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 e 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 f o r i n c o m e 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 9 o f t h e E 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 h a s n o t d e m o n s t r a t e d w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f h e r e m p l o y m e n t p l a n ( E P ) o r p r e v e n t e d h e r f r o m c o m p l y i n g w i t h t h o s e c o n d i t i o n s 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 9 E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A i I 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 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 w a s n o t e l i g i b l 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 . T h e m i n i s t r y t h a t s h e h a s m a d e a r e a s o n a b l e e f f o rt t o c o m p l y t h a t s h e h a s a m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n t h a t h a s .
P A R T E S u m m a r v 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 n 1 . T h e f i r s t p a g e o f t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s E m p l o y m e n t a n d a n e n d d a t e o f 3 0 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 5 , r e f e ( E P B C ) c o n t r a c t o r . T h e E P p r o v i d e s t h e f o l l o " A s a c o n d i t i o n o f c o n t i n u e d e l i g i b i l i t y f o r r e g u l a r l y a n d a s d i r e c t e d b y t h e E P B C c o a d d r e s s a n y i s s u e s t h a t m a y i m p a c t m y e i n c l u d i n g a n y a c t i v i t i e s t h a t m a y b e s e t o I a m u n a b l e t o a t t e n d a s e s s i o n o r w h e n I f a i l t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f m y u n d e r 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 2 . 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 . 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 p r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n : • 1 3 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s s • 2 4 J a n u a r y 2 0 1 4 t h e a p p e l l a n t a d v i s s c h o o l i n g a n d w a s s t i l l l o o k i n g f o r w o r • 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 r e q u s c h o o l i n g a t h e r u n i v e r s i t y . • 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 m a t t e n d i n g a n A B E S A P ( 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 a d v i s e d a m i n s e t o f 2 c l a s s e s f o r a t o t a l o f 5 c l a s s e s 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 a f u c l a s s e s ( 6 0 % ) ; h e r b o o k s a n d t u i t i o n w s h e h a d s t a r t e d h e r c l a s s e s o n 0 6 J a n s h e h a d n o t b e e n r e f e r r e d o r p r e a p p r o c o n t r a c t o r . S h e s t a t e d t h a t s h e w a s n o E P B C w a s n o t w i l l i n g t o s u p p o rt h e r e d 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 h e r f i l e . • 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 E P N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t a n d t h e l o o k i n g i n t o a " s k i l l s p r o g r a m " a t t h e u n s h o r t l y a f t e r a n d E P B C c o u l d n o l o n g e i n s t i t u t e d a f u r t h e r c o n v e r s a t i o n i n J a n b e e n n o a p p o i n t m e n t s b o o k e d b e t w e e t h e c a s e m a n a g e r t h a t s h e h a d d e c i d e h e r o w n . S h e a d v i s e d t h e c a s e m a n a g a b l e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e E P B C p r o g r a m u p c o m i n g a p p o i n t m e n t s . E P B C t h e n s c l o s u r e o f h e r f i l e . E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L I i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : P l a n ( E P ) w i t h a s t a rt d a t e o f 1 3 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 r r i n g h e r t o a n E m p l o y m e n t P r o g r a m o f B C w i n g d e t a i l s : a s s i s t a n c e I w i l l p a r t i c i p a t e i n E P B C p r o g r a m m i n g n t r a c t o r . I w i l l w o r k w i t h t h e E P B C c o n t r a c t o r t o m p l o y a b i l i t y , a n d w i l l c o m p l e t e a l l t a s k s a s s i g n e d u t i n a n a c t i o n p l a n . I w i l l n o t i f y t h e c o n t r a c t o r . . . . i f I s t a r t o r e n d a n y e m p l o y m e n t . I u n d e r s t a n d t h a t i f e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , I w i l l b e i n e l i g i b l e f o r a s s i s t a n c e c t . . . " 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 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 i g n e d E P w a s r e c e i v e d a t t h e m i n i s t ry o f f i c e . e d t h e m i n i s t r y t h a t s h e h a d b e g u n u p g r a d i n g h e r k . e s t o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s a s s i s t a n c e w i t h f u n d i n g f o r 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 i s t r y w o r k e r t h a t s h e w a s a b o u t t o s t a r t a n o t h e r . U p o n r e v i e w o f t h i s i n f o r m a t i o n t h e m i n i s t r y l l t i m e s t u d e n t a s s h e i s c u r r e n t l y a t t e n d i n g t h r e e e r e p a i d f o r b y A B E S A P f u n d i n g . S h e s t a t e d t h a t u a r y 2 0 1 4 . W h e n a s k e d , t h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t v e d t o a t t e n d t h e u n i v e r s i t y b y t h e E P B C l o n g e r a t t e n d i n g t h e E P B C p r o g r a m a n d t h a t 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 f o r t h e a t 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 c l o s i n g B C c a s e m a n a g e r a d v i s e d t h e m i n i s t r y t h a t i n c a s e m a n a g e r h a d a n i n p e r s o n d i s c u s s i o n a b o u t i v e r s i t y . H o w e v e r t h e p r o g r a m l o s t f u n d i n g r f u n d h e r a t t e n d a n c e . T h e c a s e m a n a g e r a l s o u a r y 2 0 1 4 t o d i s c u s s t h e s i t u a t i o n ( t h e r e h a d n N o v e m b e r a n d J a n u a r y ) ; t h e a p p e l l a n t a d v i s e d d t o f o l l o w t h r o u g h w i t h g o i n g t o t h e u n i v e r s i t y o n e r t h a t t h i s w a s h e r p a t h a n d s h e w o u l d n o t b e a n y m o r e a n d t h e r e f o r e w o u l d n o t a t t e n d a n y e n t a n o t i f i c a t i o n t o t h e m i n i s t r y t o a d v i s e o f t h e
• 1 1 February 201 4 -the ministry superviso a ppel lan t was n oncompliant wi th her EP 4. The appellant's R e q uest for Recon s i de r ation, dated 13 Fe appellant writes that she will be focusing on by this is bec a u se s h e had a case manager recommended b with her to give her a program to fo llow, s po nsored by A s she told the c a s e manager two mont hs prior to starting prob lem a s she was still was looki ng for a job. semester is o ver beginning of March. She asks to at least let her fi wo r kfo r ce. She still needs he lp and assistance as she transfers from sc and she will find other means to g et her u pgradi In her Notice of Appeal, da ted 05 Ma rch 2014, th e appellant writes tha finan cial assi stance. She wil l need assistance f or t he employm e nt. She has a right to fee l sa fe an d se cure. to scho ol. She h ad a ca se manag er wh o s houl d hav At t h e hea ri ng, the app ella nt sta ted th a t thi s whol e si w orri e d a bou t becomin g homeless . S h e said that w fi rst case m a nager was ve ry hel pful, but t hat case ma she felt wa s not i ntere s ted i n he l pi ng he r . She tol d t want ing to upgrade her ed ucat i on to get a Dogwood Dipl S h e felt tha t the case m a nage r did n ot be lieve that sh case manager did n ot p r ovi de her with a n y encou rag the i r pla n . A s a result she wen t ahead on her own and, u p gr ad i ng co urses at the university, wi t h th e clas ses no one, particularly he r EP BC c ase man a g e r , told h co urs e s and l eaving the E P BC p r ogram. She note d were on soc ial ass ista n ce and that she co ul d n o t u nderstand while tak in g cou rses there and she was n ot. She stated tha t she is dete r mined to obta in her Dogwo completed a ll the paperwork and has bee n assured f will not be in place until September, 2014. The ba l a nce of the appellant's t estimony at the hearing went to argument (s Panel Decision, below). The ministry stood by its positio n at reconsideration. With the excep t ion noted bel o w, the panel finds t ha t oral testimony is in support of the evidence before the ministry when it made the decision un appeal. The panel therefore admits the information provided the appellant under section 22(4) of the Employmen t and Assistance Act. The p a nel does not ad the appellant as to her future funding through her Band, as this was not before the ministry at reconsideration and in anv event is not relevant to the issue under aooeal. EMT 003(10/06/01) I APPEAL r revie wed her fil e . It was determi n ed tha t the . A sanction wa s added to her file. bruar y 2014. Und e r reasons, the f ull-ti me employment. The reason she is disturbed y the min istry who never worked t hem, to g ain credits to wards a GED. school she didn't think it w ould be a She wants to become a social worker . The nish that and go into the h ool to t he w o rkforce ng, including online. t she is in desperate need of tim e w h ich she needs to find a full-t ime S he ha d no idea of the consequen ces o f goi ng e told her o r h elp ed h er re g ard ing this. tuati o n ha d stress ed he r o ut an d s he was hen she w a s ini tia lly assi gne d to the EPB C h er nage r l eft and she wa s as si gned to a nothe r wh o his ca se mana ger o n sever al occa sion s ab o ut oma a n d ev entua ll y be com e a s o ci al wo rker. e w o uld follow th r ough w i th h er in te n tion s. This emen t or adv i c e in how t o m o ve forward with with ABESAF assista n ce, en ro lled i n 3 begin ning i n ea rly Ja nuary 2014. Sh e stat ed th at er of the co n seq u e n c es of enr ollin g in t hese tha t many of h er c l ass mate s at the uni v ersi ty how the y wer e a ble t o receive benef i ts od Diploma by January of next year. She has und ing thr o u g h her First Nations Band, but this e e Part F, Reasons f or the information provided by the appellant in her der m i t as e v idence t he information provided by
PART F -Reasons f or Pa ne l De c i s io n The is sue in t h is ap peal is w het her t h e ministry de ci assista nce pursuant to sec ti o n 9 of th e EAA is reasonably reas onable application of the legi s lation in the cir cumstan issu e is whethe r the mi nist r y was r easonab le in de te that she h as m a de a reaso nable effort t o comply with th that she has a medic al c ondition that ha s pr evente d The ap plicable leg islatio n is fro m the EA A; E mplo y men t pla n 9 (1) Fo r a family un i t to be el ig i ble f or income assista in t h e fami l y uni t , w h en re q uire d to do s o b y the m (a) e nter i n to a n e mpl o yme nt plan, and (b ) com p ly w it h the con di tion s in t (3) The minis te r may s pec if y the co n diti o ns in an e requir ing the applican t , rec ip ien t or dependent you progr am t hat, in t he m inis t er's op inion, will as sist (a) fin d em pl oyment , o r (b ) be come more em p l oyab l e . (4) If an e m pl oyment plan inc ludes a c ondition re participa te in a specific employment-related program (a) f ai l s t o d emonstrat e reaso nab (b ) ce ases, exc ept for med ica l reaso Th e posi t i on of th e m i n i str y , as se t ou t i n th e rec o n sideration appe ll ant conf irm ed that s he had read, und erstood a As a condition o f h er el ig ib ility for assi st a nce, s he agreed ad vi sed EPBC that s he was atte nd ing school an d wou attending any upcoming appointments. In accordance with se partic ipating in an employ m ent relate d program for a has not met the conditions of her EP. She has not provided any medical documentation that indicates she suffers from any medical issues that would impact her ability to attend EPBC programming. As a re sult the ministry found tha t she has faile d to comply with the have any mitigating circumstances that prevented her from complying with the conditions of her EP. There fo r e sh e is no t eligible fo r assi stance. The appe llant's position is that no one, particularly her EPBC case manager, advised her of the conseque nces of droppin g out of the EPBC progr am schooling. She feels this is unfair, as others are able to attend classes at her university while still receiving assistance from the ministry. She argues that things could have been done differently, for exampl e by giving her a deadline of 2 t wo m on t h s t o if she has not found a job by that time. EAAT 003(10/06/01) I A PPE AL s i on t h at th e app el l an t was not e ligibl e fo r inc ome supporte d by the evide n ce o r i s a ces of the a ppellant. Mo r e specifi c ally, the r mini ng th at t he ap pel la nt ha s n o t d emonstra ted e c ondi t i o ns of her em plo yment plan (EP) or her fro m compl yin g wi th tho se co ndit io ns. n ce or hard shi p assis t ance , each a ppli c ant o r r ec i pie nt inist e r, mus t he e mploy men t pl an . mp loyme nt pla n inc ludi n g , without l imitat io n, a co ndi tion th t o p art icip ate in a specif ic e m plo yment-r el a te d the a pplic a n t, re cipien t or depend ent you th t o q uirin g an app l i c a n t , a recip ient or a dependent y outh to , that con dition is not met if the perso n le efforts to participate in the program , o r ns, to participa te in the prog ram. dec ision, is th at by signing her EP, the nd ag re ed t o the conditio ns specified in the p lan . to partic ipate regul ar l y w i th EPBC. She had ld n o longer be pa rti cipating in their p ro gram or ction 9 of t h e EAA, i f s h e has sto pped ny reason other than for m ed ical reasons, she conditions of her EP and does not min g and enrolling i n courses to upgrade her get f ull-tim e empl oy ment or be cut off a ssistance
I APPEAL Panel findings The evidence, not disputed by the appellant, is that on 07 February 2014 she advised her EPBC contractor case manager that she had decided to follow through with going to the university on her own. She advised the case manager that this was her path and she would not be able to participate in the EPBC program anymore. The panel acknowledges that there may have been some difficulties in communication between the appellant and her EPBC case manager. While this is unfortunate, the panel must be guided by the legislation, with section 9 of the EAA and the requirement to comply with the conditions of an employment plan providing the basic framework for the ministry in administering the income assistance program. The panel finds that the appellant confirmed her obligations to participate in EPBC programming and acknowledged the consequences of noncompliance with those obligations by signing her EP, and she advised EPBC that she would no longer be participating in that programming, and that she has not provided any documentation as to medically-related mitigating circumstances. Therefore the panel finds that the ministry's decision that she is not eligible for income assistance is a reasonable application of the legislation in the circumstances of the appellant. The panel therefore confirms the ministry's decision. EAAT 003(10/06/01)
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