan t did not me et t he req uireme n ts of e xpe nse of th e Hy dro a r re ars was no t e to pro vid e th e r eq uested cri s i s supple ment f or of t he famil y unit, or the re moval o f he r chi ld . n d ec isi on.
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