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 r e c o 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 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 , w I n c o m e A s s i s t a n c e f o r f a i l u r e t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e t e r p u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n s 9 ( 1 ) ( b ) a n d 9 ( 4 ) o f t h e E m p l 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 c e a s e d t o p a r t i c i p a t e m e d i c a l r e a s 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 s E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 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 ( " m i n i s t ry " ) , 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 e l i g i b l e f o r m s a n d 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 y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e A c t E A A . T h e m i n i s t r y i n a n e m p l o y m e n t p r o g r a m f o r r e a s o n s o t h e r t h a n 9 ( 1 ) a n d 9 ( 4 )
PART E -S um mary of Fa c ts The r elevant evi de n ce be for e th e m inistry at the time of the r · following: 1 . A n Emp loyment Plan dated Ma y 24 , 20 1 3 sign i ncl u de provisions r equiring the a ppe l lant t o an intake as ses sme nt vi s it, attend the intake app se rvice provi de r, work wi th the s e r vice pr ovide appel lan t ' s ab ili ty to secu re and s u s tain emp require d . By s igning the c o ntrac t, t he a pp e ll ant and a g r eed to the con d i tio ns specified in t he 2 . A W ork Search Activ ity Reco rd d ate d May 22 R epo r t"), whi c h among other matt er s states that d h ad s ear ched an online " L ist" to for jobs a n d emp loy ers throug h h e r per sonal online mail account; employ ment opp ortunities an d updated c op y act ively a n d d a ily lookin g for wor k ; 3 . A Wor k Search ac tivity Record dated M ay 22, 201 Repo rt"), w h ich a m o ng ot h e r mat ters sta tes th contac ted several sp ec i fical ly named emplo yer resume an d cover letter to t hem t o ob tain a job in various capaci 4 . A letter d a ted Decemb e r 11, 2 013 from t he mi nex t inco me c h eque will be hel d in office until job E mployme nt P lan review is complete ; 5. M in istr y's ori gina l de cision dated Jan uary 1, 2 6. A Re qu e st f or Reconsideration dated J anuary other matters st ates that: (a) the appella nt was u p r o gr a m/plan a nd look f o r wor k due t o per so issue s, stress and anxiety; (b) the appellant has no other means of financial support and has no assets; and (c) her goals are to seek counseling and secure fitting employment Subsequent to the date reconsideration decision, the a 28, 2014 together with a submission that a m o ng other matte nee d of financial assistance and support; (b) s h e was un Plan Program (Program) due to personal family and health issues, job loss, anxiety, stress, and relationship breakdown; (c) she has reconnected with the Program again; (d) her goal is to secure fulltime employment and seek counseling, and to stay compliant relating to the Program; and (e) she was requesting continuance of her monthly support once again as she has no other means of financial support until she achieves her goal of securing a fitting employment. The teleconference hearing began at 10:00 am with the announced participation of the panel members and the ministrv reoresentative. The oanel chair called out the name of the annellant EMT003(10/06/01) eco ns i d eratio n d ecision in cluded the ed by the appe lla nt (EP) . Th e ter ms of the E P ma ke a n appoi ntment wi th t he se rv ice p r ovide r for oi ntment , c o mplete al l task s as signe d by the r t o address issues that m ay be im pacting the loy men t, and a t ten d all revi ew a ppointm ents as als o co n f i rmed th at sh e has read, understoo d EP; , 20 13 signed by the a p pell ant (the "Firs t uring the month of May : ( a) the app ella nt em a iled he r resu m e/ cover letter t o p ros pec tive (b) c a ll e d an emp lo y m ent agenc y f o r of h er r esu me and c ove r lett er; and (c) h e wa s 3 sign ed by the app ell ant (th e "Sec on d at dur ing the m on t h of Ma y: (a) the a ppella nt s on the Sec on d R e port an d sup plied her tie s; nistry to the ap pellant statin g th at the app e ll ant 's searc h infor m a t ion is re ceive d an d 01 4 ; 9 , 20 1 4 signed by the appellant, which a m o ng nable t o comply/attend w ith her em p loyment nal family a nd healt h issues, depression, addiction ppellant f il e d a N oti ce of Appeal on January r s states that (a) the appel lant is st il l in able to comply with the Emplo yment Action
several times to check whether the appellant was on line. In view of a lack of response to such manual (verbal) roll call and after confirming that the appellant was notified of the date and time of the hearing, the hearing proceeded under section 86(b) of the EAR. At some stage of the teleconference hearing, the appellant apparently joined the hearing but without making her presence known to the panel members. At the end of the hearing, the teleconference system firstly announced the departure of the ministry representative from the teleconference and secondly of the departure of the appellant from the teleconference. Soon thereafter, the appellant reconnected in to the teleconference call and stated that she had been late in joining the call. The panel therefore took a short recess to facilitate the re-participation in the ministry representative and the appellant agreed to re-join the teleconference hearing "sharp at 11: 00". The teleconference hearing was reinitiated at 11: 00 am with the panel members and the same ministry representative. The appellant did not rejoin the conference and after waiting for her again for ten minutes, the panel determined to proceed and conclude the hearing under section 86(b) of EAR as stated hereinbefore. At the commencement of the hearing, the panel reviewed the submission of the appellant filed with her Notice of Appeal dated January 28, 2012, which among other matters states that: (a) the appellant is still in need of financial assistance; (b) she was unable to comply with the requirements of her employment action plan program due to personal family and health issues (anxiety, stress, relationship breakdown); (c) she has reconnected with her Employment Program again, her goal is to secure full time employment and seek counseling, and stay compliant with the employment program. The ministry did not object to the additional written testimony of the appellant, which was partially also before the ministry at reconsideration. The panel admitted this additional written testimony of the appellant pursuant to section 22(4)(b) of the Employment Assistance Act and finds that it was in support of the information and records before the ministry at reconsideration. At the hearing, the ministry stated that all income assistance recipients are required to enter into an employment plan and to sign the agreed employment plan to confirm that they have understood the obligations under the plan and the consequences of non-compliance with the plan. This procedure was followed with the appellant. In particular, the ministry staff reviewed the provisions of the EP (signed on May 24, 2013) with the appellant (who does not have any dependent children) on several occasions to make sure that the appellant understood all the requirements of the EP and the consequences of non-compliance with the requirements. The ministry further stated that the appellant had not met with the conditions of the EP and her monthly income assistance cheque was withheld for the month of August 2013 for non-compliance. The appellant then re-commenced her participation in the employment program and her income cheque was released to her. At that time, the appellant was also requested by the ministry to provide to the ministry confirmation of her medical condition on a specific form prescribed by the ministry for completion by a medical practitioner. A ministry staff member also informed the appellant that the ministry would pay the cost of completion of the prescribed medical form by a medical practitioner. According to the ministry, the ministry staff was advised by the employment program that the appellant had not attended the program since October 2013. The appellant had also not submitted information regarding any medical conditions preventing her participation in the program. The panel finds that: EM T003(10/06/01)
• T h e a p p e l l a n t s i g n e d t h e E P o n M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 • R e q u i r e d a c t i v i t i e s w e r e t h a t ( a ) t h e a p p e l l a n a s s c h e d u l e d a n d p r o v i d e t h e m i n i s t r y o f f i c e P r o g r a m ; a n d ( b ) c o n t i n u e t o w o r k w i t h t h e p p r o g r a m a s s i s t a n c e ; • T h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d t h e p r o g r a m a f t e m i n i s t r y a n y m e d i c a l e v i d e n c e t h a t i n d i c a t e s t h a t w o u l d i m p a c t h e r a b i l i t y t o a t t e n d t h e p r o E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )3 ; t c o n t a c t t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r , a t t e n d t h e p r o g r a m w r i t t e n c o n f i r m a t i o n o f a c c e p t a n c e i n t o t h e n e x t r o g r a m u p o n c o m p l e t i o n , f o r j o b s e a r c h a n d r O c t o b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 a n d d i d n o t p r o v i d e t o t h e t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t s u f f e r s f r o m a n y m e d i c a l i s s u e s g r a m .
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 t o b e d e c i d e d i s w h e t h e r t h e m i n i s t r y r e a a l l o f t h e t e r m s a n d 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 T h e r e l e v a n t s e c t i o n s o f t h e E A A , p r o v i d e a s f o l l o w s E m p l o y m e n t p l a n 9 ( 1 ) F o r a f a m i l y u n i t t o b e e l i g i b l e f o r i n a p p l i c a n t o r r e c i p i e n t i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t ( a ) e n t e r i n t o a n e m p l o y m ( b ) c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d ( 3 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y s p e c i f y t h e c o n d l i m i t a t i o n , a c o n d i t i o n r e q u i r i n g t h e a p p p a r t i c i p a t e i n a s p e c i f i c e m p l o y m e n t r e w i l l a s s i s t t h e a p p l i c a n t , r e c i p i e n t o r d e ( a ) f i n d e m p l o y m e n t , o r ( b ) b e c o m e m o r e e m p l o y ( 4 ) I f a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n i n c l u d e s a c d e p e n d e n t y o u t h t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a s p e c o n d i t i o n i s n o t m e t i f t h e p e r s o n ( a ) f a i l s t o d e m o n s t r a t e r e o r ( b ) c e a s e s , e x c e p t f o r m e ( 6 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y a m e n d , s u s p e n d ( 7 ) A d e c i s i o n u n d e r t h i s s e c t i o n ( a ) r e q u i r i n g a p e r s o n t o e ( b ) a m e n d i n g , s u s p e n d i n g ( c ) s p e c i f y i n g t h e c o n d i t i o i s f i n a l a n d c o n c l u s i v e a n d i s n o t o p e n t 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 E AA 1 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )s o n a b l y c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t m e e t l a n a s r e q u i r e d b y s e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E A A . : c o m e a s s i s t a n c e o r h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e , e a c h , w h e n r e q u i r e d t o d o s o b y t h e m i n i s t e r , m u s t e n t p l a n , a n d i t i o n s i n t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . i t i o n s i n a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n i n c l u d i n g , w i t h o u t l i c a n t , r e c i p i e n t o r d e p e n d e n t y o u t h t o l a t e d p r o g r a m t h a t , i n t h e m i n i s t e r ' s o p i n i o n , p e n d e n t y o u t h t o a b l e . o n d i t i o n r e q u i r i n g a n a p p l i c a n t , a r e c i p i e n t o r a c i f i c e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e d p r o g r a m , t h a t a s o n a b l e e f fo r t s t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m , d i c a l r e a s o n s , t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . o r c a n c e l a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . n t e r i n t o a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , o r c a n c e l l i n g a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , o r n s o f a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n o r e v i e w b y a c o u r t o n a n y g r o u n d o r t o a p p e a l n d a p p e a l r i g h t s ] .
T h e i s s u e o n 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 r e a s o n c o m p l e t e t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f h e r E P a n d d i d n o t s u b e i n g a b l e t o a t t e n d t h e E P , a n d i s t h e r e f o r e i n e l i g i b S e c t i o n 9 ( 1 ) o f t h e E A A p r o v i d e s t h a t , w h e n t h e m i n a n d c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s i n t h e E P i n o r d e r t o U n d e r S e c t i o n 9 ( 3 ) o f t h e E A A , t h e m i n i s t r y h a s t h e a r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t t h e p e r s o n p a r t i c i p a t e i n a n e m p P u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n 9 ( 4 ) o f t h e E A A , i f a n E P i n c l u d a s p e c i f i c e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e d p r o g r a m , t h a t c o n d i t i r e a s o n a b l e e f f o r t s t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m o r i f t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . F r o m t h e r e c o r d o f a p p e a l a n d h e r s u b m i s s i o n a f t e r a p p e l l a n t ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t s h e w a s u n a b l e t o c o m p l d u e t o : • " p e r s o n a l f a m il y a n d h e a l t h i s s u e s , d e p r e s s i o d a t e d J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 4 b e f o r e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o • " p e r s o n a l f a m i l y a n d h e a l t h i s s u e s . . . a n x i e t y d a t e d J a n u a r y 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 a f t e r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n T h e m i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t e n t e r e d y e a r . T h e a p p e l l a n t w a s r e f e r r e d t o a n e m p l o y m e n t p a rt i c i p a t e , a n d t h a t s h e d i d n o t c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n r e a s o n a b l e e f f o r t s t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . T h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r s i n c e O c t o b e r 2 0 1 3 a n d f a i l e d t o p r a p p e l l a n t w a s u n a b l e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e i m p l e m e n T h e p a n e l n o t e s t h a t s e c t i o n 9 ( 4 ) o f E A A r e q u i r e s t h t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m u n d e r t h e E P s i g n e d b y c e a s i n g t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . T h e a p p e l l a n m i n i s t r y t o o b t a i n c o n f i r m a t i o n o f h e r m e d i c a l c o n d i t m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r t o t h e m i n i s t r y . B a s e d o n t h e e v i d e n c e b e f o r e i t , i n c l u d i n g t h e F i n d i n d e c i s i o n , 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 h a s n o t p m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n p r e c l u d e s h e r f r o m p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n f i n d s t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y c o n c l u d e d t h a t a p p p r o v i s i o n s o f s e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E A A . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )a b l y c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t f a i l e d t o b m i t a n y e v i d e n c e o f a n y m e d i c a l r e a s o n s f o r n o t l e f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e . i s t r y r e q u i r e s , a p e r s o n m u s t e n t e r i n t o a n E P b e 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 . a u t h o r i t y t o s p e c i f y c o n d i t i o n s i n a n E P , i n c l u d i n g l o y m e n t r e l a t e d p r o g r a m . e s a c o n d i t i o n r e q u i r i n g a p e r s o n t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n o n i s n o t m e t i f t h e p e r s o n f a i l s t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e p e r s o n c e a s e s , e x c e p t f o r m e d i c a l r e a s o n s , r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n , t h e p a n e l n o t e s t h a t t h e y w i t h t h e e m p l o y m e n t p r o g r a m a n d l o o k f o r w o r k n / a d d i c t i o n i s s u e s , s t r e s s , a n x i e ty " ( s u b m i s s i o n n d e c i s i o n ) , a n d , s t r e s s , r e l a t i o n s h i p b r e a k d o w n " ( s u b m i s s i o n d e c i s i o n ) i n t o a n E P d a t e d M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 3 f o r a p e r i o d o f o n e r e l a t e d p r o g r a m i n w h i c h s h e w a s r e q u i r e d t o d i t i o n s o f t h e E P , a s s h e d i d n o t d e m o n s t r a t e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d a p p o i n t m e n t s w i t h t h e o v i d e a n y m e d i c a l d o c u m e n t a t i o n t h a t t h e t a t i o n o f h e r E P f o r m e d i c a l r e a s o n s . a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d e m o n s t r a t e r e a s o n a b l e e f f o rt s t h e a p p e l l a n t , o r t o p r o v i d e a m e d i c a l r e a s o n f o r t w a s p r o v i d e d a p r e s c r i b e d m e d i c a l f o r m b y t h e i o n , b u t h a s n o t p r o v i d e d s u c h i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m a g s o f F a c t s m a d e b y t h e p a n e l i n P a r t E o f t h i s r o v i d e d e v i d e n c e t o s u p p o r t h e r p o s i t i o n t h a t h e r h e r e m p l o y m e n t p r o g r a m . T h e r e f o r e t h e p a n e l e l l a n t i s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r a s s i s t a n c e u n d e r t h e
The panel finds that the ministry's decision to deny the appellant income assistance for failing to comply with the terms and conditions of her Employment Plan as required by Section 9 of the EA Act was reasonably supported by the evidence and was a reasonable application of the legislation in the circumstances of the appellant. The panel confirms the ministry's decision. EAAT003(10/06/01)
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.