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 ' s r e c o n s i d t h 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 b e c a u s e h e f a i l e d P l a n ( E P ) a s r e q u i r e d u n d e r S e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E m p l o 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 f a i l e d t o a t t e n d h i s a p B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a ( E P B C ) c o n t r a c t o 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 A c t ( E A A ) S e c t i o n 9I A P P E A L # 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 7 , 2 0 1 4 t o d e n y 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 h i s E m p l o y m e n t 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 p o i n t m e n t s w i t h t h e E m p l o y m e n t P r o g r a m o f
P A R T E S u m m a r 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 e r a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n 1 . T h e a p p e l l a n t i s a n e m p l o y a b l e r e c i p i e n t w i t h c h i l d r e n . 2 . F e b r u a r y 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t s i g n e d a n E a ) a t t e n d h i s f i r s t a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h t h e E m p l c o n t r a c t o r w i t h i n 5 b u s i n e s s d a y s o f s i g n i b ) 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 r e g u l a r c ) 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 a d d r e s s c o m p l e t e a l l t a s k s a s s i g n e d i n c l u d i n g a n y d ) n o t i f y t h e c o n t r a c t o r i f h e i s u n a b l e t o a t t e e m p l o y m e n t e ) u n d e r s t a n d t h a t i f h e f a i l s t o c o m p l y w i t h t a s s i s t a n c e u n d e r t h e E A A f ) d e c l a r e a l l i n c o m e a n d r e p o rt a n y c h a n g e a p p o i n t m e n t s a s r e q u i r e d g ) a d v i s e t h e m i n i s t r y i f h e i s u n a b l e t o f o l l o w 3 . N o v e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 3 t h e E P B C . c o n t r a c t o r r e p a p p o i n t m e n t s o n N o v e m b e r 7 a n d N o v e m b e r t h e a p p e l l a n t o n N o v e m b e r 8 , 1 9 , 2 0 a n d 2 1 , T h e m i n i s t r y l e f t t h e a p p e l l a n t a m e s s a g e r e q n o n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h h i s E P . 4 . N o v e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 3 t h e m i n i s t r y s e n t t h e a p p h e l d o n D e c e m b e r 1 8 , 2 0 1 3 b e c a u s e t h e E P B s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t s . T h e m i n i s t r y a s k e d p o s s i b l e t o a v o i d h a v i n g h i s c h e q u e h e l d , t o d d i s c u s s c o n t i n u e d e l i g i b i l i t y f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a D e c e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 3 t h e a p p e l l a n t i n h i s R e q u e s t f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e u n t i l h e g e t s a j o b o r c o m p l e t e s h s a i d h e w i l l c o n t i n u e t o w o r l < w i t h t h e E P B C c o n t r a c t w i l l c o n t i n u e h i s j o b s e a r c h a s r e q u i r e d b y t h e m i n i s t d e c i s i o n m a k i n g h a s b e e n h i n d e r e d b y s t r e s s a n d d e a n d r e p o r t b a c l < t o t h e m i n i s t r y . J a n u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 · 1 4 t h e a p p e l l a n t i n h i s N o t i c e o f A p p e u n d e r s t a n d t h e p r o c e s s a n d t h a t h e i s w o r k i n g w i t h a 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 h a d t o s e h e a n d h i s w i f e f e l l o n h a r d t i m e s a n d l o s t e v e r y t h i n g e s t a b l i s h t h e m _ s e l v e s a n d w i l l r l Q §! _ c l t h e m i n i s t ry ' s h e l A P P E A L ii I c o n s i s t s o f t h e f o l l o w i n g : a n e m p l o y a b l e s p o u s e a n d t w o d e p e n d e n t P a g r e e i n g t o t h e f o l l o w i n g c o n d i t i o n s : o y m e n t P r o g r a m o f B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a ( E P B C ) n g h i s E P 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 n t r a c t o r a n y i s s u e s t h a t m a y i m p a c t h i s e m p l o y a b i l i t y a n d a c t i v i t i e s t h a t m a y b e s e t o u t i n a n a c t i o n p l a n n d a s e s s i o n o r w h e n h e s t a r t s o r e n d s a n y h e c o n d i t i o n s o f h i s E P , h e w i l l b e i n e l i g i b l e f o r s t o t h e m i n i s t r y a n d a t t e n d a l l m i n i s t r y r e v i e w t h r o u g h w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f h i s E P . o r t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d h i s 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 . T h e c o n t r a c t o r a t t e m p t e d t o c o n t a c t 2 0 1 3 b u t d i d n o t r e c e i v e a r e s p o n s e t o t h e i r c a l l s . u e s t i n g h i m t o c o n t a c t t h e m i n i s t r y t o d i s c u s s e l l a n t a l e t t e r a d v i s i n g t h a t h i s c h e q u e w a s b e i n g C c o n t r a c t o r r e p o r t e d t h a t h e f a i l e d t o a t t e n d h i s t h e a p p e l l a n t t o c o n t a c t t h e m a s s o o n a s i s c u s s h i s E P , t o s u b m i t h i s j o b s e a r c h a n d t o n c e . R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n ( R F R ) s t a t e s t h a t t h e y n e e d i s r e a l e s t a t e e x a m w h i c h c o s t s a b o u t $ 1 1 5 0 . H e o r a n d a t t e n d a l l a p p o i n t m e n t s i n t h e f u t u r e . H e r y a n d t h e c o n t r a c t o r . H e b e l i e v e s t h a t h i s p o o r p r e s s i o n . H e w i l l s e e k m e d i c a l a d v i c e o n t h i s a l ( N O A ) i n d i c a t e d t h a t h e d i d n o t f u l l y c: a s e m a n a g e r a t E P B C c o n t r a c t o r . e ! < i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e b e c a u s e a b o u t a y e a r a g o t h e y h a d b u i l t . T h e y a r e n o w t r y i n g t o r e  p fo r j u s t t h e n e x t c o u l e o f m o n t h s . T h e w e r e
I APPEAL# both assigned to the same ministry worker and completed their assignments without incident. The appellant stated that he tried to re-establish himself in the hospitality industry bµt found no work. He felt that real estate was his best option and he plans to sell establishments related to the hospitality industry as this is his area of expertise. He explained that he thought his first worker was on board with this plan and that perhaps the ministry would help him out by paying for the $1100 exam he has to take to be certified as a real estate agent. In October, the appellant was assigned to another worker. The appellant did not know that he would be required to do anything different from what he had been doing all along, but suddenly with the new worker things changed. The appellant stated that he currently has a mentor who is helping him get established and that he will take over his mentor's clients when he retires. On November 7, 2013, the day he missed his appointment he was with his mentor, out of town, tryin9 to get a listing. The appellant explained that he called his worker to get permission to miss his November 7, 2013 appointment for his business trip on November 6, 2013. He stated that the worker may have told him about the November 13, 2013 appointment at that time but he does not remember. The appellant explained that he did not receive the contractor's telephone messages in November because he got a new phone number and may not have updated that information with the ministry or the contractor, but he clid receive the November 26, 2013 letter. The appellant stated that he thought he had an understanding with the contractor that he could do whatever necessary to establish himself as a real estate agent and would have done things differently if he had known that the expectations were different. Lastly, the appellant stated that in the past, he had been on medication for stress and depression, and lately, even his wife noticed that he was not the same once again. He explained that he did not initially tell the worker of this problem because he felt it was too personal and was not comfortable sharing this information. He also stated that his doctor was out of the country for 4 months but is returning soon and he will see him about this issue. The ministry stood by its reconsideration record and aclded that the second worker that was assigned to the appellant informed the appellant that work, other than real estate, must be pursued as well. The Admission of New Evidence: At the hearing, the appellant submitted a letter dated January 27, 2014 from the EPBC contractor which states that the appellant attended his regularly scheduled appointments on January 9 and January 27, 2014, and a scheduled computer workshop on January 15, 2014. The ministry did not object to the admittance of this letter. The panel found that the letter pertained to a period that is not in question and does not speak to the appellant's efforts to comply with his EP prior to the December 19, 2013 original denial of income assistance. Accordingly, the panel did not admit this new information as bein9 in support of inforrnalion and records that were before the ministry at the time of the reconsideration, in accordance with s.22(4) of tile Employment and Assistance Act. At the hearing, the appellant also stated that on November 6, 2013 he called the EPBC contractor to obtain permission to miss t1is November 7, 2013 scheduled appointment. The panel found that this new evidence did not provide additional detail or disclose information that was in support of the issues addressed in the recon:,ideration dated January 7, 2014. This evidence was not raised in the appellant's request for 1·econsideration or in tile notice of appeal. Accordingly, the panel did not admit this new information as being in support of information and records that were before the ministry at the time of the reconsideration, in accordance with s.22(4) of the Employment and Assistance Act. The anel makes the followin g findings of fact from the evidence pr_e_ s�en� t� e_ d_ -: -�----�
• T h e a p p e l l a n t s i g n e d a n E P a g r e e i n g • T h e a p p e l l a n t d i c l n o t a t t e n d h i s s c h e d N o v e m b e r 7 a n d 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 • T h e a p p e l l a n t d i c l n o t c o n t a c t E P B C c 8 , 1 9 , 2 0 a n d 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 • T h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t c o n t a c t t h e m i n i • T h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t p r o v i d e a n y m e d f r o m s t r e s s a n d d e p r e s s i o n • T h e a p p e l l a n t p u r s u e d p l a n s f o r a c a r e ----� ---I A _ P _ P _ E _ A L _ _ # _ _ _ L _ ,--------J I t o t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s t h e r e i n u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t s w i t h E P B C c o n t r a c t o r o n o n t r a c t o r i n r e s p o n s e t o t h e i r c a l l s o n N o v e m b e r s t r y i n r e s p o n s e t o i t s N o v e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 3 l e t t e r i c EJ I d o c u m e n t a t i o n c o n f i r m i n g t h a t h e s u f f e r s e r a s a r e a l t o r d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d o f h i s E P · -------------------'
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 s 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 f a i l e d 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 h i s E P a s r e q s u p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e o r a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a t c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e a p p l i c a n t . L e g i s l a t i o n c o n s i d e r e d : 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 c o m r e c i p i e n t i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t , w h e n r e q u i r e d ( a ) e n t e r i n t o a n e m p l o y m e n t ( b ) c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s ( 2 ) A d e p e n d e n t y o u t h , w h e n r e q u i r e d t o d ( a ) e n t e r i n t o a n e m p l o y m e n t ( b ) c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s ( 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 i t i o n s c o n d i t i o n r e q u i r i n g t h e a p p l i c a n t , r e c i p i e n t 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 , i n t h e m d e p e n d e n t y o u t h t o ( 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 a b l e ( 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 o n d i 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 i f i c e m p l o y m 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 a s o ( b ) c e a s e s , e x c e p t f o r m e d i c a ( 5 ) I f a d e p e n d e n t y o u t h f a i l s t o c o m p l y w i t h o f i n 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 a m o u n t f o r t h e p r e s c r i b e d p e r i o d . ( 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 o r c a � � / 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 ------------I A P P E A L # t h 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 b e c a u s e h e u i r e d u n d e r S e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E A A i s r e a s o n a b l y i o n o f 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 n t h e 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 a p p l i c a n t o r t o d o s o b y t h e m i n i s t e r , m u s t p l a n , a n d i n t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . o s o b y t h e m i n i s t e r , m u s t p l a n , a n d i n t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . 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 m i t a t i o n , a o r 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 i f i c i n i s t e r ' s o p i n i o n , 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 . 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 d e p e n d e n t 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 o n i s n o t m e t i f t h e 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 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 . s u b s e c t i o n ( 2 ) , t h e m i n i s t e r m a y r e d u c e t h e a m o u n t e p r 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 b y t h e p r e s c r i b e d n c e l a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . -----------------�
( a ) r e q u i r i n g a p e r s o n t o e n t e ( b ) a m e n d i n g , s u s p e n d i n g o r ( c ) s p e c i f y i n g t h e c o n d i t i o n s 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 o 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 T h e A p p e l l a n t ' s P o s i t i o n : T h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t h e w a s p u r s u i n g a p a t h t h t o a c a r e e r a n d h e w i l l n o l o n g e r n e e d a s s i s t a n c e . e x p e c t a t i o n s t h a t w e r e d i ff e r e n t f r o m h i s p r e v i o u s w t h i n g s d i f f e r e n t l y . H e a l s o a r g u e s t h a t p r i o r t o b e i n g c o m p l a i n t s f r o m t h e m i n i s t r y a b o u t h i s a b i l i t y t o c o m h e i s s t r e s s e d a n d d e p r e s s e d a b o u t h i s e m p l o y m e n d e c i s i o n s . T h e M i n i s t r y ' s P o s i t i o n : T h e m i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s a w a r e o f e v i d e n t b y h i m s i g n i n g t h e E P . S p e c i f i c a l l y , t h e m i n s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t s , d i d n o t c o n t a c t t h e E P B C c a l l s a n d d i d n o t r e s p o n d t o ! h e m i n i s t r y ' s N o v e m b e E P B C c o n t r a c t o r . L a s t l y , t h e m i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h e s t a b l i s h t h a t m i t i g a t i n g c i r c u m s t a n c e G p r e v e n t e d h i u p o n a n d s i g n e d . T h e P a n e l ' s D e c i s i o n : S e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E A A s e t s o u t t h a t t o b e e l i g i b i e f o r a e n t e r i n t o a n E P , 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 o f t e s t a b l i s h e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s a w a r e o f t h e r e q u o f n o t c o m p l y i n g w i t h t h e E P a n d h a d n o r e a s o n t o b d i f f e r d e p e n d i n g o n t h e w o r k e r h e w a s a s s i g n e d . T h t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t m i s s e d t w o s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n N o v e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 , f a i l e d t o c o n t a c t ! h e E P B C c o n N o v e m b e r 8 , 1 9 , 2 0 a n d 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 , a n d f a i l e d t o c o n t 2 0 1 3 l e t t e r . T h e p a n e l a c k n o w l e d g e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l r e s u l t o f h i s e m p l o y m e n t s i t u a t i o n b u t n o t e s t h a t , a c c c o n d i t i o n s d i d n o t p r e V E r n t h i m f r o r n p u r s u i n g h i s p l a n s a m e p e r i o d h e s t a t e s t h e : , e c : o n c l i t i o n s a f f e c t e d h i s a p p e l l a n t p l a n s t o s e e h i t , d o c t o r r e g a r d i n g h i l , s t r e s s e v i d e n c e e s t a b l i s h e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a s f a i l e d t o t h a t r e v e n t e d h i m f r o m c o rn p J y i n � g J ' v i t h h i s E P t l i a t l I A P P E A L # r i n t o a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , 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 o f a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n 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 u n d e r r i g h t s ] . a t h e i s c e r t a i n w i l l , i n t h e n e x t f e w m o n t h s , l e a d H e d i d n o t r e a l i z e t h a t h i s n e w w o r k e r h a d o r k e r , a n d h a d h e k n o w n h e w o u l d h a v e d o n e a s s i g n e d t o a n e w w o r k e r , t h e r e w e r e n o p l y w i t h h i s E P . L a s t l y , t h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t t s i t u a t i o n w h i c h h a s h i n d e r e d h i s a b i l i t y t o m a k e a n d a g r e e d t o t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f h i s E P , a s i s i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d h i s c o n t r a c t o r i n r e s p o n s e t o h i s r e p e a t e d p h o n e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 3 l e t t e r a d v i s i n g h i m t o c o n t a c t t h e e a p p e l l a n t h a s f a i l e d t o p r o v i d e v e r i f i c a t i o n t o m f r o m c o m p l y i n g w i t h h i s E P t h a t h e a g r e e d s s i s t a n c e , t h e r e c i p i e n t m u s t , w h e n r e q u i r e d t o , h e p l a n . T h e p a n e l n o t e s t h a t e v i d e n c e · i r e m e n t s o f h i s E P , a w a r e o f t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s e l i e v e t h a t t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e E P w o u l d e p a n e l a l s o f i n d s t h a t t h e e v i d e n c e e s t a b l i s h e s t s w i t h t h e E P B C c o n t r a c t o r , N o v e m b e r 7 a n d t r a c t o r a f t e r h e l e f t m e s s a g e s f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t o n a c t t h e m i n i s t r y i n r e s p o n s e t o i t s N o v e m b e r 2 6 , a n t s t a t e d h e i s s t r e s s e d a n d d e p r e s s e d a s a o r d i n g t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s o r a l t e s t i m o n y , t h e s e s f o r h i s c h o s e n c a r e e r a s a r e a l t o r d u r i n g t h e a b i l i t y t o c o m p l y w i t h h i s E P . T h o u g h t h e a n d d e p r e s s i o n , t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e p r o v i d e c o n f i r m a t i o n o f m i t i g a t i n g c i r c u m s t a n c e s 1 e a g y: e � p o n a n d s i g n e d _ . _ _ _ _ _ �
T h e e v i d e n c e e s t a b l i s l 1 e s t h a t t h e t e r m s a n d c o n d i t i m e t , a n d a s a r e s u l t , t h e c r i t e r i a s e t o u t i n S e c t i o n 9 T h e p a n e l t h e r e f o r e f i 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 o n t h e f a i l u r e 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 h i s E P w a w a s s u p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s m i n i s t r y ' s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n . · · ---_ _ _ _ , _ _ . , , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A P P E A L # I o n s s e t o u t i n t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s E P h a v e n o t b e e n o f t h e E AA h a v e n o t b e e n m e t b y t h e a p p e l l a n t . t o d e n y t h 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 d u e t o 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 a n d o f t h e a p p e l l a n t . T h u s , t h e p a n e l c o n f i r m s t h e _ , , _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___)
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.