I APPE AL # PART C -Decision u nder A p pea l The decision under appeal is the Ministry of Social Deve lo pment and Social In novatio n (Ministry) Recon si deration Decision dated April 23, 2014, which denied the A p pellant further income a ssi st ance d ue to non -compliance with her employ ment plan. S e ction 9 of the Employment and A s sistance A ct directs that a recipient must comply with the ter m s of an employment plan in order to maintain eligib ility f or income assistance. The Mi ni s t ry found that the Appell ant fail ed to make reasonable effor t s to attend or participate in an emp loyment-related program which for med part of her employm ent plan and denied her furthe r assistance. PA RT D R e levant Legi s l a ti on Em p loym ent and Assi stance Act (E AA) secti on 9 E AA T003 (1 0 / 06/01)
P A R T E S u m m a r v o f F a c t s T h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t i n a t t e n d a n c e a t t h e h e a r i n g . A h e a r i n g p r o c e e d e d u n d e r S e c t i o n 8 6 ( b ) o f t h e E m p l o y m I n f o r m a t i o n b e f o r e t h e M i n i s t r y a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n c l u A c o p y o f t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s E m p l o y m e n t P l a n , s i g a t t e n d a n e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e c o n t r a c t o r a n d t o 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 w a s u n a w a r e t h a t h e r a s s i s t a n c e w o u l d b e s t o p p r o g r a m , h e r s o n h a s a d i s a b i l i t y w h i c h m e a n s d i f f i c u l t t o a t t e n d e m p l o y m e n t s e a r c h g r o u p s . S a b o u t a f t e r s c h o o l p r o g r a m m i n g . A c o p y o f a R e f e r r a l f o r L e a r n i n g S u p p o r t S e r v i c t o a s c h o o l p s y c h o l o g i s t A c o p y o f a C a n a d a C h i l d T a x B e n e f i t a n d B C F A c o p y o f a S t u d e n t & I n s t r u c t i o n a l S e r v i c e s P e 2 0 1 4 . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e d i n h e r N o t i c e o f A p p e a l d a t e d A p r f o r t h e p a s t m o n t h a n d s h e h a s e x p l a i n e d h e r s i t u a t i o n d i f f i c u l t t o a t t e n d , t h a t s h e o f f e r e d t o p r o v i d e m o r e d o c t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n . I n h e r 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 s t a m t h e M i n i s t r y a t 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 e d t h a a s k i n g f o r d i f f e r e n t m e d i c a t i o n o r h e w i l l n e e d t o s t a r t a b y A D H D a n d h a v i n g a c h i l d w i t h a h i g h r i s k d i s a b i l i t y i s s t a r t e d k i n d e r g a r t e n a n d o n e w h o w i l l s t a r t i n S e p t e m b e s c h o o l s i x t i m e s a d a y . S h e s t a t e d t h a t p r o v i d i n g s u p p o h a s m a d e i t n e x t t o i m p o s s i b l e t o a t t e n d t h e e m p l o y m e n o f w o r k i n g a n d w o u l d l i k e t o w o r k . T h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d t h a t t h e r e i s a r e q u i r e m e n t u n d e r s e a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n i n o r d e r t o r e m a i n e l i g i b l e f o r i n c o m s i g n e d a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n o n O c t o b e r 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 r e q u i r p r o b l e m s , i n i t i a l i n g e v e r y s e c t i o n , a n d t h e c o n d i t i o n s w e M i n i s t r y w a s c o n t a c t e d b y t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r w h o a d v 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 c o n t a c t e d t h e M i n i s t p r o v i d e r i n o r d e r t o r e m a i n 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 w i t h t h e A p p e l l a n t , w h o s t a t e d t h a t s h e d i d n o t h a v e a p p a d v i s e d t h e A p p e l l a n t t o c o m p l y w i t h h e r e m p l o y m e n t p s t a t e d t h a t o n J a n u a r y 7 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e A p p e l l a n t c a l l e d t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r o n J a n u a r y 1 o . O n M a r c h 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 , t h A p p e l l a n t h a d n o t a t t e n d e d a n y a p p o i n t m e n t s . O n A p r i l h a d a n a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r o n A p r i l 8 . o f f i c e a n d s t a t e d t h a t s h e d i d n o t k n o w t h e l o c a t i o n o f t h a d d r e s s i s o n t h e E m p l o y m e n t P l a n . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t c h i l d . T h e M i n i s t r y a s k e d w h y t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e b u t d i d n o t r e c e i v e a n e x p l a n a t i o n . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L # f t e r c o n f i r m i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t i f i e d , t h e 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 . d e d : n e d O c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 , w h i c h i n c l u d e s a r e q u i r e m e n t t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n p r o g r a m m i n g a s d i r e c t e d . t e d 2 0 1 4 [ s i c ] , i n w h i c h 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 p e d d u e t o n o t b e i n g a b l e t o a t t e n d t h e e m p l o y m e n t s h e h a s t o p i c k h i m u p o n h a l f d a y s , m a k i n g i t e x t r e m e l y h e s t a t e d t h a t s h e h a s c o n t a c t e d a p r o g r a m t o s e e e s , d a t e d A p r i l 8 , 2 0 1 4 , r e f e r r i n g t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s c h i l d a m i l y B o n u s N o t i c e , d a t e d A u g u s t 2 0 , 2 0 1 3 . r m i s s i o n f o r R e l e a s e o f I n f o r m a t i o n , d a t e d A p r i l 1 0 , i l 2 5 . 2 0 1 4 , t h a t s h e h a s n o t b e e n a b l e t o p a y h e r r e n t t o t h e M i n i s t r y n u m e r o u s t i m e s . S h e s t a t e d t h a t i t i s r ' s n o t e s , b u t t h i s s e e m e d n o t t o b e t a k e n i n t o p e d a s r e c e i v e d A p r i l 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 , w h i c h w a s n o t b e f o r e t s h e h a s h a d s o m e i s s u e s w i t h h e r o l d e s t s o n ' s s c h o o l t t e n d i n g h a l f d a y s d u e t o h i s b e h a v i o r , w h i c h i s c a u s e d c h a l l e n g i n g . S h e s t a t e d t h a t s h e h a s a c h i l d w h o j u s t r ; t h e r e f o r e s h e h a s t o w a l k b a c k a n d f o r t h t o t h e r t f o r h e r c h i l d r e n a n d d e a l i n g w i t h h e r s o n ' s b e h a v i o r t c e n t r e a p p o i n t m e n t s . S h e s t a t e d t h a t s h e i s c a p a b l e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E A A t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f e a s s i s t a n c e . T h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i n g h e r t o 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 i f s h e h a d a n y r e e x p l a i n e d t o h e r . O n D e c e m b e r 6 , 2 0 1 3 , t h e i s e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t h a d n o t c o n t a c t e d t h e m . O n r y a n d w a s a d v i s e d t h a t s h e m u s t w o r k w i t h t h e s e r v i c e e . O n D e c e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 1 3 , a M i n i s t r y w o r k e r s p o k e r o p r i a t e c h i l d c a r e . T h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d t h a t t h e y l a n a n d 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 . T h e M i n i s t r y m a n d a d v i s e d t h a t s h e h a d a n a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h t h e e M i n i s t r y w a s a d v i s e d b y t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r t h a t t h e 1 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e A p p e l l a n t a d v i s e d t h e M i n i s t r y t h a t s h e O n A p r i l 2 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e A p p e l l a n t a t t e n d e d a M i n i s t r y e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r . T h e M i n i s t r y a d v i s e d h e r t h a t t h e i r e d t h a t s h e w a s h a v i n g d i f f i c u l t y f i n d i n g c a r e f o r h e r n d t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r w h e n h e r c h i l d w a s i n s c h o o l ,
I n r e s p o n s e t o q u e s t i o n s f r o m t h e P a n e l , t h e M i n i s t r y s t c a r e p r o b l e m s t h e y g a v e h e r a n o t h e r o p p o r t u n i t y t o a t t e p r o v i d e r w o u l d g u i d e t h e A p p e l l a n t t o r e s o u r c e s t o d e a i n t h e f i l e t o c o n f i r m t h a t . T h e P a n e l m a k e s t h e f o l l o w i n g f i n d i n g s o f f a c t : T h e A p p e l l a n t s i g n e d a n E m p l o y m e n t P l a n o n O m a k e c o n t a c t w i t h a n e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e p r o v i T h e r e i s n o r e c o r d o f t h e A p p e l l a n t e v e r a t t e n d i n 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 t h e m i n i s t r y w i t h a p r e c l u d e d h e r f r o m p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n h e r E m p l o y m E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L # a t e d t h a t w h e n t h e A p p e l l a n t a d v i s e d t h e m o f h e r c h i l d n d . T h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d t h a t t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e l w i t h b a r r i e r s t o e m p l o y m e n t ; h o w e v e r t h e r e i s n o n o t e c t o b e r 3 1 , 2 0 1 3 , w h i c h i n c l u d e d a r e q u i r e m e n t t h a t s h e d e r a n d p a r t i c i p a t e i n p r o g r a m m i n g a s d i r e c t e d . g t h e s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r . n y d o c u m e n t a t i o n t h a t s h e h a d a m e d i c a l r e a s o n t h a t e n t r e l a t e d p r o 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 i n t h i s a p p e a l i s t h e r e a s o n a b l e n e s s o f t h e M A p p e l l a n t f u r t h e r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e d u e t o n o n c o m p l i a 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 d i r e c t s t h a t a r e c i p i e n t o r d e r t o m a i n t a i n 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 n c e . T h e r e a s o n a b l e e f f o r t s t o a t t e n d o r p a r t i c i p a t e i n a n e m p l o y e m p l o y m e n t p l a n a n d d e n i e d h e r f u r t h e r a s s i s t a n c e . L e g i s l a t i o n E A A 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 e a s s i s t a n 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 t o d o s o b y t h e m i n ( a ) e n t e r i n t o a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , a n d ( b } 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 m ( 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 o s o b y t h e ( a ) e n t e r i n t o a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , a n d ( b } 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 m ( 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 i n a n e m p 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 o r d e p e n d e n t y o u t h 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 , w i l l a s s i s t t h e a p p l i c a n t ( 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 t i o n r e q u i r i 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 l a t e d p r o g r a m , ( a ) f a i l s t o 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 r ( b } 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 , ( 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 s u b s e c t i o 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 p r o v i d e d t o o r f o r t h 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 n c e l a n e m ( 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 n t e r i n t o a n e m ( b } a m e n d i n g , s u s p e n d i n g o r c a n c e l l 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 n s o f a n e m p l 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 o r e v i e w b y a [ r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n a n d a p p e a l r i g h t s ]. E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L # i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n d a t e d A p r i l 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 , w h i c h d e n i e d t h e n c e w i t h h e r e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . S e c t i o n 9 o f t h e m u s t c o m p l y w i t h t h e t e r m s o f a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n i n M i n i s t r y f o u n 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 m a k e m e n t r e l a t e d p r o g r a m w h i c h f o r m e d p a r t o f h e r 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 r e c i p i e n t i s t e r , m u s t p l o y m e n t p l a n . m i n i s t e r , m u s t p l o y m e n t p l a n . 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 c o n d i t i o n 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 n t r e l a t e d p r o g r a m , 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 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 y o u t h t o 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 p e r s o n 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 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 . 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 o f i n c o m e 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 a m o u n t f o r t h e p l o y m e n t p l a n . p l o y m e n t p l a n , a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , o r y m e n t p l a n 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 s e c t i o n 1 7 ( 3 )
I APPEAL# The Appellant's position is that the problems of dealing with a child with a disability have made it extremely difficult to follow through on the requirement to attend appointments with the employrnent service provider. The Ministry's position is that the Appellant did not disclose the problems with her child at the time she signed the Employment Plan and she did not attend any appointment with the service provider over the period October, 2013 to April, 2014, therefore she did not comply with the conditions of her employment plan. The Panel notes that the Appellant signed an Employment Plan, initialling every section. The plan required the Appellant to attend a first appointment with a service provider and to participate in their programming regularly and as directed, to work with the service provider to address any issues that may impact employability and to complete all tasks assigned. The evidence provided by the Ministry shows that the Appellant never attended her first appointment. The Appellant's explanation is insufficient to account for the inability to attend a single appointment in a five month period, nor did she ever advise the contractor if she was unable to attend, as required by the employment plan. The Panel confirms the Ministry's decision as reasonably supported by the evidence. EMT 003(10/06/0I)
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.