[ APPFAI ii PART C-Decision under Appeal The decision under appeal is the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (the "ministry"} reconsideration decision of March 31''. 2014 wherein the ministry determined the appellant, who is a sole recipient of disability assistance with no dependants, is not eligible for disability assistance as set out in section 14(5) Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act (EAPWDA) because the appellant was convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada (CCC) in relation to obtaining money under this Act by fraud or false or misleading information which resulted in the ministry placing a lifetime sanction on her file as set out in section 14( 1) EAPWDA. PART D -Relevant Legislation EAPWDA sections 5, 14 EAA T003(10/06/01)
P A R T E S u rn rn 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 t h e t i m e o f r e c o n s i • R e c o r d o f t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s c o n v i c t i o n a n d s e n t e n • L e t t e r f r o m t h e m i n i s t r y t o t h e a p p e l l a n t d a t e d 2 h a s b e e n p l a c e d o n h e r f i l e ; t h a t s h e i s n o l o n g e t h e a m o u n t o f b e n e f i t s w h i c h s h e w a s n o t e n t i t l e t h e s e f u n d s t h r o u g h a c i v i l p r o c e s 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 t e d M a r c h 1 3 t h , T h e a p p e l l a n t h a s n o d e p e n d a n t s a n d i s a s o l e r e c i p i e n d e s i g n a t i o n . T h e a p p e l l a n t w a s c o n v i c t e d o f a n o f f e n c e m i n i s t r y b y f r a u d o r f a l s e o r m i s l e a d i n g r e p r e s e n t a t i o n . l e t t e r a d v i s i n g t h a t a s a r e s u l t o f h e r c o n v i c t i o n s h e w a s d e p e n d e n t c h i l d r e n a n d i s a s i n g l e r e c i p i e n t . T h e f o l l o w i n g d o c u m e n t s , w h i c h w e r e f a x e d t o t h e E m p 2 0 1 4 , w e r e a t t a c h e d t o t h e a p p e l l a n t s 2 n d A p p e a l A d j o u 1 . L e t t e r f r o m h e a l t h a u t h o r i t y a d v i s i n g t h e a p p e l l a 2 . N o t e f r o m a p p e l l a n t a d v i s i n g t h a t h e r l e g a l c o u n T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a i n e d i n i t e m # A d j o u r n m e n t R e q u e s t , d o e s n o t c o n t a i n i n f o r m a t i o n i n s t h e m i n i s t e r w h e n t h e d e c i s i o n b e i n g a p p e a l e d w a s m a s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) 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 c o n t a i n e v i d e n c e . 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 s h e i s c u r r e n t l y h a v i n g p i e d g u i l t y t o a c r i m i n a l c o d e o f f e n c e o f f r a u d . T h w a s f o l l o w i n g t h e a d v i c e o f h e r l a w y e r a n d t h o u g h t t h a t a p p e l l a n t t e s t i f i e d t h a t a t t h e t i m e s h e w a s r e c e i v i n g d i s h a s a s o n , h e i s n o t o n h e r d i s a b i l i t y f i l e a s a d e p e n d a n t t h e p a n e l s h e i n t e n d s t o r e p a y t h e f u n d s s h e r e c e i v e d . T s h e w a s i n a t e r r i b l e s t a t e , t h a t f o l l o w i n g t h e a d v i c e o f h w o u l d r e c e i v e p r o p e r c o u n s e l l i n g t o a s s i s t h e r w i t h h e r d a n d s h e f e l t 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 o d e c l a r e h e r i n g i v e n h e r c i r c u m s t a n c e s . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e o r a l t e s t i m o n y p r o v i d e d b y t h e a i n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e c o r d s t h a t w e r e b e f o r e t h e m i n i s t e r w h a d m i s s i b l e a s e v i d e n c e i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e s e c t i o n 2 T h e m i n i s t r y r e l i e d o n i t s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # : d e r a t i o n : c e f o r F r a u d u n d e r S e c t i o n 3 8 0 ( 1 ) C C C o n 2 0 1 4 -0 1 -2 9 . 0 1 4 -0 1 -3 0 a d v i s i n g t h e a p p e l l a n t t h a t a l i f e t i m e s a n c t i o n r e l i g i b l e f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e ; t h a t s h e m u s t r e p a y d t o r e c e i v e ; a n d t h a t t h e g o v e r n m e n t m a y c o l l e c t 2 0 1 4 . t o f a s s i s t a n c e w i t h a P e r s o n s w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s ( P W D ) u n d e r t h e C C C i n r e l a t i o n t o o b t a i n i n g m o n e y f r o m t h e O n J a n u a r y 3 0 1 \ 2 0 1 4 t h e m i n i s t r y s e n t t h e a p p e l l a n t a n o l o n g e r e l i g i b l e f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e i f s h e h a d n o l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e A p p e a l T r i b u n a l o n M a y 2 3 " \ r n m e n t R e q u e s t d a t e d M a y 2 2 n d , 2 0 1 4 : n t i s o n a w a i t i n g l i s t t o s e e a s p e c i a l i s t . s e l i s n o t a v a i l a b l e u n t i l t h e l a s t w e e k o f M a y 2 0 1 4 . 1 a b o v e , a t t a c h e d t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s A p p e a l u p p o r t o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a n d r e c o r d s t h a t w e r e b e f o r e d e a n d t h e r e f o r e i s n o t a d m i s s i b l e a s e v i d e n c e u n d e r A A ) . T h e p a n e l f i n d s i t e m # 2 , a s a b o v e , d o e s n o t u n d e r h o u s e a r r e s t c o n d i t i o n s o f h e r s e n t e n c e e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t a t t h e t i m e s h e p i e d g u i l t y s h e h e r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e w o u l d n o t b e a t r i s k . T h e a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e a s a s o l e r e c i p i e n t , a n d a l t h o u g h s h e . T h e a p p e l l a n t a p o l o g i z e d f o r w h a t s h e d i d a n d t o l d h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t w h e n s h e w a s i n c a r c e r a t e d e r l a w y e r , s h e w o u l d b e i n a s a f e e n v i r o n m e n t ; s h e i s a b i l i t y ( s ) ; t h a t h e r a s s i s t a n c e w o u l d n o t b e a t r i s k e l i g i b l e f o r a s s i s t a n c e w a s n o t a r e a s o n a b l e o u t c o m e p p e l l a n t d o e s c o n t a i n i n f o r m a t i o n i n s u p p o r t o f t h e e n t h e d e c i s i o n b e i n g a p p e a l e d a n d t h e r e f o r e i s 2 ( 4 ) E A A .
APPEAL# : PART F -Reasons for Panel Decision The issue under appeal is the reasonableness of the ministry's reconsideration decision wherein the ministry determined that the appellant, who is a sole recipient of disability assistance with no dependants, is not eligible for disability assistance as set out in section 14(5) of the EAPWDA because the appellant, was convicted of an offence under the CCC in relation to obtaining money under this Act, by fraud or false or misleading information which resulted in the ministry placing a lifetime sanction on her file as set out in section 14(1) EAPWDA. The legislation considered: EAPWDA Section 5 Subject to the regulations, the minister may provide disability assistance or a supplement to or for a family unit that is eligible for it. Consequences for conviction or judgment in relation to Act Section 14 (1) A family unit that includes a person who is convicted of an offence under the Criminal Code in relation to obtaining money, under this Act or the Employment and Assistance Act, by fraud or false or misleading representation is subject to the consequence described in subsection (5) for a family unit that matches the person's family unit for the lifetime of the person beginning with the first calendar month following the date of the conviction. (5) If a family unit includes (a) only persons described in subsection (1) or (2), or subsection (3) ii the minister has made a declaration under that subsection, the family unit is not eligible for disability assistance for the applicable period, and (b) one or more persons described in subsection (1) or (2), or subsection (3) if the minister has made a declaration under that subsection, and at least one other person, the amount of disability assistance, hardship assistance or a supplement provided to or for the family unit must be reduced by the prescribed amount for the applicable period. The ministry argued that on January 29 th , 2014 the appellant was convicted of fraud underthe CCC for obtaining money from the ministry by fraud or false or misleading representation and, in consequence of that conviction, the ministry placed a life time sanction on her file declaring that she was no longer eligible for disability assistance because she was a sole recipient of disability assistance with no dependent children. The ministry argued they have no discretion in this matter but to apply the legislation. The appellant argued that she cannot afford to be without disability assistance and fears that without the assistance she will end up back on the street living in the same fear that she did before. The appellant argued that she tried to obtain assistance from community service groups but was advised that it was too late that she should not have followed the advice of her lawyer and pied guilty to the CCC offence. In reference to section 14(1) EAPWDA-the legislation states that a family unit that includes a person who is convicted of an offence under the CCC in relation to obtaining money, under this Act or the Employment and Assistance Act, by fraud or false or misleading representation is subject to the consequence described in subsection (5) for a family unit that matches the person's family unit for the lifetime of the person beginning with the first calendar month following the date of the conviction. The evidence is the appellant is a single recipient of disability assistance with no dependants who was convicted of a CCC offence for fraud. The evidence is the ministry sent a letter to the appellant advising her that a lifetime sanction was being olaced on her file in accordance with section 14/1) EAPWDA and that she EAA T003(10/06/01)
w a s n o l o n g e r e l i g i b l e f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e a s s e t o u s h e s t a t e s t h a t s h e d i d n o t u n d e r s t a n d w h a t t h e c o n s e q d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e t o s u r v i v e a n d k e e p h e r o f f t h e s t r e T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t i o n s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 1 4 r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e m i n i s t r y t o f o l l o w t h a t t h e c o n s e q i f t h e f a m i l y u n i t o n l y i n c l u d e s a p e r s o n d e s c r i b e d i n s e f o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e f o r t h e a p p l i c a b l e p e r i o d ( l i f e t i m f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y h a s n o d i s c r e t i o n t o v a r y t h e s a n c t i o n T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s c o n v i c t e d o f a C C C o 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 o a p p l y t h i s l e g i s l a t i o n i s s u T h e r e f o r e , b a s e d o n t h e e v i d e n c e , t h e p a n e l c o n f i r m s t s e c t i o n 2 4 ( 2 ) ( a ) o f t h e E A A . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L # t i n s e c t i o n 1 4 ( 5 ) E A P W D A . I n t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s e v i d e n c e u e n c e s o f h e r a c t i o n s w o u l d b e a n d t h a t s h e n e e d s t o e t s . E A P W D A i s q u i t e c l e a r i n p r o v i d i n g s t a t u t o r y u e n c e f o r a C C C c o n v i c t i o n i s a l i f e t i m e s a n c t i o n a n d c t i o n 1 4 ( 1 ) E A P W D A , t h e n t h e f a m i l y u n i t i s n o t e l i g i b l e e ) a s s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 1 4 ( 5 ) E A P W D A . T h e p a n e l o n t h i s m a t t e r . f f e n c e f o r f r a u d a n d t h a t a s a r e s u l t o f t h a t c o n v i c t i o n p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e a n d w a s r e a s o n a b l e . h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 2 4 ( 1 ) ( a ) a n d
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.