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 r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d S o c i a l I n n o v a t i o n ( t h e m i n i s t r y ) d a t e d 2 6 F e b r u a r y $ 2 3 5 i n i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e f o r F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 f o r w 2 7 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 A c t s h e i s r e T h e m i n i s t r y h a d f o u n d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t 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 n . T h e m i n i s a s a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t i n a n u n f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t m i n i s t r y a n d t h e r e f o r e w a s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r F e b r u a r y 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 A c t ( E A A ) , s e c t i o n 2 7 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 n ( E A A ) , s e c C a n a d a S t u d e n t F i n a n c i a l A s s i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n s E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L I e c i s i o n o f t h e M i n i s t r y o f S o c i a l D e v e l o p m e n t a n d 2 0 1 4 t h a t f o u n d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d r e c e i v e d h i c h s h e w a s n o t e l i g i b l e a n d p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n q u i r e d t o r e p a y t h i s a m o u n t t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t . l i g i b l e f o r a s s i s t a n c e p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 1 6 o f t h e t r y h a d 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 e n r o l l e d u d i e s a t a u n i v e r s i t y w i t h o u t p r i o r a p p r o v a l f r o m t h e i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e . t i o n s 1 a n d 1 6 ( C S F A R ) , s e c t i o n 2
P A R T E S u m m a r y o f F a c t 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 r y a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o 1 . A S t u d e n t S c h e d u l e / B i l l f r o m t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s 3 c o u r s e s . C o u r s e n u m b e r s a r e i n t h e r a n g e 2 . A n ( u n d a t e d ) u n i v e r s i t y A d u l t C o u r s e P l a n n e ( W i n t e r t e r m -3 c o u r s e s ) a n d p l a n n e d c o u r f i r s t a n d s e c o n d l y t o a s o c i a l w o r k c e r t i f i c a t e 3 . F r o m t h e m i n i s t r y ' s f i l e s , a s s e t o u t i n t h e a p r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n : • 0 3 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 t h e a p p e l l a n t a t t e a s s i s t a n c e w i t h f u n d i n g f o r c o u r s e s a r e l a t i n g t o w h a t t y p e o f s c h o o l s h e w a d e t e r m i n e h e r c o n t i n u e d e l i g i b i l i t y f o r • 0 7 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 t h e a p p e l l a n t s u b a t t e n d i n g a n A B E S A F ( A d u l t B a s i c E d u p g r a d i n g p r o g r a m . S h e s t a t e d t h a t s ( E m p l o y m e n t P r o g r a m o f B C ) p r o g r a m e d u c a t i o n a l g o a l s s o s h e h a d a p p l i e d E P B C h a d t o l d h e r t h a t t h e y w o u l d b e • 1 1 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 t h e m i n i s t r y s u p e r e s u l t o f b e i n g e n r o l l e d a s a f u l l t i m e s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s p r i o r a p p r o v a l , s h e w a s m o n t h f o l l o w i n g h e r s c h o o l s t a r t d a t e . J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4 , s h e w a s i n e l i g i b l e f o r a s h e h a d a n o v e r p a y m e n t o f $ 2 3 5 f o r t 4 . 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 p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t s h e w i l l b e f o c u s i n g o n b y t h e d e c i s i o n i s b e c a u s e s h e h a d a c a s e m w o r k e d w i t h h e r i f t h e r e w a s s o m e t h i n g s h e c f o l l o w t o g a i n c r e d i t s t o a G E D , a s s h e h a d t o s t a r t i n g s c h o o l . T h e c a s e m a n a g e r c o u l d h a v t o b e c o m e a s o c i a l w o r k e r . T h e s e m e s t e r i s l e a s t l e t h e r f i n i s h t h a t a n d f o r t h e m i n i s t r y t o I n h e r N o t i c e o f A p p e a l , d a t e d 0 5 M a r c h 2 0 1 4 , t h e a w o r k e r s a b o u t h e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s a n d g o i n g t o s c h o i f t h e y k n e w t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s . S h e i s i n a d e s p e r a n e e d s t i m e . T h i s i s a s t r e s s f u l m a t t e r f o r h e r . A t t h e h e a r i n g , t h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t h e r u n i v e r s i s d e t e r m i n e d t h a t s h e w a s , s h e w o u l d a c c e p t t h a t a E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L I n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : u n i v e r s i t y f o r W i n t e r 2 0 1 4 , s h o w i n g e n r o l l m e n t i n 0 0 1 t o 0 9 9 . r c o m p l e t e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t , s h o w i n g c u r r e n t s e e n r o l l m e n t , l e a d i n g f i r s t t o a D o g w o o d D i p l o m a o r d e g r e e . 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 n d i n t h e n d e d t h e m i n i s t r y o f f i c e . S h e r e q u e s t e d t a u n i v e r s i t y . T h e w o r k e r r e q u e s t e d a l l d o c u m e n t s s a t t e n d i n g a n d h o w t h i s w a s f u n d e d i n o r d e r t o a s s i s t a n c e m i t t e d c o n f i r m a t i o n t o t h e m i n i s t r y t h a t s h e w a s u c a t i o n S t u d e n t A s s i s t a n c e P r o g r a m ) u n f u n d e d h e w a s n o l o n g e r a t t e n d i n g t h e E P B C a n d t h a t E P B C w a s n o t w i l l i n g t o s u p p o r t h e r f o r t h e u p g r a d i n g o n h e r o w n . S h e a d v i s e d t h a t c l o s i n g h e r f i l e . r v i s o r r e v i e w e d h e r f i l e . S h e w a s a d v i s e d t h a t a s a t u d e n t i n a n u n f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s w i t h o u t i n e l i g i b l e f o r a s s i s t a n c e f r o m t h e f i r s t d a y o f t h e T h e r e f o r e s i n c e s h e b e g a n h e r u p g r a d i n g o n 0 6 s s i s t a n c e e f f e c t i v e 0 1 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 . A s a r e s u l t , h e s u p p o r t s h e h a d r e c e i v e d f o r F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 . , d a t e d 1 3 F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 . U n d e r r e a s o n s , t h e f i n d i n g a f u l l t i m e j o b . T h e r e a s o n s h e i s d i s t u r b e d a n a g e r r e c o m m e n d e d b y t h e m i n i s t r y w h o n e v e r o u l d h a v e d o n e - f o r e x a m p l e , a p r o g r a m t o l d t h e c a s e m a n a g e r t w o m o n t h s p r i o r t o h e r e a t l e a s t t o l d h e r t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s . S h e w a n t s o v e r a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f M a r c h . S h e a s k s t o a t c o n t i n u e t o s u p p o r t h e r [ f i n a l l i n e u n r e a d a b l e ] . p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t s h e h a d t o l d n u m e r o u s o l . S h e a s k s w h y t h e y h a v e c o n t i n u e d t o h e l p h e r t e s i t u a t i o n . S h e s h a l l a n d c a n f i n d a j o b b u t i t y d i d n o t c o n s i d e r h e r a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t , b u t i f i t n d r e o a v t h e a m o u n t o w i n Q .
The ministry stood by its position at reconsideration. EAAT 003(10/06/01) APPEAL I
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 i n t h i s 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 i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e f o r F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 f o r w h i c h s h e E A A s h e i s r e q u i r e d t o r e p a y t h i s a m o u n t t o t h e g o e v i d e n c e o r i 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 l e g i s T h e a p p l i c a b l e l e g i s l a t i o n i s f r o m t h e E A A : O v e r p a y m e n t s 2 7 ( 1 } I I i n c o m 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 f o r i t , r e c i p i e n t s w h o a r e m e m b e r s o f t h e f a m i l y u n a r e l i a b l e t o r e p a y t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t t h e a m o u n t ( 2 ) T h e m i n i s t e r ' s d e c i s i o n a b o u t t h e a m o u n t a p e r s o n u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 7 ( 3 ) [ r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n a n d a p p e a l r i g h A n d f r o m t h e E A R ; D e f i n i t i o n s 1 ( 1 } I n t h i s r e g u l a t i o n : " f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t " h a s t h e s a m e m e a n i n g a s i n ( C a n a d a } ; E f f e c t o f f a m i l y u n i t i n c l u d i n g f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t 1 6 ( 1 ) A f a m i l y u n i t i s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e f o r e c i p i e n t i s e n r o l l e d a s a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t ( a } i n a f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i ( b } i n a n u n f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s ( 2 ) T h e p e r i o d r e f e r r e d t o i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 } ( a } e x t e n d s f r o m t h e f i r s t d a y o f a n d c o n t i n u e s u n t i l t h e l a s t d a y s t u d i e s a r e h e l d , a n d ( b } i s n o t l o n g e r t h a n o n e y e a r A n d f r o m t h e C a n a d a S t u d e n t F i n a n c i a l A s s i s t a n c e 2 . ( 1 } I n t h e A c t a n d t h e s e R e g u l a t i o n s , " c o u r s e " m e a n s f o r m a l i n s t r u c t i o n o r t r a i n i n g t h a t c o n s i n s t i t u t i o n t o b e e q u i v a l e n t t o , a n e s s e n t i a l e l e m e n t o f t h a t i n s t i t u t i o n , b u t d o e s n o t i n c l u d e a n y f o r m a l i n s t r u c p r o f e s s i o n a l c o r p o r a t i o n o r f o r t h e p r a c t i c e o f a n y t r a d t r a i n i n g i s n e c e s s a r y t o o b t a i n a d e g r e e , c e rt i f i c a t e o r " l u l l t i m e s t u d e n t " E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L I i s i o n , t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d r e c e i v e d $ 2 3 5 i n w a s n o t e l i g i b l e a n d p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 2 7 o f t h e v e r n m e n t , i 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 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 l e m e n t i s 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 t h a t i s n o t e l i g i b l e i t d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d f o r w h i c h t h e o v e r p a y m e n t i s p r o v i d e d o r v a l u e o f t h e o v e r p a y m e n t p r o v i d e d f o r t h a t p e r i o d . i s l i a b l e t o r e p a y u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 } i s n o t a p p e a l a b l e t s ]. t h e C a n a d a S t u d e n t F i n a n c i a l A s s i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n s r t h e p e r i o d d e s c r i b e d i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 2 ) i f a n a p p l i c a n t o r a e s , o r t u d i e s w i t h o u t t h e p r i o r a p p r o v a l o f t h e m i n i s t e r . t h e m o n t h f o l l o w i n g t h e m o n t h i n w h i c h c l a s s e s c o m m e n c e o f t h e m o n t h i n w h i c h e x a m s i n t h e r e l e v a n t p r o g r a m o f R e g u l a t i o n s ( C S F A R ) : t i t u t e s , o r i s d e t e r m i n e d b y a d e s i g n a t e d e d u c a t i o n a l a p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s a t a p o s t s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l l e v e l a t t i o n o r p r a c t i c a l t r a i n i n g r e q u i r e d f o r a c c e p t a n c e i n a e o r p r o f e s s i o n u n l e s s t h a t f o r m a l i n s t r u c t i o n o r p r a c t i c a l d i p l o m a f r o m t h a t d e s i g n a t e d e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n ;
APPEAL I "full-time student" means a person (a) who, during a confirmed period within a period of studies, is enrolled in courses that constitute (i) at least 40 per cent and less than 60 per cent of a course load recognized by the designated educational institution as constituting a full course load, in the case of a person who has a permanent disability and elects to be considered as a full-time student, or (ii) at least 60 per cent of a course load recognized by ihe designated educational institution as constituting a full-time course load, in any other case, (b) whose primary occupation during the confirmed periods within that period of studies is the pursuit of studies in those courses, and (c) who meets the requirements of subsection 5(1) or 7(1) or section 33, as the case may be. [These references relate to eligibility for obtaining a direct loan, continuing to be or again becoming a full time student and obtaining a Canada student grant.] The position of the ministry, as set out in the reconsideration decision, is that the appellant is enrolled as a full-time student in an unfunded program of studies at a university without prior approval from the ministry beginning on 06 January 2014. Pursuant to section 16 of the EAR, she was ineligible for assistance effective 01 February 2014. As a result she received $235 in income assistance for February 2014 and was not eligible for. Pursuant to section 27 of the EAA she is required to repay the $235 to the government. The appellant's position is that her university does not consider her a full-time student but, if it is determined that she was a full-time student, she will accept that and repay the amount owing. Panel findings In a decision dated 28 March 2014, the Tribunal determined that, as the appellant was not enrolled in post-secondary school level studies, and as section 16 of the EAR applies only to a "full-time student" under the meaning of the CSFAR -that is, a student in a program of studies at a post-secondary school level -the ministry's decision that the appellant was not eligible for income assistance pursuant to section 16 of the EAR was not a reasonable application of the legislation in the circum stances of the appellant. The Tribunal therefore rescinded the ministry's decision. As the Tribunal found that the appellant was not ineligible for income assistance under section 16 of the EAR, the panel finds that the ministry's decision that there was an overpayment in that respect pursuant to section 27 of the EAA is not a reasonable application of the legislation in the circumst ances of the appellant. Therefore the panel rescinds the ministry decision. EAAT003(10/06/01)
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