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 A p r i l 1 7 , 2 0 f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r a b e d b e c a u s e t h e m i n i s e l i g i b i l i t y r e q u i r e m e n t s s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) o f t h D i s a b i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n ( E A P W D R ) . S p e c i f i c a l l y , t h e u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e , t h e a p p e l l a n t u t i l i z e d a l t e r n a i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o h i s h e a l t h . 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 f o r P e r s o n s w i t h D i s a E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )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 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 e l i g i b l e t r y 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 d i d n o t m e e t t h e e E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e f o r P e r s o n s w i t h m i n i s t r y h e l d t h a t t h e r e i s n o e v i d e n c e o f a n t e r e s o u r c e s , a n d t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t f a c i n g b i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n ( E A P W D R ) s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 )
P A R T E S u m m a r v o f F a c t s W i 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 2 2 ( 3 ) ( b ) 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 ( E T h e d o c u m e n t a r y 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 • m i n i s t r y r e c o r d s s h o w i n g t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t r e c • a n X r a y r e p o r t d a t e d A u g u s t 1 9 , 2 0 1 1 w h i c h s c o m p l e t e c i r c u m f e r e n t i a l j o i n t s p a c e l o s s , m a r g i n a l s u b c h o n d r a l c y s t f o r m a t i o n i n k e e p i n g w i t h a d v a n c t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t i s e x p e r i e n c i n g p a i n a s s o c i a t e d w • a l e t t e r f r o m t h e a p p e l l a n t t o t h e ( l o c a l ) E m p l o y F e b r u a r y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 w h i c h i n f o r m s t h e m i n i s t r y t h a t w t h a t h e w i l l b e i n n e e d o f a b e d , a n d r e q u e s t i n g f i n a b e d . T h e a p p e l l a n t n o t e d t h a t h e h a s a m e d i c a l c o n t o r e s t a n y f l a r e u p s o f h i s c o n d i t i o n . O t h e r w i s e h e l e t t e r a r e t h r e e q u o t e s f o r b e d s r a n g i n g i n p r i c e f r o m • a r e c e i p t d a t e d F e b r u a r y 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 f o r t h e p u r c t h e a p p e l l a n t p a i d t h e b i l l b y m e a n s o f a V I S A c r e d • 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 d a m o v e d o n F e b r u a r y 1 5 , 2 0 1 4 i n o r d e r t o e x e r c i s e c d a u g h t e r , a n d t o m o v e i n t o s u b s i d i z e d h o u s i n g a n d d a u g h t e r . T h e a p p e l l a n t i n d i c a t e s t h a t h e k n e w t h a r e s t o f t h e s u b m i s s i o n w e n t t o a r g u m e n t ( s e e P a r t T h e a p p e l l a n t s u b m i t t e d a N o t i c e o f A p p e a l d a t e d A a p p e a l a r e l i s t e d i n h i 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 T h e m i n i s t ry p r o v i d e d a r e s p o n s e d a t e d M a y 2 8 , 2 0 p r o v i d e a w r i t t e n s u b m i s s i o n a s i t i s r e l y i n g u p o n t h E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A i I o 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 A A ) . e c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : e i v e s d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e a s a s i n g l e p e r s o n . t a t e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r i g h t h i p h a s " . . . o s t e o p h y t e s , s u b c h o n d r a l s c l e r o s i s a n d e d d e g e n e r a t i v e c h a n g e . " T h e r e p o r t a l s o n o t e s i t h t h i s c o n d i t i o n . m e n t a n d I n c o m e A s s i s t a n c e O f f i c e d a t e d h e n t h e a p p e l l a n t m o v e s o n F e b r u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 n c i a l a s s i s t a n c e t o w a r d t h e p u r c h a s e o f a n e w d i t i o n w h i c h r e q u i r e s a p r o p e r b e d t o s l e e p o n a n d i s s u b j e c t e d t o i n c r e d i b l e p a i n . A t t a c h e d t o t h e $ 9 6 3 . 1 7 t o $ 1 2 7 6 . 7 1 . h a s e o f a b e d f o r a t o t a l c o s t o f $ 4 4 8 s h o w i n g t h a t i t c a r d . t e d A p r i l 4 , 2 0 1 4 w h i c h s t a t e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t o u r t o r d e r e d p a r e n t i n g t i m e , t o b e w i t h h i s b e t t e r l i v i n g c o n d i t i o n s f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t a n d h i s t h e w a s m o v i n g t o a r e s i d e n c e w i t h o u t a b e d . T h e F b e l o w ) . p r i l 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 w h i c h s t a t e d t h a t t h e r e a s o n s f o r h i s o f A p r i l 4 , 2 0 1 4 . 1 4 t h a t a d v i s e d t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y w o u l d n o t e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n .
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 r e a s u p p l e m e n t f o r t h e p u r c h a s e o f a b e d b a s e d u p o n w a s n o t f o r a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e , a l t e r n a t e r e s o f a c i n g i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o h i s h e a l t h . S p e c i f i c a l l y , r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e , o r i s a r e a s 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 r e l e v a n t l e g i s l a t i o n i s t h e f o l l o w i n g : F r o m t h e E A P W D R : C r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t 5 7 ( 1 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y p r o v i d e a c r i s i s s u p p l e d i s a b i l i t y 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 ( a ) t h e f a m i l y u n i t o r a p e r s o n i n t h e u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n a n i t e e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e i t e m b e c a u s e a n d ( b ) t h e m i n i s t e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t f a i l u r e i n ( i ) i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e p h y s ( i i ) r e m o v a l o f a c h i l d u n d e r t h e I n h i 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 t h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t m o v i n g t o h i s n e w r e s i d e n c e b u t t h e h i g h p r i c e o f b u n e x p e c t e d . H e r e p o r t e d t h a t h e h a d b u d g e t e d t h e p a y i n g h i s m o v i n g c o s t s h e w a s l e f t w i t h f e w e r f u n d a p p e l l a n t s u b m i t t e d 3 q u o t e s f o r t h e p r i c e o f a n e w h a d t o f i n d a b e d f o r u n d e r $ 5 0 0 . H e t o o k a l o t o f t i m i n h i s s e a r c h b e c a u s e h e h a s s e r i o u s m o b i l i t y i s s u e 2 0 1 4 t o t h e m i n i s t r y , t h e a p p e l l a n t r e p o r t e d t h a t a f t e h a d t o g o t o t h e E m e r g e n c y d e p a r t m e n t a t t h e l o c a C o n s e q u e n t l y , h e p u r c h a s e d a b e d o n F e b r u a r y 1 9 c a r d . T h e a p p e l l a n t d i s a g r e e s w i t h t h e m i n i s t ry ' s d e w a s a b l e t o p u r c h a s e a b e d w i t h h i s o w n r e s o u r c e s b e p a r t o f o n e ' s r e s o u r c e s . A t 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 n o t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l a s a r e s u l t o f h i s m o v e a n d t h e r e f o r e t h i s c a n n o t b e a r g u e s t h a t h a v i n g p u r c h a s e d t h e b e d o n c r e d i t m e F i n a l l y , t h e m i n i s t r y n o t e d t h a t w h i l e i t a c k n o w l e d g e f o r a s u p p o r t i v e b e d , t h a t a s h e n o w h a s a b e d t h e r w i l l r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s h e a a p p e l l a n t h a d n o t m e t a l l o f t h e c r i t e r i a f o r a c r i s i s s E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L I s o n a b l y d e n i e d t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r a c r i s i s s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) o f t h e E A P W D R b e c a u s e t h e r e q u e s t u r c e s w e r e a v a i l a b l e , a n d t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t 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 i 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 i n t h e m e n t t o o r f o r a f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i s e l i g i b l e f o r n c e i f f a m i l y u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n m u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d a n d i s u n a b l e t o m e e t t h e t h e r e a r e n o r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o t h e f a m i l y u n i t , t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e i t e m w i l l r e s u l t i c a l h e a l t h o f a n y p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t , o r C h il d , F a m i l y a n d C o m m u n i t y S e rv i c e A c t . e d t h a t h e w a s a w a r e t h a t h e w o u l d n e e d a b e d i n e d s b o t h n e w a n d u s e d w a s c o m p l e t e l y c o s t s o f h i s m o v e v e r y w e l l b u t f o u n d t h a t a f t e r s t h a n i f h e h a d n o t m a d e t h e m o v e . T h e b e d a n d w a s a d v i s e d b y a m i n i s t r y w o r k e r t h a t h e e a n d e f f o r t t o s e a r c h f o r b e d s b u t h e w a s l i m i t e d s a n d n o i n t e r n e t a c c e s s . I n h i s l e t t e r o f M a r c h 7 , r h i s m o v e h e s l e p t o n t h e f l o o r f o r 3 -4 n i g h t s a n d l h o s p i t a l b e c a u s e o f e x p e r i e n c i n g s e v e r e p a i n . , 2 0 1 4 a t a c o s t o f $ 4 4 8 . 0 0 u s i n g h i s V I S A c r e d i t c i s i o n t h a t h i s r e q u e s t w a s d e n i e d b e c a u s e h e . H e a r g u e s t h a t " c r e d i t " c a n n o t b e c o n s i d e r e d t o l a n t w a s a w a r e t h a t h e w a s g o i n g t o r e q u i r e a b e d s e e n a s a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e . T h e m i n i s t r y a n s t h a t h e u t i l i z e d r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o h i m . s t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n , a n d t h e n e e d e i s n o i n d i c a t i o n t h a t f a i l u r e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e l t h . A c c o r d i n g l y , t h e m i n i s t r y c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e u p p l e m e n t .
APPEAL I Panel Decision The panel notes that the appellant is not claiming that the need for a bed was unexpected but rather that the high price of beds was unexpected. But the appellant claims to have carefully budgeted for the costs of a move and it is reasonable to expect that this would have included some provision for the purchase of a replacement bed. Moreover, the appellant was able to purchase a bed for under $500. Accordingly, the panel concluded that the ministry had reasonably determined that the appellant had not demonstrated that the need for the bed was unexpected. The ministry determined that the appellant had resources available to him because he was able to purchase the bed on credit. But buying on credit simply defers payment and does not demonstrate the possession of needed resources. The appellant is still responsible for the outstanding payment of $448. Accordingly, the panel concluded that the ministry was not reasonable in claiming that the appellant had demonstrated that he had adequate resources for the purchase of the bed. The appellant has a serious medical condition which requires that the appellant have a supportive bed to sleep on and to rest any flare ups of the spine or hip. The ministry acknowledges this medical condition. Having to sleep on the floor for 3-4 nights resulted in the appellant experiencing severe pain and having to visit the Emergency department at the local hospital. Nonetheless, the appellant has not specifically claimed that he had been in imminent danger to his health nor has he submitted any documentary evidence that the failure to obtain a bed would have resulted in imminent danger to his health. The only relevant medical record submitted by the appellant is the X-ray report of his right hip conducted on August 19, 2011. Moreover, the ministry has noted that the appellant now has a bed. Accordingly, the panel concluded that the ministry had reasonably concluded that there is no indication that failure to meet the expense would result in imminent danger to the appellant's health. Having reviewed and considered all of the evidence and the relevant legislation, the panel finds that the ministry's decision that the appellant was not eligible for a crisis supplement for a bed was reasonably supported by the evidence. The panel therefore confirms the ministry's decision. EAAT 003(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.