I APPEAL# PART C -DECISION UNDER APPEAL The decision under appeal is the ministry's Reconsideration Decision of 18 December 2013, which held that the appellant was not eligible under the Employment and Assistance Regulation (EAR), section 59( 1) for a Crisis Supplement for clothing. Specifically, the ministry was not satisfied that a crisis supplement was required by the appellant to meet an unexpected expense or that the item was unexpectedly needed, that there were no alternate resources available or that failure to provide the crisis supplement would result in imminent danger to the appellant's physical health. PART D-RELEVANT LEGISLATION Employment and Assistance Act (EM), Section 4 Employment and Assistance Regulation (EAR), Section 59 EIA102(05l00117)
P A R T E S U M M A R Y O F F A C T S A t t h e c o m m e n c e m e n t o f t h e h e a r i n g t h e p a n e l h a a p p e l l a n t , w h o b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e r e w e r e o t h e r m a t t 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 , t h e a p p e l l a n t a g r e e d 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 d e n y i n g t h e c r i s 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 • T h e a p p e l l a n t h a s b e e n r e c e i v i n g i n c o m e a r e o p e n e d o n N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 . • T h e a p p e l l a n t r e c e i v e d t h e f o l l o w i n g s u p p o r o $ 1 4 1 . o n N o v e m b e r 1 3 t h o $ 2 7 0 . o n N o v e m b e r 2 0 t h o $ 2 1 5 . o n D e c e m b e r 1 8 t h • T h e a p p e l l a n t h a d m o v e d f r o m o n e c i t y t o a c l o t h i n g i n t h e c i t y w h e r e h e p r e v i o u s l y l i v e d • S o m e t i m e a f t e r N o v e m b e r 2 0 t h , t h e a p p e l l a n l i v e d t o o b t a i n c o p i e s o f h i s m e d i c a l r e c o r d s • A m i n i s t r y w o r k e r h a d a d v i s e d t h e a p p e l l a n t v o u c h e r f o r c l o t h i n g . • O n D e c e m b e r 3 , 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t r e q u e s t • T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s 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 A t t h e h e a r i n g , t h e a p p e l l a n t p r o v i d e d e v i d e n c e t h a l a t e A u g u s t , 2 0 1 3 a n d h i s f a t h e r h a d p a s s e d a w a y p a s s e d a w a y h e c a m e t o t h e c i t y w h e r e h e n o w l i v e s u p p o r t . T h e a p p e l l a n t s a i d a t t h e t i m e h e m o v e d h w e r e w i t h t h i s e x w i f e b e c a u s e i n h i s w o r d s : i t w a s d a m a g e d r o t a t o r c u f f w h i c h w a s o r i g i n a l l y i n j u r e d a i n j u r e d A p r i l 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 . A f t e r t h e r e i n j u r y h e w a s o n w e e k s b e c a u s e W C B w a s r e q u i r i n g h i s t o d o t h i n g s E m p l o y m e n t I n s u r a n c e f o r 1 5 w e e k s ( m a x i m u m c l a b e e n a b l e t o g e t a d o c t o r i n h i s n e w c o m m u n i t y . H t a k i n g p r e s c r i p t i o n n a r c o t i c s f o r a n e x t e n d e d p e r i o d o p e r a t i o n . T h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t h e w a s t o l d t o m e d i c a l r e c o r d s . T h e a p p e l l a n t n e e d e d t h e m e d i c a h o s p i t a l , i n o r d e r t o a r r a n g e f o r s u r g e r y . T h e a p p e l t h e h e a r i n g ; h e s t a t e d t h a t h e h a d p r o v i d e d c o p i e s T h e M i n i s t r y d i d n o t o b j e c t t o t h e e v i d e n c e p r o v i d e d n o t c o m m e n t o n t h e m e d i c a l r e c o r d s o r w h a t t h e a p o f t h i s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n . T h e M i n i s t ry r e l i e d R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n D e c i s i o n . A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e M i n i s t r y S a l v a t i o n A r m y a n d h a d c o n f i r m e d t h e r e w a s m e n ' s a p p e l l a n t a p p l i e d f o r t h e c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t . E I A 1 0 2 { 0 5 / 0 6 / 1 7 )I A P P E A L # d t o c l a r i f y t h e m a t t e r u n d e r a p p e a l w i t h t h e e r s t o b e r e v i e w e d a t t h e h e a r i n g . A f t e r r e v i e w i n g t h a t t h i s h e a r i n g w a s l i m i t e d t o r e v i e w i n g t h e i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r c l o t h i n g . n w a s : s s i s t a n c e a s a s o l e r e c i p i e n t s i n c e h i s f i l e w a s t f u n d s i n t e n d e d t o p r o v i d e f o r f o o d a n d c l o t h i n g : n o t h e r c i t y ; w h e n h e m o v e d , h e l e f t h i s w i n t e r . t r e t u r n e d t o t h e c i t y w h e r e h e h a d p r e v i o u s l y . t h a t h e c o u l d c o n t a c t t h e S a l v a t i o n A r m y t o g e t a e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r w i n t e r c l o t h i n g . d a t e d D e c e m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 3 t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i s s p o u s e h a d e n d e d i n i n S e p t e m b e r , 2 0 1 3 . S h o r t l y a f t e r h i s f a t h e r s t o b e w i t h f r i e n d s w h o p r o v i d e d h i m w i t h m o r a l e m a d e t h e d e c i s i o n t o l e a v e h i s c l o t h e s w h i c h b e t t e r n o t t o g o t h e r e . T h e a p p e l l a n t h a s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 o r 2 1 / 2 y e a r s a g o , i t w a s t h e n r e  W C B b u t h i s c l a i m w a s t e r m i n a t e d a f t e r s i x h e c o u l d n o t d o . H e t h e n w e n t o f m e d i c a l i m ) . T h e a p p e l l a n t r e q u i r e s s u r g e r y ; h e h a s n o t e s t a t e s h e i s i n c o n s i d e r a b l e p a i n a n d h a s b e e n o f t i m e . T h e a p p e l l a n t i s w a i t i n g f o r a n r e t u r n t o h i s f o r m e r c o m m u n i t y t o c o l l e c t h i s l r e c o r d s s o h e c o u l d p r o v i d e t h e m t o t h e l a n t h a d b r o u g h t h i s m e d i c a l r e c o r d s w i t h h i m t o t o t h e M i n i s t r y . b y t h e a p p e l l a n t . H o w e v e r , t h e M i n i s t r y c o u l d p e l l a n t h a d b e e n a d v i s e d b e c a u s e i t w a s n o t p a r t o n t h e i n f o r m a t i o n s e t o u t i n t h e p r o v i d e d e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e y h a d c o n t a c t e d t h e w i n t e r c l o t h i n g a v a i l a b l e a t t h e t i m e t h e
T h e a p p e l l a n t d i s p u t e s t h e e v i d e n c e o f t h e m i n i s t r y A r m y . A t t h e h e a r i n g h e s t a t e d t h a t h e w e n t t o t h e t h e r e a t t h e t i m e . H e t h e n w e n t t o V a l u e V i l l a g e w h o o d y w i t h m o n e y g i v e n t o h i m b y h i s r o o m m a t e . T h e m e d i c a l r e c o r d s w e r e n o t p r o v i d e d t o t h e p a n e r e l e v a n t t o t h i s a p p e a l e x c e p t t o t h e e x t e n t t h a t t h e c o m m u n i t y . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e o r a l e v i d e n c e p r o v i d e d b y t h e i n fo r m a t i o n a n d r e c o r d s t h a t w e r e b e f o r e t h e m 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 ) o f t h e E A A . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e f o l l o w i n g f a c t s : • T h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t b r i n g w i n t e r c l o t h i n g w • W h e n t h e a p p e l l a n t r e t u r n e d t o h i s f o r m e r c a t t e m p t t o c o n t a c t h i s e x w i f e t o g e t h i s w i n t • A s a r e s u l t o f t h e f o r e g o i n g , t h e a p p e l l a n t d i E I A 1 0 2 ( 0 5/ 0 6 1 1 7 )I A P P E A L # t h a t t h e r e w a s c l o t h i n g a v a i l a b l e a t t h e S a l v a t i o n S a l v a t i o n A r m y b u t t h a t t h e r e w a s n o t h i n g s u i t a b l e h e r e h e p u r c h a s e d t w o j e a n s , s h i r t s , s o c k s a n d a l a n d t h e c o n t e n t s o f t h o s e r e c o r d s w e r e n o t a p p e l l a n t w e n t t o g e t t h e m f r o m h i s f o r m e r t h e a p p e l l a n t i n h i s s u b m i s s i o n t o b e i n s u p p o r t o f i n i s t r y a t t h e t i m e o f r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n a n d t h e r e f o r e i t h h i m w h e n h e m o v e d t o h i s n e w c o m m u n i t y . o m m u n i t y t o c o l l e c t h i s m e d i c a l r e c o r d s h e d i d n o t e r c l o t h i n g . d n o t h a v e w i n t e r c l o t h i n g .
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 ry r e a e l i g i b l e f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t p u r s u a n t t o t h e E m s e c t i o n 5 9 ( 1 ) f o r a C r i s i s S u p p l e m e n t fo r c l o t h i n g . c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t w a s r e q u i r e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t t o w a s u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d , t h a t t h e r e w e r e n o a l t e r t h e c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t w o u l d r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n T h e r e l e v a n t l e g i s l a t i o n p r o v i d e s : E m p l o y m e n t a n d I n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e a n d s u p p l e m e n t s 4 S u b j e c t t o t h e r e g u l a t i o n s , t h e m i n i s t e r m a y p r o v i d e i u n i t t h a t i s e l i g i b l e fo r i t . E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s C r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t 5 9 ( I ) 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 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 i f ( a ) t h e fa m i l y u n i t o r a p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t 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 y n e e d e d a b e c a 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 ( 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 l u r e t o m e e t t h e ( i ) i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e p h y s i c a l h e a l t h ( i i ) r e m o v a l o f a c h i l d u n d e r t h e C h i l d, F ( 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 h e c a 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 e p u r p ( a ) a s u p p l e m e n t d e s c r i b e d i n S c h e d u l e C , o r ( b ) a n y o t h e r h e a l t h c a r e g o o d s o r s e r v i c e s . ( 4 ) A c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t p r o v i d e d f o r fo o d , s h e l t e r o r c l o t ( a ) i f f o r f o o d , t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t t h a t m a y b e i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t , ( b ) i f fo r s h e l t e r , t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t t h a t m a y ( i ) t h e fa m i l y u n i t ' s a c t u a l s h e l t e r c o s t , a n ( i i ) t h e m a x i m u m s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 4 o f S 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 fa m i l y u n i t , ( c ) i f fo r c l o t h i n g , t h e a m o u n t t h a t m a y b e p r o v i d ( i ) $ 1 0 0 f o r e a c h p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t d a t e o f a p p l i c a t i o n fo r t h e c r i s i s s u o p l e m e E l A 1 0 2 ( 0 5/ 0 6/ 1 7 )I A P P E A L # s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t 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 ( E A R ) , S p e c i f i c a l l y , t h e m i n i s t r y w a s n o t s a t i s f i e d t h a t a m e e t a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r t h a t t h e i t e m n a t e r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e o r t h a t f a i l u r e t o p r o v i d e g e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c a l h e a l t h . A s s i s t a n c e A c t n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e o r a s u p p l e m e n t t o o r f o r a fa m i l y i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n s o r fo 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 i n c o m e 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 u n e x p e c t e d n d i s u n a b l 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 m i l y u n i t , a n d 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 o f a n y p e r s o n i n t h e fa m i l y u n i t , o r a m i l y a n d C o m m u n i ty S e r v i c e A c t . 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 o s e o f o b t a i n i n g h i n g i s s u b j e c t t o t h e f o l l o w i n g l i m i t a t i o n s : p r o v i d e d i n a c a l e n d a r m o n t h i s $ 2 0 fo r e a c h p e r s o n b e p r o v i d e d i n a c a l e n d a r m o n t h i s t h e s m a l l e r o f d c h e d u l e A o r T a b l e 2 o f S c h e d u l e D , a s a p p l i c a b l e , f o r a n d e d m u s t n o t e x c e e d t h e s m a l l e r o f 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 r e c e d i n g t h e n t , a n d
( ii) $4 00 for the fa m i ly unit in the 12 c alen for t he c r isis supplement . ( 5 ) Th e cumu lative amount of crisis sup ple m e nts th a t m not exceed t h e a m ou n t ca lcu la t ed und er subsection (6 ). (6 ) In the c alenda r mo nth in wh ich the a ppli ca t i on or request fo sub s ection (5) is cal culated by m ul tiplyi n g by 2 t he max as sistance t ha t m a y be pr o vided f or t he m onth under Sc th e famil y u n i t. (7) De spi t e sub s ection ( 4) (b) or (5) or b oth, a crisis supp f ollo wing : (a ) fuel for h ea t i ng; (b) f ue l fo r c ooking meal s ; (c) w a te r; (d ) h yd r o. (B . C. Re g. 12/20 03) Th e minist ry set o ut t he test for eligib ility t o re c e iv e ea ch o f which m u s t be met: 1. To mee t an unexpecte d e xpense o r obtai n an ite 2. Y ou h ave no re source s avai lable t o you 3. Failure to provid e the ite m w ill result in imminent danger T h e min istry's p osition is the crisi s supplement w a s the appel lant knew h e had no wi n te r clo thes i n his p r evi ou s co mm unity h e di d n ot a t tempt to r etri eve his wint be ge tti n g c o l der with t he ons e t o f w i n te r and the appel u n expected . Th e min i s try ar gued that ther e wer e commu nit y re source advis ed that he cou l d get a cl oth ing vouche r from t h Al ter n a tiv el y he co uld hav e set as ide p a rt o f his supp Fi n all y the ministr y determined tha t there w as insufficient obtain clothing would result in imminent danger to the appellant's health. determine d that the criterion ha d not been met The appellant argues that his funds were used to travel to get his medical informatio needed to ha ve, and which he was told to go and get from hi was told he wo uld be reimbursed for th e travel expenses, but he was not. that has set him back and this is the reason that he did not have the money to buy clothing. appella nt decided not to go and see his ex-wife to retrieve his cloths because it was better that The panel accepts that the appellant used his support payments to travel to his former community. In doing so the appell an t could have attempted to retrieve his winter clothing when he returned to his former comm u n i t y, but he c hos e n o t to. Ha d he made ex-wif e no Ion er had h i s cloth e s b u t without that co EIA102(05/06/17) I A P PEA L # d ar m onth pe r iod p r eceding the d a te of applicati on ay be p r o vi d ed to or for a fa mily uni t in a year must r t he supplement i s ma de, t he am ount u n der i mum amount o f in com e as sist a nce or ha rdship hed ul e A or Sc h e dule D to a famil y unit t hat matches l e ment may be p rovi ded to o r fo r a f amil y unit for the the cri s i s sup plement i s in t hree d i sti nct parts, m unexp ected ly n e eded to y ou r p hysic al heal th . not re qu i red to me et an unexpecte d exp e nse as n e w c omm unity . When he re t ur ned to h i s er clothing. The f a ct tha t t he weat h er wi ll la nt w i ll need war mer c l o thing is no t s ava il able t o the a p pell an t ; he had been e Salvation Ar my f o r wi n te r clo thin g . o r t paymen t s to pu rchase clo thing. inf ormation to e stablish t hat fail ure to Therefore the ministry n which he s former doctor. T he appellant said he It is his medical situation The way. an a t tempt he m ay have found that his n tact, th at is somethin nei ther the a pellant,
t h e m i n i s t r y , n o r t h i s p a n e l c a n k n o w . T h e a p p e l l a n e e d w a r m c l o t h i n g , b u t h e d i d n o t m a k e a l t e r n a t e d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h a t n e e d i n g w i n t e r c l o t h i n g w a s n o t W h i l e t h e m i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h e t h r e e s u p p o r t p a a n d D e c e m b e r w e r e a v a i l a b l e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e t h e y w e r e u s e d f o r t r a v e l a n d a s s u c h w e r e n o t a n T h e r e i s a c o n f l i c t i n t h e e v i d e n c e r e g a r d i n g w h a t w v o u c h e r . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e r e w a s m e n ' s c l o f o u n d s u i t a b l e . F u r t h e r , t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e e v a l t e r n a t i v e r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e i n t h e f o r m o f f u n d s p a n e l f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e t e r m i n a t i o n t o b e r e a s o a v a i l a b l e i n t h r o u g h t h e S a l v a t i o n A r m y v o u c h e r p r r o o m m a t 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 ' s n e e d t o o b t a i n a l t e r n a t e w a y s a n d t h e r e w a s n o e v i d e n c e o f i m m i n f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n w a s t h a t t h e r e w a s i n s t o t h e h e a l t h o f t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s a r e a s o n a b l e d e t A s t h e p a n e l h a s f o u n d t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y d e t r e s o u r c e s t o m e e t h i s w i n t e r c l o t h i n g n e e d s , i n c l u d t o h i m b y h i s r o o m m a t e a n d h i s o w n c l o t h e s t h a t h e f o r m e r c o m m u n i t y , 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 m e e t a l l t h e c r i t e r i a s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 5 9 ( 1 ) o f t h e E f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n i s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e a p p e l l a n t a n d t h u s c o n f i r m s t h E I A 1 0 2 { 0 5 / 06 / 1 7 )I A P P E A L # n t k n e w t h a t w i n t e r w a s c o m i n g a n d h e w o u l d p l a n s . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e i s r e a s o n a b l e . y m e n t s p r o v i d e d t o t h e a p p e l l a n t i n N o v e m b e r o f w i n t e r c l o t h i n g , t h e p a n e l h a s a c c e p t s t h a t a v a i l a b l e r e s o u r c e . a s a v a i l a b l e a t t h e S a l v a t i o n A r m y t h r o u g h t h i n g a v a i l a b l e , b u t n o t c l o t h i n g t h e a p p e l l a n t i d e n c e e s t a b l i s h e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d g i v e n t o t h e a p p e l l a n t b y h i s r o o m m a t e . T h e n a b l e t h a t t h e r e w e r e a l t e r n a t e r e s o u r c e s o g r a m a n d t h e f u n d s g i v e n t o t h e a p p e l l a n t b y h i s w i n t e r c l o t h i n g c o u l d h a v e b e e n a d d r e s s e d i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t . T h e r e f o r e t h e p a n e l u ff i c i e n t i n f o r m a t i o n t o e s t a b l i s h i m m i n e n t d a n g e r e r m i n a t i o n . e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d a l t e r n a t e i n g t h e S a l v a t i o n A r m y v o u c h e r , t h e f u n d s g i v e n d i d n o t a t t e m p t t o r e t r i e v e w h e n v i s i t i n g h i s r e a s o n a b l y c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t A R f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t . T h e r e f o r e t h e p a n e l t i o n o f t h e a p p l i c a b l e e n a c t m e n t i n t h e e 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.