PART C -Decision under Appeal The decision under appeal is the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation's (the ministry's) decision of December 16, 2013 in which the ministry determined it was unable to conduct a reconsideration. • Regarding its decision on September 29, 2010 to apply a lifetime sanction to the appellant's file under Section 14(1) and 14(5) of the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act (EAPWDA) as a result of her conviction for fraud: the ministry determined under section 17 of the EAPWDA that this decision is not open to reconsideration. • Regarding its decision of August 16, 2011 to change the appellant's sanction under Section 14(5)(a) of the EAPWDA from a $100 reduction to ineligibility for disability assistance: the ministry determined that it could not accept the appellant's request in December 2013 for reconsideration of this decision because the appellant was notified of this decision in August, 2011. Section 71( 2) of the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation (EAPWDR) stipulates that a request for reconsideration must be delivered within 20 business days after the date the person is notified of the ministry's decision. PART D-Relevant Legislation Sections 14(1), 14(5) and 17 of the EAPWDA Section 71(2) of the EAPWDR EAAT 003(10100/01)
PART E -Summarv of Facts The information before the ministry at the time of reconsideration included the following: • The ministry's decision of December 16, 2013, in which the ministry states -the appellant is currently receiving hardship assistance as a sole recipient -on December 1, 2009 the appellant was convicted or found guilty of having committed an offence of fraud over $5,000. on January 20, 2011 (the panel finds that the ministry in error states this date as November 1, 2010) the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal (EMT) confinned the ministry's decision that the appellant was subject to a lifetime sanction under section 14(1) and 14(5) of the EAP\NDA. -on August 16, 2011 the appellant attended the ministry's local office with her advocate to have her daughter removed from her file. The ministry notified the appellant that as a result of her daughter being removed from her file, the appellant's lifetime sanction was changed from a $100 reduction in her disability assistance to ineligibility for disability assistance, as specified in section 14(5)(a), EAPWDA on August 17, 2011, the appellant was approved for hardship assistance under section 42.1 of the EAPWDR, which allows the minister to issue hardship assistance to single persons who have been determined ineligible for disability assistance as a result of a conviction of fraud and would otherwise face undue hardship. -On December 4, 2013 the ministry received the appellant's signed Request for Reconsideration. The ministry states that the appellant requested a reconsideration of the ministry's decision that the appellant was ineligible for disability assistance because she had a lifetime sanction due to a conviction of fraud. • The appellant's Request for Reconsideration signed by the appellant on December 3, 2013. A statement in the appellant's handwriting on the Reason for Request f o r Reconsideration reads "Called into ministry asking for extension due to needing time for doctors' letters, also spoke to [ministry worker) when he was in the office November 20 or 21 in regards to extension ...." With the Request for Reconsideration there is a 6-page handwritten document headed "Reconsideration from Hardship to PWD." In it the appellant discusses her medical conditions, disabilities and barriers she states she is "unable to effectively manage and treat on my own being on hardship." She states her medical conditions include degenerative disc disease and sciatica, chronic migraine headaches, an insomnia disorder, macular eye degeneration, abdominal pains, and restless leg syndrome that radiates up into her back. She states she also suffers from clinical depression, insomnia and panic attacks. She states that the effect of living on hardship assistance has "made a devastating impact on my life." She has lost her independence and confidence and has had to move in with her parents, where she lacks privacy, has no kitchen and cannot cook her own meals or do her own laundry. She states she no longer has friends to confide in, her depression has worsened to "an all-time low," and her quality of life and health have declined. Because she is on hardshio assistance, she is not eliaible for the EMT 003(10/06/01)
b e n e f i t s s h e n e e d s . S h e s u f f e r s f r o m p a n i c a t t a c k s i m o t h e r o r d a u g h t e r t o a c c o m p a n y h e r w h e n s h e g o e s t o r e s . S h e w r i t e s : " I h a v e b e c o m e l o n e l y a n d w i t h d r e l a t i o n s h i p s . " S h e s t a t e s s h e n e e d s t o b e b a c k o n d b e n e f i t s t h a t w i l l h e l p h e r r e g a i n h e r h e a l t h a n d s o m t o t h e f o u r d o c t o r s s h e s t a t e s s h e s e e s , n o t i n c l u d i n g c a n n o t a f f o r d t o s w i m r e g u l a r l y a s h e r d o c t o r s h a v e s t a t e s s h e c a n n o t a f f o r d g e t t o a l l h e r w e e k l y m e d i c a a b l e t o w o r k f u l l t i m e a g a i n b u t i f s h e g e t s s o m e o f h p a rt t i m e w o r k . S h e f e e l s s h e h a s " p a i d h e a v i l y " f o r " w i l l n e v e r h a p p e n a g a i n " e v e n i f I h a v e t o g e t s o m e o a n d c i t e s a " c h a n g e i n c i r c u m s t a n c e s s i n c e p r e v i o u s A t t a c h e d t o 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 a l e t t e r " T o Wh o m I t M a y C o n c e r n " d a t e d N o v e m b e w i t h t h e a p p e l l a n t s i n c e J u l y 2 0 1 1 . T h e w r i t e r d i s c u s c o n d i t i o n s , w h i c h i n c l u d e m a j o r d e p r e s s i v e a n d a n x i a n d o t h e r c o n d i t i o n s d i s c u s s e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t i n h r e s u l t o f b e i n g e x c l u d e d f r o m d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e , t h s h e n e e d s t o a t t e n d m e d i c a l a p po i n t m e n t s a n d d o e s a l l o w a n c e t h a t w o u l d h a v e h e l p e d h e r . S h e a l s o h a s e m e r g e n c i e s , w h i c h a r e l i k e l y b e c a u s e o f h e r m a n y f o r p a i n r e l i e f . H e w r i t e s " S h e i s a p e r s o n w h o f a c e s i n d e p e n d e n c e b a c k , s h e w i l l n e e d t o b e r e s t a t e d o n t c i t e s h e r l o w m o o d , p o o r l e v e l s o f e n e r g y , l a c k o f i n t i d e a t i o n s . " A s w e l l h e d e s c r i b e s s e v e r a l p h y s i o l o g i c a o f a n x i e t y . " H e c o n c l u d e s s h e " s h o u l d b e r e i n s t a t e d h e r P WD i n s t e a d o f r e m a i n i n g o n h a r d s h i p a n d p r e d a l e t t e r t o t h e m i n i s t r y d a t e d N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 f r 1 9 9 6 , c i t i n g h e r " l o n g h i s t o r y o f r e s i s t a n t , c h r o n i c d e a b o v e b y t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p s y c h i a t r i s t . T h e w r i t e r s t a t a n d m e d i c a l l y i m p o r t a n t " t o t h e a p p e l l a n t a n d l i v i n g i c o u n t e r t h e r a p e u t i c f o r h e r m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t . " H e s a l l o w a n c e b e c a u s e o f h e r m a n y m e d i c a l a p p o i n t m e n v i t a m i n s a n d s u p p l e m e n t s a l l o w a n c e . " H e s t a t e s t h a f o r a m o n t h l y e a r n i n g e x e m p t i o n . H e w r i t e s " " t h e a d d h e l p t o a l l o w h e r t o p a y o u t o f p o c k e t e x p e n s e s a n d a c c e s s t o t h e p u b l i c p o o l a n d g y m f o r e x e r c i s e s . " a l e t t e r " T o Wh o m I t M a y C o n c e r n " d a t e d A u g u s t 2 " O c u l o v i s u a l A s s e s s m e n t R e p o r t . " T h e r e p o r t s t a t e s c h a n g e s t h a t r e q u i r e v i t a m i n s u p p l e m e n t s , " t h e o n l y a l e t t e r " T o Wh o m I t M a y C o n c e r n " f r o m a p s y c h o l o a o o e l l a n t ' s " a p p l i c a t i o n f o r d i s a b i l i t v b e n e f i t s . " T h e w E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 1 06/ 0 1 )n p u b l i c , i s e a s i l y c o n f u s e d a n d h a s t o g e t h e r s o u t b e c a u s e s h e c a n n o t s h o p a l o n e i n b u s y r a w n , l o s t f r i e n d s h i p s a n d e v e n f a m i l y i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e s o t h a t s h e ca n a c c e s s e o f h e r i n d e p e n d e n c e a n d l i f e s k i l l s . I n a d d i t i o n s p e c i a l i s t s , s h e i s a p a t i e n t a t a p a i n c l i n i c b u t r e c o m m e n d e d t o a l l e v i a t e h e r p a i n . S h e a l s o l a p p o i n t m e n t s . S h e s t a t e s s h e w i l l n e v e r b e e r i n d e p e n d e n c e b a c k s h e w o u l d l i k e t o h a v e m i s t a k e s i n t h e p a s t " w h i c h s h e w i l l m a k e s u r e n e t o h e l p m e . " S h e l i s t s h e r c u r r e n t m e d i c a t i o n s a p p e a l s d e t e r i o r a t i o n i n h e a l t h . " t i o n a r e f o u r l e t t e r s . r 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 f r o m a p s y c h i a t r i s t w h o h a s w o r k e d s e s t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p s y c h o l o g i c a l a n d p h y s i c a l e t y d i s o r d e r s , c h r o n i c b a c k p a i n , a b d o m i n a l p a i n e r d o c u m e n t a b o v e . T h e w r i t e r s t a t e s t h a t a s a e a p p e l l a n t d o e s n o t r e c e i v e a t r a v e l a l l o w a n ce n o t g e t a c c e s s t o a d i e t a r y a n d v i t a m i n n o a c c e s s t o c r i s i s g r a n t s i n c a s e s h e r u n s i n t o m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n s , a n d h a s d e n t a l c o v e r a g e o n l y m u l t i p l e b a r r i e r s , a n d , f o r h e r t o g e t h e r o h e r P WD . " H e l i s t s h e r c u r r e n t m e d i c a t i o n s a n d e r e s t a n d m o t i v a t i o n a n d " f l e e t i n g s u i c i d a l l s y m p t o m s o f " h i g h l e v e l s o f a r o u s a l i n t h e f o r m o n t o h e r p r e v i o u s s t a t u s o f b e n e f i t s w h i c h w a s i s p o s i n g h e r t o d e t e r i o r a t i n g i n h e r m e n t a l s t a t e . " o m a d o c t o r w h o h a s t r e a t e d t h e a p p e l l a n t s i n c e p r e s s i o n " a s w e l l a s t h e d i s o r d e r s d i s c u s s e d e s t h a t w o r k i n g p a r t t i m e w o u l d b e " t h e r a p e u t i c n p o v e r t y a s h e s t a t e s s h e d o e s n o w i s " t o t a l l y t a t e s t h a t h e s u p p o r t s h e r a c c e s s t o a t r a v e l t s a n d t h a t " s h e l e g i t i m a t e l y q u a l i f i e s f o r a t i t i s h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s h e n o l o n g e r q u a l i f i e s i t i o n a l e a rn e d i n c o m e [ f r o m p a r t t i m e w o r k ] w i l l n e c e s s a ry m e d i c a l e x p e n s e s , a n d p a y f o r 2 , 2 0 1 3 , f r o m a n o p t o m e t r i s t . T h e l e t t e r i s h e a d e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a s s i g n i f i c a n t m a c u l a r k n o w n t r e a t m e n t f o r h e r c o n d i t i o n . " g i s t d a t e d N o v e m b e r 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 i n s u p p o r t o f t h e r i t e r h a s m e t w i t h t h e a o o e l l a n t s i n c e M a v , 2 0 1 3 .
He sta t e s; "sh e presen t e d with symptom s o f depr ess feelin gs o f iso lation, her desire to m a n age her pain through l ive in d epen d en tly . H e w r i t e s: " s h e str u gg les to maintain motiva f ollow ing t h rough o n so m e of h er go als by ch alle n g ing the rapy. " • Th e a ppella n t's Req u es t for Reco nsiderat ion si g ned Ju mi nistry ' s deci sion to have a lif eti me $10 0 r ed u ction to • Th e min i stry 's lett e r t o the appell ant of September minis t ry h as d en i ed th e appell a n t's request . • Th e EA AT's decis i on of January 20, 2011 which con S eptemb er 29, 201 o t o imp ose a l ifetim e sanction on the monthly reducti on of $ 100 f rom t h e appella n t 's b e nefi Af t er t he mi nistry's determination o f D ecembe r 16, 2013 sig n ed Ja n uary 31, 2 014. In he r Re asons f or Appeal s Rec o nside r a ti o n withi n t he 20 day tim e lim i t is not su me d i cal ben ef i ts. " Sh e state s she cont acted the ministry's [B. "multip le t im e s r eq ue s ting an extension on tim e." She states she more ti me was n e ed ed and that she did s o . She s tates " before th e 2 0 d ays w ere up ." She st ates she e xpl a i "awa i tin g doctors' appoi n tmen ts a n d l ett ers so I could The pan e l fi nd s that the s tate m e n ts in the app e l l ant's N of the informa ti o n a n d re co rds that were be fore t he minister w made. As th e stat eme n t s pr ovide cl arification of the f inds that the item is a dmissible as evi dence in a ccord (EAA), Section 2 2 (4 ) . EMT003(10/06/01) ion . . . , anxiety and c hr onic pain." H e cites her exercise, ma ke mo re s ocia l c o ntact s a n d tio n , bu t has bee n s uccessful her thinkin g and using new ski l ls thr o ug h l y 7 , 2010 ask ing for a re con s id e ra t ion of t h e h er a ss ista nce a ppli e d . 29, 2010 stati ng that on r econsideratio n, th e firms th e minis t ry's recons i d eration decis i on o f ap pellant's file. The sanction impose d w as a ts. , the a ppel la nt complet ed a Notic e of Ap pe al, he w rites: "Being told I did not submit my fficient rea son t o k eep me ... suff ering without C city] offic e as we ll as t he lo c al offi ce wa s told to c o n t ac t t he local office if she c onta c t ed t he lo cal office for a n exten si on ne d to a wor ker at the local office th at she was submit th em wi th t h e R ec o n sideration. " otice of Appeal contain information i n sup por t h en the de cisi o n bei n g appealed was app el lant ' s reques t for an exten sion , th e panel a nce with the E mploym en t and A ssi stance Act
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 ' s d e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n w a s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e o 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 . • R e g a r d i n g i t s d e c i s i o n o n S e p t e m b e r 2 9 , 2 0 1 0 t o a u n d e r S e c t i o n 1 4 ( 1 ) a n d 1 4 ( 5 ) o f t h e E A P WD A a s a d e t e r m i n e d u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 7 o f t h e E A P W D A t h a t t h • R e g a r d i n g i t s d e c i s i o n o f A u g u s t 1 6 , 2 0 1 1 t o c h a n g o f t h e E A P W D A f r o m a $ 1 0 0 r e d u c t i o n t o i n e l i g i b i l i t y t h a t i t c o u l d n o t a c c e p t t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t i n D e b e c a u s e 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 t h i s d e c i s i o n i n s t i p u l a t e s t h a t 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 m u s t b e t h e p e r s o n i s n o t i f i e d o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s 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 b C o n s e q u e n c e s f o r c o n v i c t i o n o r j u d g m e n t i n r e l a t i o n 1 4 ( 1 ) A f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i n c l u d e s a p e r s o n w h o i s c o r e l a t i o n t o o b t a i n i n g m o n e y , u n d e r t h i s A c t o r t h e E m o r m i s l e a d i n g r e p r e s e n t a t i o n i s s u b j e c t t o t h e c o n s e u n i t t h a t m a t c h e s t h e p e r s o n ' s f a m i l y u n i t f o r t h e l i f e t c a l e n d a r m o n t h f o l l o w i n g t h e d a t e o f t h e c o n v i c t i o n . ( 5 ) I f a f a m i l y u n i t i n c l u d e s ( a ) o n l y p e r s o n s d e s c r i b e d i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 ) o r ( 2 ) , o d e c l a r a t i o n u n d e r t h a t s u b s e c t i o n , t h e f a m i l y u n i t i s n a p p l i c a b l e p e r i o d , a n d ( b ) o n e o r m o r e p e r s o n s d e s c r i b e d i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 ) a d e c l a r a t i o n u n d e r t h a t s u b s e c t i o n , a n d a t l e a s t o n e a s s i s t a n c e , h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e o r a s u p p l e m e n t p r t h e p r e s c r i b e d a m o u n t f o r t h e a p p l i c a b l e p e r i o d . N o a p p e a l f r o m d e c i s i o n b a s e d o n s a m e c i r c u m s t a n 1 7 I f a p e r s o n r e a p p l i e s f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e , h a ( a ) t h e e l i g i b i l i t y o f t h e p e r s o n ' s f a m i l y u n i t f o r t h e d i s s u p p l e m e n t h a s b e e n d e t e r m i n e d u n d e r t h i s A c t , ( b ) a r i g h t o f a p p e a l u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 6 ( 3 ) h a s b e e n e t o i n p a r a g r a p h ( a ) , a n d E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 06/ 0 1 )c i s i o n t h a t i t w a s u n a b l e t o c o n d u c t a 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 t h e a p p e l l a n t p p l y a l i f e t i m e s a n c t i o n t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s f i l e r e s u l t o f h e r c o n v i c t i o n f o r fr a u d : t h e m i n i s t r y i s d e c i s i o n i s n o t o p e n t o r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n . e t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s s a n c t i o n u n d e r S e c t i o n 1 4 ( 5 ) ( a ) f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e : t h e m i n i s t r y d e t e r m i n e d c e m b e r 2 0 1 3 f o r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h i s d e c i s i o n A u g u s t , 2 0 1 1 . S e c t i o n 7 1 ( 2 ) o f t h e E A P WD R d e l i v e r e d w i t h i n 2 0 b u s i n e s s d a y s a f t e r t h e d a t e i l i t i e s A c t t o A c t n v i c t e d o f a n o ff e n c e u n d e r t h e C r i m i n a l C o d e i n p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e A c t , b y f r a u d o r f a l s e q u e n c e d e s c r i b e d i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 5 ) f o r a f a m i l y i m e o f t h e p e r s o n b e g i n n i n g w i t h t h e f i r s t r s u b s e c t i o n ( 3 ) i f t h e m i n i s t e r h a s m a d e a o t 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 f o r t h e o r ( 2 ) , o r s u b s e c t i o n ( 3 ) i f t h e m i n i s t e r h a s m a d e o t h e r p e r s o n , t h e a m o u n t o f d i s a b i l i t y o v i d e d t o o r f o r t h e f a m i l y u n i t m u s t b e r e d u c e d b y c e s r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e o r a s u p p l e m e n t a f t e r a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e , h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e o r x e r c i s e d i n r e s p e c t o f t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n r e f e r r e d
(c) the decision of the tribunal in respect of the appeal referred to in paragraph (b) has been implemented no right of reconsideration or appeal exists in respect of the second or a subsequent application unless there has been a change in circumstances relevant to the determination referred to in paragraph (a). Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation How a request to reconsider a decision is made 71 ( 1) A person who wishes the minister to reconsider a decision referred to in section 16 ( 1) [reconsideration and appeal rights] of the Act must deliver a request for reconsideration in the fonm specified by the minister to the ministry office where the person is applying for or receiving assistance. (2) A request under subsection (1) must be delivered within 20 business days after the date the person is notified of the decision referred to in section 16 (1) of the Act and may be delivered by (a) leaving it with an employee in the ministry office, or (b) being received through the mail at that office. Regarding section 17 of the EAPWDA the ministry's position is that under this section no right to reconsideration is available fo r a decision that has already been determined at appeal, i.e., by the EAAT. The ministry notes that the circumstances regarding the decision made under section 14(1) and 14(5) of the EAPWDA to apply a lifetime sanction, i.e., the conviction of fraud over $5000, have not changed. Accordingly the ministry determined that the decision to apply a lifetime sanction to the appellant's file as a result of the appellant's conviction of fraud is not open to reconsideration. The appellant's position is that her circumstances have changed since the lifetime sanction was applied. As a result of living on hardship assistance her mental and physical health have significantly deteriorated. She has lost her independence and her confidence, her depression has worsened and because she cannot afford travel to medical appointments, pay for some medications and access recreational facilities, she has not been able to regain her health. She provides letters from medical practitioners to back up her claim that she needs to be back on assistance. At the hearing, the appellant stated that her mental and physical health have declined significantly since she has been on hardship assistance. She reviewed the information provided in the document she wrote for her reconsideration request of December 3, 2013, as well as the contents of the supporting letters from medical practitioners. With regard to section 17 of the EAPWDA, the panel notes that the evidence shows that on January 20, 2011 the EMT confirmed the ministry's decision applying a lifetime sanction under sections 14(1) and 14(5) of the EAPWA. Under this section therefore the appellant has no right of reconsideration "unless there has been a cha nae in circumstances relevant to the determination ...." The oanel notes EM T003(10/06/01)
that the circumstances relevant to the ministry's determination to sanction the appellant were that the appellant was convicted of having committed an offense of fraud over $5,000. As the conviction still stands, the panel finds that the ministry's determination to be reasonable, i.e., its determination that its decision to apply a lifetime sanction to the appellant's file as a result of her conviction for fraud, is not open to reconsideration, and the panel confirms that decision. With regard to section 71 (2) of the EAPWDR, the panel for clarification wishes to draw attention to the appellant's request for reconsideration signed by the appellant on December 3, 2013 and which the ministry received on December 4, 2013. In the Summary of Facts section of the ministry's decision of December 16, 2013, the ministry describes the request as follows. "You requested a reconsideration of the decision that you were ineligible for disability assistance because you have a lifetime sanction due to a conviction of fraud." The ministry's position is that this decision was made by the ministry on August 16, 2011, when the appellant was advised that because the appellant's daughter had been removed from the appellant's file, her lifetime sanction was ineligibility for disability assistance. The ministry's position is that under section 17 of the EAPWDA the appellant is entitled to reconsideration for the August 16, 2011 decision because that decision was made due to a change in the appellant's circumstances, i.e., that her family unit no longer included her daughter. The ministry's position is that though entitled to reconsideration under section 17 of the EAPWDA, the appellant applied for the reconsideration years after she was informed of the decision in August, 2011, i.e., not until December 3, 2014, and that therefore she did not comply with section 71(2) of the EAPWDR and cannot be given a reconsideration. The appellant's position, which she clarified at the hearing, is that on December 3, 2013 she was requesting a reconsideration not of the ministry's decision of August 16, 2011 but of its decision of September 2013 denying her request to convert hardship assistance to regular Persons with Disabili ties assistance. She contends that she was informed by the ministry that she "could lei the office know if I needed more time" and that she did so before the 20 days were up. At the hearing the ministry confirmed that the appellant had contacted the ministry several times in December, 2013 requesting an extension of the 20-day deadline for her request for reconsideration so that she could obtain letters from medical practitioners. The panel finds that in requesting a reconsideration decision on December 3, 2014, the appellant was asking to be put back on disability assistance and that in doing so she was asking the ministry to reconsider the decision of August 16, 2011 which applied the sanction of ineligibility for disability assistance. The ministry indicated that the appellant was notified of that decision in August, 2011. In the same month the ministry determined that the appellant was eligible for hardship assistance, which she has received since that time. The panel finds that the appellant's request for a reconsideration decision was made on December 3, 2014, years after the appellant was notified of the ministry's August 16, 2011 decision which applied the sanction of ineligibility for disability assistance. The panel notes that under section 71 (2) of the EAPWDR a person who wishes the minister to reconsider a decision must deliver a Request for Reconsideration to the ministry office 20 business days after the person is notified of the decision. The panel therefore finds to be reasonable the ministry's determ ination under section 71 (2) of the EAPWDR that ii cannot accept a request for reconsideration submitted in 2014 of a decision made by the ministry in 2011. The panel therefore confirms that min istrv's decision that ii is unable to conduct a reconsideration in this matter. EAAT003(10106/01)
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.