P AR T C -DECISION UNDER APPE A L T h e M i ni stry of S ocial Dev e l o pment and Soci a l Inn o vat 22 , 2 0 1 4 de term ined th e appe llant di d not qua l ify a s a beca u se the informatio n pro vide d d id not est ab lis h her barr ier th a t preclu d ed her from searchi n g or accep t i n g m e et all th e le gislative r equiremen ts set in section 2 (4) PART D -REL EVANT LEG I S LATI O N Employme nt an d A ssis ta nce R e gulat i on ( EAR), section 2. EfA102{05/06/17) I A P PEAi # i o n 's (the m i n ist r y) recons idera tion decision dated May pers o n with p ersistent mu l tiple barriers (PP M B) medi cal co n di tio n , other than add ic tion , p r e s e n ted a or c ontinuing emp l o yme nt and the r e fore she did n o t of the E mployment an d A s si stan ce Regu la tion.
P A R T E S U M M A R Y O F F A C T S T h e f o l l o w i n g e v i d e n c e w a s b e f o r e t h e m i n i s t r y a t t h e t i • T h e a p p e l l a n t h a s b e e n i n r e c e i p t o f a s s l e a s t 1 2 o f t h e l a s t 1 5 m o n t h s . • A J u l y 4 , 2 0 1 3 l e t t e r f r o m t h e m i n i s t r y c o a p p r o v e d f o r t h e P P M B c a t e g o r y a n d t h a • A m e d i c a l r e p o r t d a t e d J a n u a r y 9 , 2 0 1 4 o T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p r i m a r y m e d i c a l c o S e c o n d a r y m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n o f h o T h e a p p e l l a n t i s t r e a t e d t h r o u g h m o T h e c o n d i t i o n h a s e x i s t e d f o r y e a o T h e e x p e c t e d d u r a t i o n o f t h i s c o n o A d d i t i o n a l c o m m e n t s r e g a r d i n g t h o T h e m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n w a s d e s c r i o T h e f r e q u e n c y o f r e c u r r e n c e o f e o R e s t r i c t i o n s a t t a c h e d t o t h e a p p e p h y s i c a l , h e a v y w o r k . • A n u n d a t e d E m p l o y a b i l i t y S c r e e n i n d i c a t • 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 d a t e d h a d m o r e d a m a g e i n h e r b a c k , h e r d i s c s a n x i e t y , a n d s h e h a s b e e n o n P P M B f o r n o w b e d e n i e d w h e n h e r b a c k h a s g o t t e n m u c h d a m a g e f o r h e r t o b e a b l e t o w o r k . T h e m i n i s t r y r e c e i v e d a n u p d a t e d m e d i c a l r e p o r t r e g a r d o n M a y 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 t h e d a y f o l l o w i n g t h e c o m p l e t i o n o f t h e T h e u p d a t e d m e d i c a l r e p o r t , s i g n e d o n M a y 2 3 , 3 0 1 4 b y • T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p r i m a r y m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n i s c h r o o n s e t ) • S e c o n d a r y m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n : H y p o t h y r o i d i s m ( 1 • T h e o v e r a l l m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n w a s d e s c r i b e d a s m • T h e e x p e c t e d d u r a t i o n o f t h i s c o n d i t i o n i s 3 -6 m o • T h e m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n w a s n o t e p i s o d i c i n n a t u r e • R e s t r i c t i o n s a t t a c h e d t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s m e d i c a l c 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 n e 4 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e a p p e l l a n w a s n ' t a t t a c h e d t o t h e f o r m s , a n d t h a t i n a n y e v e n t , s h e a n x i e t y , w h i c h h a s w o r s e n e d d u e t o t h e r e c e n t d e a t h o f T h e m i n i s t r y a c k n o w l e d g e d t h e n e w m e d i c a l r e p o r t a n d t h e J u l y 2 , 2 0 1 4 W r i t t e n S u b m i s s i o n f o r A p p e a l . T h e p a n e l d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a d d i t i o n a l e v i d e n c e p r o v i d w a s a d m i s s i b l e u n d e r s . 2 2 ( 4 ) o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s r e c o r d s 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 a n d p r o v i d c o n d i t i o n s a n d c i r c u m s t a n c e s . T h e p a n e l d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a d d i t i o n a l e v i d e n c e p r o v i d b v t h e m i n i s t N o n M a v 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 , w i l l b e a d m i s s i b l e i n p a E I A 1 0 2 ( 0 5106/ 1 7 )i A P P E A L # m e o f r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n : i s t a n c e s i n c e F e b r u a r y 2 8 , 2 0 0 5 , h e n c e f o r a t n f i r m i n g t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d b e e n p r e v i o u s l y t a r e v i e w o f t h i s s t a t u s w a s r e q u i r e d ; b y t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n s t a t i n g : o n d i t i o n i s b a c k p a i n , u n s p e c i f i e d ; y p o t h y r o i d i s m , a n x i e t y , a n d a s t h m a ; e d i c a t i o n , w h i c h c o n t r o l s t h e c o n d i t i o n s ; r s ; d i t i o n i s 2 y e a r s o r m o r e ; e d u r a t i o n w e r e u n s u r e , c h r o n i c c o n d i t i o n s ; b e d a s e p i s o d i c i n n a t u r e d a i l y e p i s o d e s ; p i s o d e s w a s d e s c r i b e d a s n o t s u r e a b o u t t i m e . l l a n t ' s m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n a r e u n a b l e t o d o i n g t h e a p p e l l a n t s c o r e d a t o t a l o f 1 2 . M a y 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 , 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 h a s a r e d i s i n t e g r a t i n g , s h e i s e x p e r i e n c i n g a l o t o f o v e r 6 y e a r s s o s h e i s c o n f u s e d w h y s h e w o u l d w o r s e . S h e w r i t e s t h a t h e r l o w e r b a c k h a s t o o i n g e m p l o y a b i l i t y f r o m t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n o n M a y 2 2 , 2 0 1 4 . t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n , i n d i c a t e s : n i c b a c k p a i n ( a r t h r i t i s , s p i n a l s t e n o s i s , 2 0 1 4 9 9 3 ) , g a s t r i c u l c e r ; o d e r a t e ; n t h s ; ; o n d i t i o n w e r e : u n a b l e t o l i f t h e a v y o b j e c t s . t w r i t e s t h a t t h e r e w a s n e w i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t h a s a r t h r i t i s i n h e r s p i n e , b a d d e p r e s s i o n a n d h e r m o t h e r . e x p r e s s e d n o o b j e c t i o n s t o i t s a d m i s s i o n w i t h i n e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t i n h e r N o t i c e o f A p p e a l s i s t a n c e A c t ( E A A ) a s i t w a s i n s u p p o r t o f t h e e d s o m e m o r e d e t a i l s a b o u t h e r m e d i c a l e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n a n d r e c e i v e d r t u n d e r s . 2 2 / 4 ) . 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panel au thori t y a nd d irection on what additio nal ev idence support of the i n f ormation and records th at were before th was made. The new diagnosi s of gastr ic ulcer and the chang con d it i on to 3-6 mo nt h s from 2 years or more ar e not i n were before the m ini ster when t he decision bei ng appe i n for ma tion i s n o t a d mi ssible. EIA102{05!06/17) I APPEAL# is admiss ible; ad ditional evi de nce mu s t be in e ministe r when the decisi o n being appealed e in the exp ected duration of the medical supp ort of the i n formation and records that aled was m ad e, a nd acco rdingly, this
I APPEAL# PART F-REASONS FOR PANEL DECISION The issue under appeal is whether the ministry's decision that determined the appellant did not qualify as a person with persistent multiple barriers (PPMB) because the information provided that her medical condition, other than addiction, did not present a barrier that precluded her from searching or accepting or continuing employment and consequently not meeting all the required conditions set in section 2(4) of the EAR was either a reasonable application of the legislation or reasonably supported by the evidence. Section 2 of the EAR states the conditions necessary to qualify as a PPMB: 2 (1) To qualify as a person who has persistent multiple barriers to employment, a person must meet the requirements set out in (a) subsection (2), and (b) subsection (3) or (4). (2) The person has been a recipient for at least 12 of the immediately preceding 15 calendar months of one or more of the following: (a) income assistance or hardship assistance under the Act, ... (3) The following requirements apply (a ) the minister (i) has determined that the person scores at least 15 on the employability screen set out in Schedule E, and (ii) based on the result of that employability screen, considers that the person has barriers that seriously impede the person's ability to search for, accept or continue in employment, (b) the person has a medical condition, other than an addiction, that is confirmed by a medical practitioner and that, (i) in the opinion of the medical practitioner, (A) has continued for at least one year and is likely to continue for at least 2 more years, or (B) has occurred frequently in the past year and is likely to continue for at least 2 more years, and (ii) in the opinion of the minister, is a barrier that seriously impedes the person's ability to search for, accept or continue in employment, and (c) the person has taken all steps that the minister considers reasonable for the person to overcome the barriers referred to in paragraph (a). (4) The person has a medical condition, other than an addiction, that is confirmed by a medical practitioner and that, (a) in the opinion of the medical practitioner, (i) has continued for at least 1 year and is likely to continue for at least 2 more years, or (ii) has occurred frequently in the past year and is likely to continue for at least 2 more years, and (b) in the opinion of the minister, is a barrier that precludes the person from searching for, accepting or continuing in employment. The ministry argues that section 2(2) and 2(4) of the EAR apply in this matter. The ministry agrees that the appellant meets the requirements under subsection (2) as she has been a recipient of income assistance for at least 12 of the immediately preceding months, but not those of subsection (3)(a) as she has not scored 15 on the employability screen but onlv 12. Thus, the EIA102(05/06/17)
I APPEAL# ministry argues that subsection (4) applies. In the ministry's opinion the appellant's medical conditions and associated restrictions do not present a barrier that precludes her from searching or accepting or continuing employment as required in s.2(4)(b) of the EAR. In this regard, the panel will consider the ministry's written submission on the new May 23, 2014 medical report only where it refers to the admissible information, the restriction "no lifting of heavy objects". The appellant argues that new information (May 23, 2014 medical report) was not included in the information considered at the reconsideration and should have been. She argues that the arthritis in her spine is also bad, and her depression and anxiety have worsened since the death of her mother on May 30, 2014. The ministry determined that the appellant met the criteria set out in s.2(2) of the EAR. The appellant does not dispute the ministry decision determining that she did not meet s.2(3)(a)(i) of the EAR because she scored under 15 on the Employability Screen. The medical report of January 9, 2014 described restrictions as a result of her medical condition as, "unable to do physical, heavy work". This was supported by the new medical report of May 23, 2014 which states the restriction as "no lifting of heavy objects." While the appellant argues the arthritis in her spine is also bad and her depression and anxiety have worsened, the panel accepts there are many jobs that do not require heavy physical work or lifting of heavy objects. Thus, the panel determines that the ministry's decision that the appellant did not qualify as a person who has persistent multiple barriers to employment as the appellant's medical condition is not a barrier precluding her from searching for, accepting or continuing employment under s.2(4)(b) of the EAR, was reasonably supported by the evidence. Therefore the panel confirms the ministry's decision. EIA102(05/06/17)
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