Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction

Decision Information

Decision Content

APPEAL I PART C -Decision under Appeal The decision under appeal is the reconsideration decision dated July 7, 2014 in which the ministry denied income assistance to the appellant, pursuant to section 9 of the Employment and Assistance Act (EAA), for failing to comply with the conditions of his employment plan because of his failure to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in an employment related program and he did not have a medical reason to cease his participation. PART D -Relevant Legislation Emp loyment and Assistance Act (EAA) section 9 EMT 003( 10/06/01)
P A R T E S u m m a r v o f F a c t s 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 t h e t i m e o f r " A n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n s i g n e d b y t h e a p p e l l a t h e a p p e l l a n t t o a t t e n d a l l a p p o i n t m e n t s w i t h t a k e p a r t i n a n e m p l o y m e n t p r o g r a m . H e w a P S P . T h e p l a n r e q u i r e d h i m t o c o n t a c t t h e m r e a s o n . " A l a b o r a t o r y r e q u i s i t i o n f o r m i n t h e a p p e l l a n a t t e n d t h e l a b o r a t o r y f o r b l o o d a n d o t h e r t e s " A p a g e o f C a s e N o t e s f r o m t h e P S P i n t h e n f o l l o w i n g e n t r i e s : o D e c 1 3 , 2 0 1 3 , a p p e l l a n t a t t e n d e d o f f i o F e b 2 7 , 2 0 1 4 , u n a b l e t o c o n t a c t , t e l e p s h o w o M a r 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 , r e c e i v e d c a l l f r o m m i n i o M a r 3 1 , 2 0 1 4 , a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n o A p r 2 4 , 2 0 1 4 , a p p e l l a n t c a l l e d a n d m o A p r i l 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 , a p p e l l a n t a t t e n d e d m e o M a y 5 , 2 0 1 4 , a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d o M a y 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 , a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n m e s s a g e . o M a y 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 , u n a b l e t o c o n t a c t , l i n e o M a y 2 0 , 2 0 1 4 , t e l e p h o n e o u t o f s e r v i c o M a y 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 , s e n t f i l e t o m i n i s t r y . " C o m m e n t s w r i t t e n b y t h e a p p e l l a n t o n h i s R 2 0 1 4 . H e w r i t e s t h a t h e h a s b e e n s u f f e r i n g f r f a m i l y d o c t o r , a n d t h e w a l k i n c l i n i c s h a v e b e h i s P S P ) b u t t h a t h e h a s b e e n t o o s i c k . H e n 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 t h e 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 n o t i c e o f a p p e a l d a t e d J u l y 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 , t h e a p p e l l a n t g i v e t h e m i n i s t r y f o r t h e m t o m a k e a d e c i s i o n . H e a t h e h o s p i t a l f o r l o w e r a b d o m i n a l p a i n a n d t h a t h e i s A t t h e h e a r i n g t h e m i n i s t r y r e v i e w e d t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t h e a p p e l l a n t f r o m t h e t i m e t h a t h i s e m p l o y m e n t p l a w a s m a d e a w a r e , o n J u n e 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 , t h a n h e m a y h f o l l o w i n g t h r o u g h w i t h h i s o b l i g a t i o n s u n d e r t h e E P H e p r o v i d e d t h e l a b o r a t o r y r e q u i s i t i o n , h o w e v e r , i t d c o n d i t i o n a f f e c t s h i s a b i l i t y t o c o n t i n u e w i t h h i s E P o E A A T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L I e c o n s i d e r a t i o n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : n t d a t e d M a y 1 7 , 2 0 1 3 . T h e a g r e e m e n t r e q u i r e d a s p e c i f i c p r o g r a m s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r ( P S P ) a n d t o s t o c o m p l e t e a l l t a s k s a s s i g n e d t o h i m b y t h e i n i s t ry i f h e i s u n a b l e t o a t t e n d t h e p r o g r a m f o r a n y t ' s n a m e d a t e d J u n e 2 7 , 2 0 1 4 i n s t r u c t i n g h i m t o t s . a m e o f t h e a p p e l l a n t . T h e n o t e s i n c l u d e t h e c e f o r b u s t i c k e t s h o n e n u m b e r o u t o f s e r v i c e , f i l e r e t u r n e d a s n o s t r y , b o o k e d a p p o i n t m e n t f o r a p p e l l a n t M a r 3 1 . d s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t a d e a p p o i n t m e n t f o r A p r i l 2 8 . e t i n g , r e g i s t e r e d f o r w o r k s h o p s . a s s c h e d u l e d . d s c h e d u l e d f o l l o w u p m e e t i n g . U n a b l e t o l e a v e a l w a y s b u s y . e . e q u e s t f o r R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n f o r m d a t e d J u n e 2 7 , o m m a j o r m e d i c a l i s s u e s , h e d o e s n o t h a v e a e n b u s y . H e a d d s t h a t h e h a s b e e n s i g n i n g i n ( a t o w h a s a l a b o r a t o r y r e q u i s i t i o n . . A 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 , m p l o y m 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 . I n h i s w r o t e t h a t h e d i d n ' t h a v e a l l o f t h e p a p e r w o r k t o d d e d t h a t h e h a s b e e n g o i n g t o l o c a l c l i n i c s a n d w a i t i n g f o r r e s u l t s . t i o n d e c i s i o n i n c l u d i n g t h e d a t e s o f c o n t a c t w i t h n w a s s i g n e d o n M a y 1 7 , 2 0 1 3 . W h e n t h e m i n i s t r y a v e a m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n t h a t w o u l d p r e c l u d e h i m h e w a s a s k e d t o p r o v i d e s u p p o r t i n g d o c u m e n t s . o e s n o t s p e c i f y a n y m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n o r h o w t h e b l i g a t i o n s .
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 n t h i s c a s e i s t h e r e a s o n a a p p e l l a n t i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e , p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 9 f a i l i n g t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f h i s e m p l o y m r e a s o n a b l e e f f o r t s t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n a n e m p l o y m e n t r e a s o n t o c e a s e h i s p a r t i c i p a t i o n . S e c t i o n 9 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 s 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 c e o r 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 i s t e r , m u s t ( 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 p l o y m e n t p l a n . ( 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 m ( 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 p l o y m e n t p l a n . ( 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 l o 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 o p a r t i c i p a t 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 , r e c i p i e n t o r ( 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 n g p a rt 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 , t h ( 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 t s t o p a r t i c i p a t e t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . T h e a r g u m e n t o f t h e a p p e l l a n t i s t h a t h e m a d e a r e a h i s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n b u t d u e t o h i s m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o w i t h t h e P S P . T h e a r g u m e n t o f t h e m i n i s t r y i s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i p a r t i c i p a t e i n h i s 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 s r e h a v e a m e d i c a l r e a s o n t o n o t p a r t i c i p a t e . T h e m i n i s h i s o b l i g a t i o n s u n d e r t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n a t t h e s i g a p p o i n t m e n t s a s a g r e e d . T h e m i n i s t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h P S P w h e n h e f e l t t h a t h e c o u l d n o t a t t e n d h i s a p p o i I n c o m i n g t o i t s d e c i s i o n t h e p a n e l c o n s i d e r e d t h e a m e e t h i s o b l i g a t i o n s b e c a u s e o f h i s m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o a w a r e o f h i s o b l i g a t i o n s r e l a t i n g t o t h e e m p l o y m e n t w a s a n y r e a s o n t h a t h e c o u l d n o t p a r t i c i p a t e i n h i s a f i n d s t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y w a s r e a s o n a b l e t o r e q u e s t a d c o n d i t i o n w h e n t h e a p p e l l a n t i n f o r m e d t h e m i n i s t ry o E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 I )A P P E A L I b l e n e s s o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n t o d e n y t h e 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 A A ) , f o r e n t p l a n b e c a u s e o f h i s f a i l u r e t o d e m o n s t r a t e r e l a t e d p r o g r a m a n d h e d i d n o t h a v e a m e d i c a l t a t e s : 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 n t h e f a m i l y i n i s t e r , m u s t 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 r e q u i r i n g 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 t h a t , i n t h e d e p e n d e n t y o u t h t o 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 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 i n t h e p r o g r a m , 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 , s o n a b l e e f f o r t 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 n h e c o u l d n o t a t t e n d t h e a p p o i n t m e n t s h e m a d e d n o t d e m o n s t r a t e a r e a s o n a b l e e f f o r t t o q u i r e d b y h i s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n a n d t h a t h e d i d n o t t r y a r g u e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s m a d e a w a r e o f n i n g o f t h e p l a n y e t h e d i d n o t a t t e n d h i s e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t c o n t a c t t h e m i n i s t r y o r t h e n t m e n t s a s r e q u i r e d b y h i s E P . p p e l l a n t ' s a r g u m e n t t h a t h e f o u n d i t d i f f i c u l t t o n . T h e p a n e l i s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s p l a n s p e c i f i c a l l y t o c o n t a c t t h e m i n i s t r y i f t h e r e s s i g n e d e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e d p r o g r a m . T h e p a n e l d i t i o n a l s u p p o rt i n g d o c u m e n t a t i o n o f h i s m e d i c a l n J u n e 2 5 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e o a n e l n o t e s t h a t t h e
ap pellan t had misse d at lea st four appointments w did not i n fo r m the ministry t h at h e had a me dical con ministry was reasona b le to determ ine that the lab oratory supp or t to estab li s h a medical c ondit ion that w o uld obl igations u nd er the EP . The pa nel finds that the min i str y reas o n ably d etermined c o ndition of his e mp l oyme n t pla n an d ce ased to be because he failed to demon st ra t e rea sonab l e e f for purs uan t t o EA A section 9( 4) (a) and did no t ce ase to sect i on 9(4) ( b). T he pa nel fi nds that th e ministry's decision wa s a r in the circumsta nce s of t h e appe l l an t an d confi r ms EAAT 003( 10/06/01) I APPEA L 7 ith t he PSP between Feb ruary and June 2014 b ut d itio n u n ti l J u n e 25 . The p an el finds t ha t the re quisiti on fo rm doe s no t p rovide suffic i e nt p recl ude him f ro m fol lowing t hrough wi th his the a p pe l l ant did not c o m pl y wi th the eligib le fo r in c o m e assistance u nder s ecti o n 9 (1 ) t to part i cipat e in the e mplo y men t p r ogra m participat e due t o a med i c al rea so n pur sua nt t o eas o n able applicati o n of the applic a bl e e na ctmen t t h e d eci sion .
 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.