PART C -D ecisi on unde r A pp eal Th e dec ision u nd e r appeal is t he M ini s t ry o f Social Developmen June 6, 2 01 4 r e co n s i derati o n d ecision d e ny i ng t h e a util ities beca use t he mi nistr y f inds that info rm a ti on a ppell a nt req u ires a cri sis supp l e me n t to m e et an une unex p e ctedly neede d i n ac cord an ce wit h se c tio n 57 P ersons wi th D isab ilitie s Regul atio n (EAPWDR). PART D R el ev a nt Le gisla tion Empl oyment an d Ass i s tance for Persons with Dis abilitie EAAT003(10/06/01) : AP PFAI j/ t and Social I nno v ati on ( t he min istry) ppel la n t 's re que st f or a c risi s s upplement f or has not be en p r ov ided t o e stablish th a t the x pe c ted expense or ob t ain a n item that i s ( a) of the Em p loym ent and As sistan ce f or s Regu l ati on ( EAPWDR) se ction 57.
APPEAL# : PART E -Summarv of Facts The information before the ministry at reconsideration included the following: From ministry files: • On April 28, 2014 the appellant requested a crisis supplement for utilities and stated that she has an outstanding Fortis BC bill of approximately $6000, no confirmation is submitted. • This debt has been accumulating. Previously, on September 19, 2013 the appellant had requested a crisis supplement when her outstanding balance was $4750.23. • The ministry has been sending $280 per month since March 2012 from the appellant's benefits to Fortis BC. • The appellant's landlord uses electricity on the appellant's account for his workshop. The landlord was contacted to inquire if he could pay the outstanding balance and stated that he is on a fixed income and is unable to pay the bill. • On May 9, 2014 the ministry contacted Fortis BC who informed them that the appellant's equal payment plan has been cancelled and based on the appellant's usage her monthly utility amount would be $500-$600. • The ministry was informed by Fortis BC that the appellant's current bill was $7383.00 and the last payment, besides the monthly $280 from the ministry, was an additional $280 on April 24, 2014. Fortis BC confirmed that the appellant's hydro is still connected because her file is under review with the ministry for payment but utilities will be disconnected immediately after the 20 th business day if no payment or arrangements are made. A new 2 block rate is effective since January 2014: it is 9 cents up to 1600 kilowatts and 13.54 cents between 1600-2500 kilowatts. The previous flat rate was 10.56 cents per kilowatt. Fortis BC indicated that the appellant's file signals high each month and her bills have been high for the past couple years -some months $1000, $800 back in 2012. Nearly $5000 were outstanding before January 2014. • No disconnection notice and no outstanding bill from Fortis BC have been submitted by the appellant. In her request for reconsideration dated June 5, 2014 the appellant states that she disagrees with the ministry's statement that the expense is not unexpected, because Fortis rates continue to increase, and her income is fixed. She writes that the possibility of disconnection is stressful and detrimental to her mental health. The ability to cook, wash, bathe, do laundry, clean, and heat the home help her to maintain some stability in her life, and losing those abilities would be detrimental to her physical and mental health. In her Notice of Appeal dated June 24, 2014 the appellant states that she disagrees with the decision because a Fortis representative has told her that they only require $1000 payment, then $500 monthly payments which she will arrange to have paid directly from her cheques. This way she won't be disconnected. Further information was provided: The appellant provided a written submission dated July 14, 2014 stating that without this emergency assistance her power will be cut off this week. Not having power available to use in the home will be detrimental to her health, physical and mental, and cause a qreat deal of emotional stress. She is EAAT 003(10/06/01)
asking the m inistry to pa y $1,00 0 directl y to Forti s paym e n t s of $500.0 0/month, which is what she is paying now, and what Fortis has requested. The ministr y pro v ided a written submission dated July 29, 2 014 saying th at its submission will be P ursuant to sect i o n 22( 4) o f the Em ployment and Assista statements in her Not i ce of Appeal and her July 14, 2014 submissi inform a tio n that w as before the ministr y at reconsideration. details and background regarding the appellant's req EMT003(10/06/01) '.APPEAL# , so she can con t inue to have power while making i ts re c onsideration decision s ummary . n c e Act the panel admits th e appel lant's o n as being in supp ort of th e These state ments provide a dd i tio nal u e st for a crisi s supplement for utili ties.
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 u n d e r a p p e a l i s w h e t h e r i t w a s r e a s o n a 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 i n a c c o r d a n c e w t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e t h a t i n f o r m a t i o n a p p e l l a n t r e q u i r e s a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d ? T h e f o l l o w i n g s e c t i o n o f t h e E A R a p p l i e s t o t h i s a p 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 m e n t t o o r h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e i f ( 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 fa m i l y u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e 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 e x p e n s e o r o b f a m i l y u n i t , 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 t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e o r ( 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 c a l h e a l t h o f a n y p e r s o n i n ( 2 ) A c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t m a y b e p r o v i d e d o n l y f o r t h e c a l e n d a s u p p l e m e n t i s m a d e . . . . ( 4 ) A c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t p r o v i d e d f o r f o o d , s h e l t e r o r c l o t h i n g ( a ) i f f o r fo o d , t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t t h a t m a y b e p r o v i d e d i n ( b ) i f f o r s h e l t e r , t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t t h a t m a y b e p r o v i d e d ( i ) t h e fa m i l y u n i t ' s a c t u a l s h e l t e r c o s t , a n d ( i i ) t h e m a x i m u m s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n 4 o f S c h e d u l e A o r T a b l m a t c h e s t h e fa m i l y u n i t ; . . . ( c ) i f f o r c l o t h i n g , t h e a m o u n t t h a t m a y b e p r o v i d e d m u s t n o t ( i ) $ 1 0 0 f o r e a c h p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t i n t h e 1 2 c a l e n d a r s u p p l e m e n t , a n d ( i i ) $ 4 0 0 fo r t h e f a m i l y n n i t i n t h e 1 2 c a l e n d a r m o n t h p e r i o d ( 5 ) T h e c u m u l a t i v e a m o u n t o f c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t s t h a t m a y b e t h e a m o u n t c a l c u l a t e d u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 6 ) . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # '. b l e o f t h e m i n i s t r y t o d e n y t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t i t h s e c t i o n 5 7 ( a ) o f t h e E A P W D R ; s p e c i f i c a l l y , d i d h a s n o t b e e n p r o v i d e d t o e s t a b l i s h t h a t 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 m t h a t i s p e a l : fo 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 d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e o r s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n 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 m t a i n t h e i t e m b e c a u s 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 o b t a i n t h e i t e m w i l l r e s u l t i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t , . , , r m o n t h i n w h i c h t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o r r e q u e s t fo r t h e i s s u b j e c t t o t h e f o l l o w i n g l i m i t a t i o n s : a c a l e n d a r m o n t h i s $ 2 0 f o r e a c h p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t ; i n a c a l e n d a r m o n t h i s t h e s m a l l e r o f e 2 o f S c h e d u l e D , a s a p p l i c a b l e , f o r a f a m i l y u n i t t h a t e x c e e d t h e s m a l l e r o f m o n t h p e r i o d p r e c e d i n g t h e d a t e o f a p p l i c a t i o n f o r t h e c r i s i s p r e c e d i n g t h e d a t e o f a p p l i c a t i o n fo r t h e c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t . p r o v i d e d t o o r f o r a f a m i l y u n i t i n a y e a r m u s t n o t e x c e e d
( 6 ) I n t h e c a l e n d a r m o n t h i n w h i c h t h e a p p l i c a t i o n o r r e q u e s i s c a l c u l a t e d b y m u l t i p l y i n g b y 2 t h e m a x i m u m a m o u n t o f d p r o v i d e d f o r t h e m o n t h u n d e r S c h e d u l e A o r S c h e d u l e D t o a ( 7 ) D e s p i t e s u b s e c t i o n ( 4 ) ( b ) o r ( 5 ) o r b o t h , a c r i s i s s u p p l e m ( a ) f u e l f o r h e a t i n g ; ( b ) f u e l f o r c o o k i n g m e a l s ; ( c ) w a t e r ; ( d ) h y d r o . 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 m u n e x p e c t e T h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t s h e i s e n t i t l e d t o a c r i s i s B C F o r t i s i s u n e x p e c t e d ; F o r t i s r a t e s c o n t i n u e t o i n T h e m i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t F o r t i s B C s e r v i c e s a r e a n e v e r y m o n t h t o F o r t i s B C o n a n o n g o i n g b a s i s . T h e b a l a n c e o n h e r a c c o u n t w a s i n c r e a s i n g b e c a u s e s h t h e p a s t a n d h e r o u t s t a n d i n g b a l a n c e h a s c o n t i n u e n o t u n e x p e c t e d t h a t t h e o u t s t a n d i n g a m o u n t i n c r e a T h e m i n i s t r y f u r t h e r a r g u e s t h a t t h e i n c r e a s e i n F o r c o n f i r m e d : H a d t h e a p p e l l a n t c o n s e r v e d e n e r g y a n h a v e a c t u a l l y d e c r e a s e d b e c a u s e o f t h e J a n u a r y 2 p r e s e r v e e n e r g y . T h e p a n e l f i n d 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 t h a t s t h e i r s e r v i c e s o n a n o n g o i n g b a s i s a n d m a d e a p a y a n o n g o i n g i n c r e a s e o f F o r t i s r a t e s s h e p r o v i d e d n a f f e c t e d h e r . S i n c e h e r o u t s t a n d i n g b a l a n c e o n h e r a m o u n t o f $ 7 3 8 3 . 0 0 c a n n o t r e a s o n a b l y c o m e a s a a p p e l l a n t h a d b e e n d e n i e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t w h e t h e s e r e a s o n s t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y w a s r e a s o w i n g t o F o r t i s B C a r e n o t a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e F o r t h e s e r e a s o n s t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y ' l e g i s l a t i o n i n t h e 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 a n E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # : t f o r t h e s u p p l e m e n t i s m a d e , t h e a m o u n t u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 5 ) 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 n c e t h a t m a y b e f a m i l y u n i t t h a t m a t c h e s t h e f a m i l y u n i t . e n t m a y b e p r o v i d e d t o o r f o r a f a m i l y u n i t f o r t h e f o l l o w i n g : d l y n e e d e d : s u p p l e m e n t b e c a u s e t h e e x p e n s e s h e i s f a c i n g f o r c r e a s e a n d h e r i n c o m e i s f i x e d . o n g o i n g e x p e n s e : T h e m i n i s t r y i s s e n d i n g $ 2 8 0 a p p e l l a n t w a s a l s o a w a r e t h a t t h e o u t s t a n d i n g e a l r e a d y h a d b e e n d e n i e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t i n d t o a c c u m u l a t e . I f s h e f a i l s t o m a k e p a y m e n t s i t i s s e s a n d s h e w i l l r e c e i v e n o t i c e o f d i s c o n n e c t i o n . t i s B C r a t e s a s c l a i m e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t i s n o t d u s e d l e s s t h a n 1 6 0 0 k i l o w a t t s h e r r a t e s w o u l d 0 1 4 d e c r e a s e i n F o r t i s r a t e s f o r u s e r s w h o h e h a d t o p a y f o r F o r t i s B C b e c a u s e s h e u s e d m e n t i n A p r i l 2 0 1 4 . W h i l e t h e a p p e l l a n t s p o k e o f o d e t a i l s o n h o w t h i s i n c r e a s e a n d / o r d e c r e a s e a c c o u n t h a s b e e n a c c u m u l a t i n g o v e r t i m e t h e s u r p r i s e p r e v i o u s l y , i n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 3 t h e n h e r o u t s t a n d i n g b a l a n c e w a s $ 4 7 5 0 . 2 3 . F o r o n a b l e i n d e t e r m i n i n g t h a t t h e $ 7 3 8 3 . 0 0 s h e i s p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) ( a ) E A R . s d e c i s i o n w a 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 d c o n f i r m s t h e d e c i s i o n .
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.