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 J u n e 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 r e c 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 r y " ) i n w f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r u t i l i t i e s t o a v o i d a d i s c o n f o r g a s w e r e n o t u n e x p e c t e d , a s r e q u i r e d b y s e c t i o P e r s o n s w i 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 " ) . 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 b E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # : o n s i d e r a t i o n d 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 h i c h t h e M i n i s t r 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 n e c t i o n o n t h e b a s i s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s c h a r g e s n 5 7 ( 1 ) ( 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 f o r i li 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 o f F a c t s W i t h t h e c o n s e n t o f t h e p a r t i e s , t h e a p p e a l h e a r i n g 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 . · T h e A p p e l l a n t h a s b e e n d e s i g n a t e d a p e r s o n w i t h a s s i s t a n c e . T h e 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 • A c o p y o f a l e t t e r d a t e d J u n e 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 f r o m u n d e r s t a n d s t h a t b e c a u s e o f t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s o f f u n d s , s h e h a s b e e n u n a b l e t o p r o v i d e t h r g r e a t d e a l o f s t r e s s w i t h c o n c e r n s a b o u t h e r p u r c h a s e f o o d a n d t h e i m p a c t t h i s h a s o n h e e m p h a s i z e e n o u g h t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f d i e t a n • A c o p y o f a l e t t e r d a t e d J u n e 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 f r o m r e c e i v e d a k i d n e y t r a n s p l a n t i n A u g u s t 2 0 1 3 A p p e l l a n t ' s s t r u g g l e w i t h h e r f i n a n c e s " h a s l e s t r e s s , p o o r n u t r i t i o n a n d w o r r y a b o u t h e r t r a s u c c e s s f u l t r a n s p l a n t a t i o n . R e c i p i e n t s o f k i d i t c a n , i n t h e l o n g r u n , n e g a t i v e l y i m p a c t t r a n • A c o p y o f a F o r t i s B C n o t i c e o f d i s c o n n e c t i o n i n d i c a t i n g a b a l a n c e o f $ 4 3 2 . 5 6 d u e o n t h e a " p l e a s e p a y d i r e c t " ; • A c o p y o f a F o r t i s B C b i l l f o r t h e A p p e l l a n t d a N o v e m b e r 7 t o N o v e m b e r 2 5 , 2 0 1 3 . I n t h e p a $ 4 5 . 0 0 c r e d i t , a s w e l l a s " a d j u s t m e n t s t o e p a y m e n t a m o u n t d u e " o f $ 3 1 9 . 2 5 . T h e b i l l i n o f F e b r u a r y 3 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e b i l l a l s o i n d i c a t e s " • A h a n d w r i t t e n n o t e f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t d a t e d f r o m o n e l o c a t i o n t o a n o t h e r , F o rt i s B C a d v i s a n e q u a l p a y m e n t p l a n f o r 8 m o n t h s ; • A c o p y o f a F o r t i s B C n o t i c e o f d i s c o n n e c t i o n b a l a n c e o f $ 1 , 1 0 3 . 1 5 d u e o n t h e a c c o u n t ; a n • T h e A p p e l l a n t ' s h a n d w r i t t e n s u b m i s s i o n o n r " n o t h a v i n g h y d r o " w o u l d b e a n i m m i n e n t d a n m a k i n g h e r s i c k a s w e l l a s l a c k o f f u n d s f o r f o I n h e r N o t i c e o f A p p e a l d a t e d J u l y 2 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e A p p r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n b e c a u s e , w h e n s h e w a s o n r e c e i v e d a b i l l t h a t i n d i c a t e d s h e h a d a $ 4 5 c r e d i t a n o w i n g . " T h e A p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t s h e i s a t r a n s p l a n i s l e g a l l y b l i n d . S h e i n d i c a t e s t h a t s h e m o v e d i n w i t d i d n o t h e l p w i t h t h e b i l l s a n d n o w s h e i s d e s t i t u t e . T h e A p p e l l a n t a t t a c h e d a 3 p a g e h a n d w r i t t e n s u b m A p p e a l , t o g e t h e r w i t h a c o p y o f a F o r t i s B C n o t i c e o i n d i c a t i n a b a l a n c e o f $ 9 5 9 . 4 1 d u e o n h e r a c c o u n t E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # : w a s c o n d u c t e d i n w r i t i n g i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h s . d i s a b i l i t i e s a n d r e c e i v e s m o n t h l y d i s a b i l i t y i o n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s d o c t o r i n w h i c h h e i n d i c a t e s t h a t h e o u t s t a n d i n g b i l l p a y m e n t t o F o r t i s B C a n d h e r l a c k e e d a i l y m e a l s f o r h e r s e l f a n d " h a s s u f f e r e d a l a c k o f f u n d s t o p a y f o r t h e b i l l , i n a b i l i t y t o r m e d i c a l s i t u a t i o n " a n d t h a t h e " c a n n o t d r e d u c e d s t r e s s " ; a s o c i a l w o r k e r a t t h e h o s p i t a l w h e r e t h e A p p e l l a n t i n w h i c h t h e s o c i a l w o r k e r w r i t e s t h a t t h e f t m y c l i e n t w i t h a t r e m e n d o u s s t r u g g l e w i t h n s p l a n t e d k i d n e y . A h e a l t h y d i e t i s i m p e r a t i v e f o r n e y t r a n s p l a n t a r e c o u n s e l e d t o r e d u c e s t r e s s a s s p l a n t a t i o n " ; t o t h e A p p e l l a n t d a t e d N o v e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 2 c c o u n t w i t h a h a n d w r i t t e n n o t e o n t h e n o t i c e t e d J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 4 f o r t h e b i l l i n g p e r i o d f r o m a y m e n t i n f o r m a t i o n s e c t i o n o f t h i s b i l l , i t i n d i c a t e s q u a l p a y m e n t p l a n " o f $ 7 7 0 . 2 3 a n d " e q u a l d i c a t e s p a y m e n t d u e o f $ 9 6 2 . 1 8 w i t h a d u e d a t e t o t a l n e w c h a r g e s " o f $ 2 3 6 . 9 5 ; J a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 s t a t i n g t h a t w h e n s h e m o v e d e d h e r t h a t s h e w o u l d n o t b e a b l e t o g o b a c k o n t o t h e A p p e l l a n t d a t e d M a y 8 , 2 0 1 4 i n d i c a t i n g a d e c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n w h i c h s h e w r o t e t h a t s h e t h i n k s g e r t o h e r p h y s i c a l h e a t h a n d t h e s t r e s s i s o d . e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t s h e d i s a g r e e s w i t h t h e M i n i s t r y ' s t h e e q u a l p a y m e n t p l a n e v e ry m o n t h , s h e d " i t d i d n ' t s a y a n y t h i n g a b o u t a n y a m o u n t t p a t i e n t w i t h a n e y e d i s e a s e a n d a s a r e s u l t , s h e h a r o o m m a t e a t t h e u r g i n g o f t h e M i n i s t r y b u t h e i s s i o n d a t e d J u l y 1 6 , 2 0 1 4 w i t h h e r N o t i c e o f f d i s c o n n e c t i o n t o h e r d a t e d J u l y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e A e l l a n t a l s o i n c l u d e d w i t h h e r
s u b m i s s i o n s o n a p p e a l a c o p y o f t h e J u n e 1 7 , 2 0 1 4 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 h e r h a n d w r i t t e n s u b m t e s t i m o n y r e l a t e d t o h e r a p p e a l : • W h e n s h e w a s l i v i n g a t h e r p r e v i o u s a c c o m m p a y i n g $ 9 0 p e r m o n t h . W h e n s h e r e c e i v e d a $ 4 5 c r e d i t . " T h e A p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t " i f t h [ s h e h a s ] a n e y e d i s e a s e c a l l e d R h e t i n i t i s P i • W h e n s h e m o v e d f r o m h e r p r e v i o u s r e s i d e n s e e a b i l l f o r $ 9 5 0 " s h e w r i t e s t h a t d u r i n g t r o o m m a t e d i d n o t h e l p h e r w i t h t h e b i l l s a n d c o u l d n ' t . • T h e A p p e l l a n t i s n o w l i v i n g a t a n e w r e s i d e n p u t $ 5 0 0 o n i t . " T h e A p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t s h e a n d t h a t t h e r a t e s a r e i n c r e a s i n g a n d h e r d i s • T h e A p p e l l a n t h a d a k i d n e y t r a n s p l a n t i n A u g s h e h a s b e e n u n d e r a g r e a t d e a l o f s t r e s s o v m e d i c a l a p p o i n t m e n t s o n t i m e b e c a u s e s h e a n d s h e c a n ' t k e e p h e r b i l l p a y m e n t s o n t h e d o e s n ' t s e n d h e r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e o n t i m i n a b i l i t y t o p a y h e r F o rt i s B C b i l l r e s u l t s i n i m n o t b e a b l e t o c o o k o r p u t f o o d i n t h e f r i d g e . • T h e A p p e l l a n t r e f e r r e d t o t h e J u l y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 n a t t a c h e d , w r i t i n g t h a t s h e w a s s u p p o s e d t o p c o u l d n ' t m e e t t h e p a y m e n t s o t h e d i s c o n n e c T h e p a n e l a d m i t s t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s w r i t t e n t e s t i m o n y i J u l y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 F o rt i s B C d i s c o n n e c t i o n n o t i c e , u n d e r A s s i s t a n c e A c t a s w r i t t e n t e s t i m o n y a n d i n f o r m a t i o n M i n i s t ry a t t h e t i m e t h e d e c i s i o n u n d e r a p p e a l w a s m I n t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n , t h e M i n i s t r y n o t e s t h d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e o f t h i s , $ 3 7 5 i s s h e l t e r a l l o w a n $ 5 5 0 p e r m o n t h p l u s u t i l i t i e s . T h e M i n i s t ry a l s o n o t e A p p e l l a n t i n D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 t o r e e s t a b l i s h t h e A p p p a y m e n t s t o F o r t i s B C o n t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s b e h a l f . T h r e c e i v e d a $ 9 5 0 F o r t i s b i l l i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 4 . I n M a r s u p p l e m e n t t o t h e A p p e l l a n t o f $ 5 0 0 t o F o r t i s p l u s a d i s c o n n e c t o f t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s g a s a n d s e t u p p a y m e n A p p e l l a n t ' s b e h a l f . T h e M i n i s t r y n o t e s t h e A p p e l l a n t a c c o m m o d a t i o n a n d t h e d i r e c t p a y m e n t s t o F o r t i s w e n o t e s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t r e q u e s t e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e t h a t F o r t i s h a s i n d i c a t e d t h e e q u a l p a y m e n t p l a n m u A o o e l l a n t ' s u s a q e o v e r t h e o a s t 1 2 m o n t h s . E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # '. l e t t e r f r o m t h e s o c i a l w o r k e r t h a t w a s b e f o r e t h e i s s i o n , t h e A p p e l l a n t s e t s o u t t h e f o l l o w i n g o d a t i o n , s h e w a s o n a n e q u a l p a y m e n t p l a n h e r b i l l e v e r y m o n t h , " i t j u s t k e p t s a y i n g [ s h e ] h a d e r e w a s a b a l a n c e o w i n g [ s h e ] d i d n ' t s e e i t a s g m e n t o s a f o r w h i c h [ s h e i s ] l e g a l l y b l i n d . " c e t o h e r s h a r e d r e s i d e n c e , s h e w a s " s h o c k e d t o h e t i m e s h e l i v e d i n t h e s h a r e d r e s i d e n c e , h e r s h e w a s t r y i n g t o p a y t h e b i l l s h e r s e l f , b u t c e a n d h e r g a s b i l l i s s t i l l $ 9 5 0 a n d s h e h a s " s o f a r t h i n k s s h e i s j u s t p a y i n g i n t e r e s t o n h e r g a s b i l l a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e i s n o t i n c r e a s i n g . u s t 2 0 1 3 a n d , a s p e r t h e l e t t e r f r o m h e r d o c t o r , e r t h i s b i l l a n d t h a t f a c t t h a t s h e c a n ' t g e t t o h e r d o e s n ' t r e c e i v e h e r a s s i s t a n c e c h e q u e s o n t i m e d a t e s h e s e t w i t h F o r t i s B C b e c a u s e t h e M i n i s t r y e . T h e A p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t s h e b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e m i n e n t d a n g e r t o h e r h e a l t h b e c a u s e s h e w o u l d o t i c e o f d i s c o n n e c t i o n f r o m F o r t i s B C s h e u t $ 1 5 0 t o w a r d s t h e b i l l o n J u n e 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 b u t t i o n i s t h e r e s u l t . n h e r J u l y 1 6 , 2 0 1 4 s u b m i s s i o n , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) ( b ) o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d i n s u p p o r t o f i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t w a s b e f o r e t h e a d e . a t t h e A p p e l l a n t r e c e i v e s $ 9 4 1 . 4 2 p e r m o n t h i n c e a n d t h a t h e r s h e l t e r c o s t s a r e c u r r e n t l y s t h a t i t p r o v i d e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o t h e e l l a n t ' s F o r t i s B C s e r v i c e s a n d s e t u p d i r e c t e M i n i s t r y n o t e s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t s a i d s h e c h 2 0 1 4 , t h e M i n i s t r y p r o v i d e d a c r i s i s $ 2 7 0 r e p a y a b l e s e c u r i t y d e p o s i t d u e t o a t s d i r e c t t o F o r t i s o f $ 9 3 / m o n t h o n t h e m o v e d o n M a y 1 , 2 0 1 4 t o h e r n e w r e s t o p p e d b e c a u s e o f t h e m o v e . T h e M i n i s t r y n t o n M a y 2 1 , 2 0 1 4 t o a v o i d d i s c o n n e c t i o n a n d s t b e i n c r e a s e d t o $ 2 0 0 / m o n t h b a s e d o n t h e
PA R T F Re a sons f or Panel Decisi on T h e i ssue to b e decide d is wh e therthe Minis try's dec s u pple ment fo r ut i l i t i es to avo id a disconnect i on on t in se ction 57(1) (a) of the EA PWD R is r easonab l e. The crit eria t o b e app lied by the Minis try on a request 57(1) of the EAPWDR as fo l lo ws: (1) The m inist er may pr ovi d e a c ri s i s su pple ment t di s abi l i ty ass i s tan c e or hard ship assis tanc e if (a ) t h e family un it or a person i n the family un ex pense o r ob ta in a n i te m un expected ly n e eded a the item b ecause there are no resour ces av ailabl ( b ) th e mini ster c on s iders that failur e to mee t (i) immin ent dang er to the phy s ical he a l t h o S ub mi s si o ns The Appe ll a nt 's pos i tion is that she meets t h e e ligibili utili ties. In h er writte n s u b mis sions on a pp ea l, the Appellant a o ut st and ing a m ou nt ow ing t o F or t i s BC o n her bill, o sight . She writ e s tha t she was sho cked by the am oun that th e ro om mate s he had briefly did not he lp h er pay her outst anding amo unt o n her ow n. Sh e als o a rgu e s that fai l ur e to pay th e cr isis sup pl em en t to reco n nect her gas wi as she will no t be a ble to coo k fo od f or he rself or us inf ormation from her d octo r and he r soci a l wo r ker tha w h ich is h a r ming her hea lth. T he Appellant arg ues amount t o Fort is B C i n l ate Ju ne 201 4 and that sh e of t h e t i m i n g o f her d isability ass i st a n c e cheques from th Th e Ministry s tood b y it s re con sideration dec ision. acknowle dg ed that it was sa ti sfied th a t the Appellant does Fortis BC the outstanding amount and that failure to maintain her Fortis servic imminent danger to her health (the criteria set out in subs. 57(1 )(a) and (b)(i)). determined that t he Appellant's nee d f or the crisis s uppleme not u nexpected t he cr iteria set ou t in subs . 5 7(1 ) ( a). Appe llant a c ri s i s supplement of $500 in March 2014 to re-establish her Fortis BC services, with the e xpectatio n tha t the Appellant would a l so ma ke pa ym The Ministry notes that the Appellant move d on May 1, 2014, but her shelter costs of $825/month "are still way too high for a sole recipient" and crisis suppleme in crease the shelter all o wance when ongoing sh elter Decision In order to receive a crisis s u pplement u nder sec tion 5 three o f the criteria set o ut i n su bs. 57/1 \ -if the aoolicant does n EAAT 003(10/06/01) APPEA L # '. ision to de ny th e A p pell an t's re quest f o r a cris i s h e bas is tha t s he did n o t mee t t h e crite ri a set out for a cr isis suppleme nt are set o ut in sec tion o o r for a fam ily unit tha t i s eligible for i t requi re s the supp le men t t o meet an u nexp ected n d is unable t o meet the ex pense or ob ta in e t o the fami l y unit, and the expe n s e or obtain th e i te m will r esult in f any p e rs on i n the fam i ly un it ... t y criteri a to rec eiv e a cr isis supp l em e n t fo r rgued that s he di d no t see the nly that she had a $45 credit , and bl a me s h er eye t o f $950 du e to Fo r tis B C in February 2 014, bills , a nd she was trying to pay the becaus e she has h a d a k idney t ransplant , l l result in im mine nt dang er to her h ea l t h e he r ref rig e rat or. The App e llan t points to the t her financi a l situati on is c a using her s tres s, t h at she was una ble t o pay a pr e -a rr ange d has difficulty me eting her bill payments beca u se e Minist r y . In t h e reconsideration de cis ion, the Ministry no t hav e resources av ailable to her t o pay es may result in However, the Ministry n t for utilities to avoid disconnection was The Ministr y notes that i t provided the e nt s towards her outstanding For t i s BC debt. nts cannot be used as a way to costs are provi ng to be un manageable. 7of t h e E APW DR, an applicant must meet all ot meet o ne of the three cr i teria, the
APPEAL# : crisis supplement will not be provided. The panel notes that the Ministry had provided the Appellant a $500 crisis supplement for utilities for Fortis arrears and to avoid a disconnection in March 2014. Although the Appellant argues that she thought she had a $45 credit and did not see the amount owing on her Fortis BC bill, the panel notes that the Appellant was aware of the outstanding balance to Fortis BC of $950 by at least February 2014 as she states in her submissions on appeal that she was "shocked" by it. The panel finds reasonable the Ministry's determination that the Appellant has not established that the expense of her outstanding Fortis BC arrears is an unexpected expense as required by subs. 57(1 )(a) of the EAPWDR. The panel finds that the Ministry's determination that the Appellant did not meet the requirements of subs. 57(1 )(a) was reasonable, as the expense of the Fortis BC arrears was not unexpected. The panel therefore confirms the Ministry's reconsideration decision. EMT003(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.