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 l " M i n i s t r y ' ' ) r e co n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n d a t e d J a n u a r y 3 e l i g i b l e fo r i n co m e a s s i s t a n c e i n J a n u a ry b e ca u s e t a l l o w a b l e l i m i t t o q u a l i fy fo r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e u n d e R e g u l a t i o n ( E A R ) . l ' h e M i n i s t r y h e l d t h a t t h e a p p e l t h a t i n t h e N o v e m b e r t h e a p p e l l a n t d e p o s i t e d $ 3 3 2 4 i n D e c e m b e 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 R e g u l a t i o n ( E A R ) , s e c S c h e d u l e B , s e c t i o n s 1 , 6 a n d 7 . E'AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 1 0 1 )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 ( t h e , 2 0 1 4 , w h i c h h e l d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s u n e a rn e d i n c o m e e x c e e d e d t h e r s e ct i o n 1 0 ( 2 ) o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t A s s i s t a n c e l a n t ' s r a t e o f i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e i s $ 1 0 1 5 . 5 8 a n d i n m a i n t e n a n c e i n c o m e a n d d e c l a r e d t h e s a m e . t i o n s 1 0 , 2 8 , S c h e d u l e A , s e c t i o n s 2 a n d 4 a n d
PART E-Sumrnarv of Facts Wi t h t h e c o n s e n t o f b o t h p a r t i e s , t h e h e a r i n g w a s c o 22(3)(b) of the Employment and Assistance Act. The evidence before the minister at reconsideration was that as a sole employable recipient with two dependent children the appellant receives $1015.58 in income assistance and that on November 25, 2013 the appellant deposited $3324 of maintenance payments in the appellant's bank account and declared the same on December 19, 2013 on her stub submitted to the ministry. This evidence was supported by: • copy of income assistance cheque stub dated December 19, 2013 • copy of bank account history detailing deposit of $3,324 • copy of memo dated December 18, 2013 written by lawyer confirming maintenance payments copies of cheques of maintenance payments The appellant wrote in her notice of appeal that she had received $3300 but that they did have lots of expenses, in particular a higher hydro bill given that it was winter and that the don't have enough money for Christmas and New Year's, assistance was needed for kids' school stuff and food money. No further evidence the appellant other than her statements written on her notice of appeal. The panel finds as fact that the appellant's income assistance rate is $1015,58 and that the appellant r e c e i v e d m a i n t e n a n c e p a y m e n t s o f $ 3 3 2 4 i n N o v e m stub the following month. E AA T 0 0 3 ( f 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )n d u c t e d a s a w r i t t e n h e a r i n g p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n appellant's children The appellant stated that income was provided by b e r 2 0 1 3 , w h i c h w a s r e p o r t e d o n t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s b
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 w h e t h e r t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n t o d e n y t h J a n u a r y b e ca u s e t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s u n e a rn e d i n c o m e o t h e a l l o w a b l e l i m i t s a s d e f i n e d b y S e ct i o n 1 O ( 2 ) o f t legislation. The relevant legislation is from the EAR: l O ( 1 ) }' o r th e p u r p o � e s o f t h e A ct a l ) d t h i e r e g u l a t i o n , " I n c o m e " , i n s e i ze d , d e d u c t e d o r s e t o f f f r o m t h e i n c o m e o f a n a p p l i c a n t , a r e c i p i e ( 2 ) A F a m i l y u n i t i e 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 ta n c e i f t h e n o t i n c o e x c e e d s t h e a m o u n t o f i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e d e t e r m i n e d u n d e r S c h e d u l e S e c t i o n 1 o f t h e E A R s u p p l i e s t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f u n e a " u n e a r n e d i n c o m e " m e a n s a n y i n c o m e t h a t i s n o t m o n e y o r v a l u e r e c e i v e d f r o m a n y o f t h e fo l l o w i n g : agreement or other agreement; Schedule B of the EAR outlines what income may be exempted from deduction of income assistance a n d m a i n t e n a n c e m o n i e s a r e n o t e x e m p t e d . U n d e r EAR, the Ministry deemed that the maintenance monies were unearned income and not exempt from net income calculation, thus resulting in an excess of income t0 qualify for income assistance. The ministry position is that the appellant's receipt of $3324 of maintenance payments in November exceeded the appellant's allowable income for that month. December, it must be taken into account in determining the amount of income assistance for January. Under section 1 O of the EAR, the appellant is thus not entitled to income assistance in the month of January. The appellant argued that they are in need of income assistance in January in order to pay a hydro bill, provide school supplies and for food money. The legislation is clear that there is no discretion for the ministry to provide income assistance when non-exempted unearned income exceeds their allowable rate of support and shelter as determined in Schedule A. The panel found that the evidence supported the finding that the appellant had received maintenance m o n i e s d e fi n e d i n S e c t i o n 1 o f t h e E A R a s u n e a r n e d a s s i s t a n c e s u p p o r t . I t w a s n o t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t o n h e r c h e q u e s t u b a n d a c k n o w l e d g e d i n h e r n o t i c e u n e a r n e d i n c o m e w a s n o t e x e m p t f r o m d e d u c t i o n u A c c o r d i n g l y , t h e p a n e l fi 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 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 . T h e p a n e l t h e EMT003(10/06/01) e a p p e l l a n t i . n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e f o r t h e m o n t h o f f $ 3 3 2 4 f o r t h e m o n t h o f N o v e � b � r e x ce e d e d h e E A R w a s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p h c a t 1 o n o f t h e r e l a t i o n t o a f a m i l y u n i t , i n c l u d e:, an a m o u n t g a rn i s h e d , a tt a c h e d . n t o r a d e p o n d a t , L m e o f th e f a m i 1 1 ,' u n i t d c t c r m h , e d u n d e r S c h e d u l e B e q u a l s o r A f o r a f a m i l y u n i t rnA t c b i n g t h a t f a m i l y \\ J l i t . r n e d i n c o m e : e a rn e d i n c o m e , a n d i n c l u d e s , w i t h o u t l i m i t a t i o n , ( p ) m a i n t e n a n c e u n d e r a co u rt o r d e r , a s e p a r a t i o n S e c t i o n 2 8 o f t h e E A R a n d S c h e d u l e A & B o f t h e As:that income was reported in i n c o m e i h a n a m o u n t t h a t e x ce e d e d h e r i n c o m e d u l y r e p o r t e d h e r r e ce i p t o f th i s u n e a r n e d i n c o m e o f a p p e a r t h e r e c e i p t o f t h e m o n i e s . T h e n d e r S c h e d u l e B . 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 l e g i s l a t i o n r e f o r e c o h fi rm s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s 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.