P A R T C D e c i s i o n u n d e r A p p e a l T h e d e c i s i o n u n d e r a p p e a l i s t h e M i n i s t r y o f S o c i a 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 t h e d a t e d J a n u a r y 1 4 , d e n i e d t h e a p p e l l a n t a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r c l o t h i n 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 R e g u l a t i o n l e g i s l a t e d c r i t e r i a s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) ( a ) E A P W • t h e s u p p l e m e n t w a s r e q u i r e d t o m e e t u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d ; a n d • s h e 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 a v a i l a b l e t o t h e f a m i l y u n i t . F u r t h e r , t h e m i n i s t r y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t f a i l u r e b y t h e c l o t h i n g w i l l n o t 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 p h 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 a m i l y a n d C o m E A P W D R . P A R T D R e l e v a n t L e g i s l a t i o n 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 w i t h D i s a E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )l D e v e l o p m e n t a n d S o c i a l I n n o v a t i o n ' s ( " M i n i s t r y ' ' ) 2 0 1 4 , w h i c h g u n d e r s e c t i o n 5 7 o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d ( E A P W D R ) b e c a u s e s h e d i d n o t m e e t a l l t h e • D R , i n p a r t i c u l a r ; a n d u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r t o o b t a i n a n i t e m o b t a i n t h e i t e m 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 m i n i s t r y t o p r o v i d e t h e c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r 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 t h e m u n i t y S e tv i c e A c t a s s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) ( b ) b i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n ( E A P W D R ) , S e c t i 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 d a t e a n d t i m e o f 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 8 6 ( b ) 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 R e g u l a t i o 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 e r v i c e r e q u e s t c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r m d a t e d D e x p e c t e d s o m e c l o t h e s f o r C h r i s t m a s a n d t h a t h a s f o r h e r f e e t i s s a n d a l s . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e s a n y o n e t o b o r r o w f r o m . S h e w a s s i c k o v e r t h e h c l o t h e s . • M i n i s t r y f i l e n o t e d a t e d D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 , s t a m a i n t a i n i n g h i g h s h e l t e r c o s t s a n d h a s n ' t b e e n h a v i n g d i f f i c u l t y m a k i n g e n d s m e e t . S h e w a s c o f i n d i n g a c o a t a t o t h e r l o c a l r e s o u r c e s , b u t c o u l d a n d s h e i s w e a r i n g s l i p p e r s , b u t n o s h o e s . • M i n i s t r y f i l e n o t e d a t e d D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 , s t a c o n t a c t t h e A p p e l l a n t t o l e t h e r k n o w t h a t s h e h r e q u e s t w a s d e n i e d . • M i n i s t r y f i l e n o t e d a t e d J a n u a r y 2 , 2 0 1 4 , s t a t i n g t h e d e c i s i o n t o d e n y a c r i s i s c l o t h i n g s u p p l e m e n O n h e r n o t i c e o f a p p e a l d a t e d J a n u a r y 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 , t h s t a t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s t o l d t o p h o n e a n a d v a d v o c a c y g r o u p t o l d h e r t o w r i t e a b o u t h e r w e i g h t g o f f i c e . W i t h h e r 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 a l s o i n c l u d d e t a i l i n g t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s w e i g h t g a i n o v e r t h e p a s t f s h e h a s t o w e a r a r e ' s t r e t c h i e s ' . T h e A p p e l l a n t r e i t e b o o t s f o r C h r i s t m a s f r o m f a m i l y m e m b e r s a n d t h a t t o h e r l a n d l o r d , b u t i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o d i s c u s s r e n t r n e e d s a c a n e t o g e t a r o u n d , a n d w i t h t h e s n o w , s h e d e p r e s s e d a s t i m e g o e s o n . 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 h a n d w r i t t e s u p p o r t o f 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 e r a t t h e t i m S e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) o f t h e E A A a s i t p r o v i d e s i n f o r m a t i o n s u p p l e m e n t f o r c l o t h i n g . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 1 0 6 1 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 o f e d e d i n t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s a b s e n c e u n d e r S e c t i o n n . n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 , s t a t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t a f r i e n d g a v e h e r a c o a t b u t i t h a d n o l i n i n g . A l l s h e t h a t s h e h a s n o f a m i l y a n d s h e d o e s n ' t k n o w o l i d a y s a n d r e c e i v e d a C h r i s t m a s h a m p e r , b u t n o t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i s h a v i n g c h a l l e n g e s a b l e t o f i n d c h e a p e r a c c o m m o d a t i o n s s o s h e i s u n t i n g o n g e t t i n g a w i n t e r j a c k e t f o r C h r i s t m a s o r n ' t f i n d a c o a t . A f r i e n d l o a n e d h e r a j a c k e t s h e l l , t i n g t h a t t h e M i n i s t r y m a d e m u l t i p l e a t t e m p t s t o a s n o t s h o w n a n u n e x p e c t e d n e e d a n d t h a t h e r t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t r e q u e s t s a r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t . e A p p e l l a n t i n c l u d e d a h a n d w r i t t e n p a r a g r a p h o c a c y g r o u p . W h e n t h e A p p e l l a n t p h o n e d , t h e a i n . S h e c o u l d n ' t f i n d a r i d e t o t h e A d v o c a t e ' s e d f i v e h a n d w r i t t e n p a g e s d a t e d F e b r u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 4 , e w m o n t h s a n d t h a t , a s a r e s u l t , t h e o n l y c l o t h e s r a t e d t h a t s h e w a s e x p e c t i n g a w i n t e r c o a t a n d s h e p a y s t o o m u c h f o r r e n t . S h e h a s t r i e d t a l k i n g e d u c t i o n w i t h h i m . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e s t h a t s h e i s a f r a i d t o g o o u t . S h e i s s c a r e d a n d m o r e n s u b m i s s i o n i s a d m i s s i b l e a s w r i t t e n t e s t i m o n y i n e t h e d e c i s i o n u n d e r a p p e a l w a s m a d e u n d e r a b o u t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s e l i g i b i l i t y f o r a c r i s i s
PART F -Reasons for Panel Decision The issue to be decided is whether the Ministry's decision to deny the Appellant a crisis supplement for clothing under Section 57(1) of the EAPWDR is a reasonable application of the enactment in the circumstances of the Appellant. The panel notes that in the reconsideration decision, the Ministry refers to both EAR Section 59 and EAPWDR Section 57. As the Appellant is designated a person with disabilities and the legislation criteria are the same in both regulations, this decision will refer to and use EAPWDR Section 57(1). The legislation provides the following: EAPWDR: Crisis supplement 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 f o r 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) $1Q0 for eachpElrsoninthElJ13_mily unit_in tbe_ 12 calElndar nionth period preceding !be da!E l CJf _ EAAT 003(10/06/01)
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 , a n d ( 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 c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t . ( 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 m u s t n o t e x c e e d t h 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 ( 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 u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 5 ) 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 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 p r o v i d e d f o r t h e m 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 . ( 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 u n i t f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g : ( 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 ; D ( c ( B C R e g . 1 3 / 2 0 0 3 ) T h e l e g i s l a t i o n s t a t e s t h a t i n o r d e r t o b e e l i g i b l e f o r s e c t i o n 5 7 , t h r e e e l i g i b i l i t y c r i t e r i a m u s t b e m e t . F i r s t h e r e m u s t b e a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e . S e c o n d , t h e o b t a i n t h e i t e m . T h i r d , f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n t h e i t e m m u s r e s u l t i n t h e 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 a m I n r e f e r e n c e t o t h e f i r s t c r i t e r i o n , t h a t t h e r e m u s t b e n e e d e d , t h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t c l o t h i n g i s a n o n g o w i n t e r c l o t h i n g . P u r c h a s i n g o r o b t a i n i n g a w i n t e r c o u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d . T h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e d t h a t t h e u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r a r e c e n t u n f o r e s e e n c i r c u m m e e t i n g h e r c l o t h i n g n e e d s . A l t h o u g h t h e A p p e l l a n t u n e x p e c t e d c i r c u m s t a n c e a s t h e A p p e l l a n t h a s l i v e d T h e A p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t s h e e x p e c t e d t o g e t a c o a p p e a l , t h e A p p e l l a n t s a y s t h a t s h e h a s g a i n e d a l o w e a r d u r i n g t h e w i n t e r . S h e k n o w s t h a t h e r r e n t i s h l a n d l o r d a n d s h e n e e d s h e l p t o f i n d l e s s e x p e n s i v 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 c i s i o n t h a t t h e 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 o r o b t a i n a n i t e m t h 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 f o r a w i n t e s e a s o n a l c h a n g e s c o m e e v e r y y e a r , a n d h e r w e i g h t 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 . I n r e f e r e n c e t o t h e s e c o n d c r i t e r i o n , t h a t n o a l t e r n a t t h e r e a r e a n u m b e r o f c h a r i t a b l e a n d c o m m u n i t v r e s E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )h p e r i o d p 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 a 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 i n a y e a r e c t i o n ( 6 ) . r r e q u e s t 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 2 t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t o f d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e o r o n t h u n d e r S c h e d u l e A o r □ S c h e d u l e D t o a s u p p l e m 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 ) w a t e r ; D ( d ) h y d r o . 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 u n d e r E A P W D R t , t h e n e e d f o r t h e i t e m m u s t b e u n e x p e c t e d o r r e m u s t b e n o a l t e r n a t e r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o t r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g l;l r t o p h y s i c a l h e a l t h o r _ i l y a n d C o m m u n i t y S e rv i c e A c t . a n u n e x p e c t e d n e e d o r a n i t e m u n e x p e c t e d l y i n g e x p e n s e a n d s e a s o n a l c h a n g e s w i l l w a r r a n t a t i s n o t u n e x p e c t e d o r a n i t e m t h a t i s A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t s h e h a d a n s t a n c e t h a t w o u l d h a v e p r e v e n t e d h e r f r o m ' s h o u s i n g c o s t s a r e v e r y h i g h , t h i s i s n o t a n i n t h e s a m e l o c a t i o n s i n c e M a r c h 2 0 1 2 . a t a n d b o o t s f o r C h r i s t m a s . I n t h e n o t i c e o f t o f w e i g h t a n d s o h a s f e w e r c l o t h i n g i t e m s t o i g h , b u t i s u n a b l e t o f i n d a s o l u t i o n w i t h t h e a c c o m m o d a t i o n . A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t 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 a t w a s u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d w a s r e a s o n a b l e . r c o a t a n d b o o t s w a s n o t u n e x p e c t e d a s g a i n t o o k p l a c e o v e r m a n y m o n t h s p r i o r t o h e r e r e s o u r c e s a r e a v a i l a b l e , t h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t o u r c e s i n t h e A o o e l l a n t ' s a r e a w h o o f f e r f r e e a n d
i n expen si ve cloth in g . Th e Minis try a rgued that the tha t can b e used to b uy clo t hing. The Mi n i stry ar g u used com muni ty re sour c e s or char itable or g a niz ations Th e A ppel lant a r gues s he does no t h av e a ny r esou no t have funds t o purchase a wint e r coat as her r en reduce s her available clothin g . S he did b orr ow a shel borrow from. S he argue s t h at s h e wo u ld n ' t ask for tri ed to ph o ne the loc al M LA a nd advoc ac y groups d i d contact some altern ate res ou rces to o bt a in a win show th a t h e r community a nd charita ble resources w Th e pane l finds the Min istry's d etermina tion th a t the w as re ason able . In re fer ence t o the third c r it e rion, t h at failure by the in immi nen t da ng er to the appell ant 's hea l th or t he no infor m at ion to establi sh that fai li ng t o ob t a in the winter co Ap pellant's phy sical heath. T he A p pellan t a rgue s that it is no t g ood f o r her he alt sand als and no coa t or und ercloth es. The pa nel fin ds th a t t h e evide n ce does no t est a blish that d anger if the M i nist ry d i d no t provide her with a c r is th e App e l lan t is af ra id t o go ou t, she did no t provide m d anger to her physi c a l he alth will re sult if she fai le d notes that the Appe lla nt l ives a lo n e so the leg i slati on app lica b l e to this app e a l. The pa nel finds tha t the Ministry' s de ci s i on th at f a ilu no t r e sult in t he imminent dan g er to the physi c a l he of a child und er Child, Fami ly and Comm unity Service The panel finds that the Ministry reasonably determ criteri a set out in section 57(1) of the EAPWDR and therefore the Appella supplement for cloth i n g . The panel finds that th e Ministry ' s reconsideration decision is a reasonable application of the legislation in the circumstan ce s o f the appell a nt, and confirms t 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a) of the Employment and Assistance Act. EAAT 003(10/06/01) Appel la nt rec eiv e s a m o nthly su pp or t allo wa nce es there is n o evidence that t he A ppellan t ha s to find a winter coat. rc es availabl e to her. Sh e ar g ued that she d oes t is hig h and her rece nt weig h t g ai n fur t her l fr o m a f rie nd, but she has n o other famil y t o help i f sh e di dn' t really need i t and t h at she ha s w i th litt le res ult. The p a nel fin d s that the App ellant ter coat and boot s , b u t t h ere is n o eviden ce to e re exhausted. A ppellant had r esourc es avail able f o r c lothin g Ministry to provide t he cris i s supple m e nt wil l re s ult remova l of a c hi ld, t h e Mini stry arg ues that the re is at w ould result i n imminent danger to th e h to f ace the c o ldes t months of the year wit h jus t t h e Appellant's hea lth was i n i m min ent is s upple ment for clo thin g (w i nter co at). Al thou gh ed ical evi de nce to su pp ort that i m min ent to o btain a winter coat an d boots. The p ane l also regardi ng the remova l of ch il dren i s not r e to m eet the e x p ense or o b ta in t h e i te m wo ul d a lth of a ny pers on i n the family u nit or t he r em o v a l Act was reas onable. i ned that th e Appellant did not meet the legislated nt is not eligible for a crisis he decision pursuant to section · . I
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.