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 r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e S o c i a l I n n o v a t i o n ( t h e m i n i s t r y ) d a t e d 2 9 J u l y 2 0 1 4 t s u p p l e m e n t t o p a y h e r a p p l i c a t i o n f e e f o r C a n a d i a n a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t d i d n o t m e e t a l l t h e c r i t e r i a s e t o 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 i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n . a p p l i c a t i o n f e e w a s n o t r e q u i r e d t o m e e t a n u n e x p e n e e d e d a n d t h a t f a i l u r e t o p r o v i d e t h e i t e m w i l l r e s u l h e a l t h . T h e m i n i s t r y w a s s a t i s f i e d t h a t h e r r e q u e s t m a v a i l a b l e t o t h e f a m i l y u n i t t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e . 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 A A T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )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 D e v e l o p m e n t a n d h a t 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 f o r a c r i s i s c i t i z e n s h i p . T h e m i n i s t r y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e u t i n s e c t i o n 5 7 o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d S p e c i f i c a l l y , t h e m i n i s t r y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e c t e d e x p e n s e o r t o o b t a i n a n i t e m u n e x p e c t e d l y t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c a l e t t h e c r i t e r i o n t h a t t h e r e a r e n o r e s o u r c e s i l i 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 .
P A R T E S u m m a r v o f F a c t s W i t h t h e c o n s e n t o f p a rt i e s , t h e h e a r i n g w a s c o n d u c 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 e v i d e n c e b e f o r e t h e m i n i s t ry a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n 1 . F r o m t h e m i n i s t r y ' s f i l e s : • T h e a p p e l l a n t i s a s o l e r e c i p i e n t o f d i s • O n 0 7 J u l y 2 0 1 4 t h e a p p e l l a n t r e q u e s r e q u i r e d f o r h e r t o a p p l y f o r C a n a d i a n 1 0 J u l y 2 0 1 4 . 2 . 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 a p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t t h e f e e i n a w a y i s a n u n s i n c e t h e l a s t f e e , w h i c h w a s u n d e r $ 1 0 0 . S h f o r o v e r 2 0 y e a r s . H e r d i s a b l e d s o n w a s b o rn C a n a d i a n c i t i z e n s . W i t h h e r c u r r e n t d i s a b i l i t y t o a f f o r d t h e $ 4 0 0 f e e o r e v e n s l o w l y s a v e t o e x t e n t t h a t t h e i r m e a n s a l l o w t h e m t o , s i n c e h S h e g o e s o n t o w r i t e t h a t h e r c o u s i n a n d a u n s h e c o u l d n o t a f f o r d t o t r a v e l t o a t t e n d t h e i r m h a v e h e r C a n a d i a n s c i t i z e n s h i p . T h e s i t u a t i o n t h a t i t w o u l d b e r e a l l y g o o d f o r h e r i f s h e c o u l t h a t s h e a p p l i e s a n d i i i s h e r r i g h t s h e s i m p T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l i s d a t e d 1 6 A u g u s t 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 f o r m . I n a d d r e s s i n c r i t e r i o n , t h e a p p e l l a n t w r i t e s t h a t i n h e r 2 0 y e a r s i n m e n t a l a n d e m o t i o n a l h a r d s h i p a n d s t r e s s , w h i c h c o p h y s i c a l h e a l t h . S h e h a s b e e n e x i s t i n g i n s u r v i v a l m i n t o l e r a b l e a n d f o r h e r o w n s u r v i v a l s h e i s m a k i n g e n o r m a l c y t o h e r l i f e a n d t o t h a t o f h e r c h i l d r e n . S h e t h e m o s t i m p o rt a n t s t e p s t o a c h i e v e t h e s e n s e o f s t a c o u n t r y t o m o u r n w i t h f a m i l y w h e n c a l l e d o n , o r t o t a s h e w a k e s u p i n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e n i g h t w i t h p a n i c a c i t i z e n s h i p a f t e r s o l o n g ; t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f n o t b e i n g s t r e s s t h a t t h i s p l a c e s i n h e r l i f e a n d t h e l o v e o f h e r w o r r i e s a b o u t h a v i n g a h e a rt a t t a c k f r o m t h e s t r e s s b a l a n c e o f h e r s u b m i s s i o n g o e s t o a r g u m e n t ( s e e P I n a s u b m i s s i o n f o r t h e w r i t t e n h e a r i n g , d a t e d 2 6 A u I c a n n o t w a i t m o r e t h a n 2 1 y e a r s h e r e t o C a n a d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p a s I h a v e a s o n w h o C a n a d i a n c i t i z e n s a s w e l l . T h e r e i s n o p o C a n a d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p f e e i s $ 4 0 0 a n d n o b m o n e v f r o m m v w e l f a r e o a v c h e a u e b e c a u E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )t e d i n w r i t i n g p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 3 ) ( b ) o f t h e i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e . t e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o p a y t h e $ 4 0 0 f e e s c i t i z e n s h i p . T h e m i n i s t r y d e n i e d t h i s r e q u e s t o n d a t e d 1 6 J u l y 2 0 1 4 . U n d e r R e a s o n s , t h e e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e s i n c e i t h a s i n c r e a s e d a l o t e w r i t e s t h a t s h e h a s b e e n a C a n a d i a n r e s i d e n t i n C a n a d a a n d h e r t w o a d u l t d a u g h t e r s a r e a s s i s t a n c e o f u n d e r $ 9 0 0 i t i s i m p o s s i b l e f o r h e r p a y i t o n e d a y . H e r d a u g h t e r s s u p p o r t h e r t o t h e e r a s s i s t a n c e j u s t b a r e l y c o v e r s t h e b a s i c s . t i n h e r h o m e c o u n t r y p a s s e d a w a y a n d a l t h o u g h e m o r i a l s , s h e a l s o c o u l d n ' t g o s i n c e s h e d i d n ' t i s n o t h e l p i n g w i t h h e r d e p r e s s i o n . S h e s t a t e s d o b t a i n h e r c i t i z e n s h i p s t a t u s : i t i s l o n g o v e r d u e l y c a n n o t c o v e r t h e f e e . 2 0 1 4 . S h e a t t a c h e s h e r R e a s o n s h a n d w r i t t e n o n g t h e " i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o p h y s i c a l h e a l t h " C a n a d a s h e h a s s u f f e r e d t h r o u g h f i n a n c i a l , n t i n u e s a n d w h i c h h a s t a k e n t h e i r t o l l o n h e r o d e f o r s o m a n y y e a r s t h a t t h i s h a s b e c o m e v e r y l a s t e f f o r t t o b r i n g s t a b i l i t y a n d a s e n s e o f b e l i e v e s t h a t b e i n g a c i t i z e n o f C a n a d a i s o n e o f b i l i t y , e v e n i f s h e c a n n e v e r a f f o r d t o l e a v e t h e k e h e r d a u g h t e r s o n v a c a t i o n . A s i t i s r i g h t n o w , t t a c k s a n d w o r r i e s a b o u t n o t h a v i n g h e r a b l e t o a f f o r d i t b r i n g s h e r a n x i e t y . T h e a d d e d c h i l d r e n i s a f f e c t i n g h e r p h y s i c a l h e a l t h . S h e a n d s l e e p l e s s n e s s a r i s i n g f r o m t h i s m a t t e r . T h e 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 , b e l o w ) . g u s t 2 0 1 4 , t h e a p p e l l a n t w r i t e s : n o t h a v e c i t i z e n s h i p . I b e l i e v e I h a v e t o h a v e w a s b o r n i n C a n a d a a n d t w o d a u g h t e r s w h o a r e i n t f o r m e n o t t o h a v e C a n a d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p . [ T h e ] o d y c a n g i v e m e m o n e y . I c a n n o t s a v e t h i s s e t h i s m o n e y i s f o r f o o d a n d r e n t o n l v . T h i s i s
b o t h e r i n g m e a l l t h e t i m e a n d I f e e l d e p r e s o m e t h i n g u r g e n t h a p p e n s a n d I h a v e t o c a n n o t d o t h a t a s I d o n o t h a v e [ a ] C a n a d I n a s u b m i s s i o n d a t e d 0 3 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4 , t h e m i n b a c k g r o u n d s e c t i o n o f 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 o b t a i n i n g c i t i z e n s h i p a s t h e r e i s n o l e g i s l a t i o n t o e n a T h e b a l a n c e o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s s u b m i s s i o n w e n t t o a r p h y s i c a l h e a l t h " c r i t e r i o n ( s e e P a rt F , R e a s o n s f o r P T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n p r o v i d e d i n t h e s u b m i s s i o n b e f o r e t h e h e a r i n g r e g a r d i n g t h e p h y s i c i n f o r m a t i o n a n d 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 d e p r e s s i o n i n t h e 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 . A c c s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) 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 E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )s s e d a s I f e e l I a m n o t t h e s a m e a s m y c h i l d r e n . I f g o t o [ c o u n t r y o f b i r t h ] o r a n y o t h e r c o u n t r i e s I i a n p a s s p o r t o r a n y o t h e r p a s s p o r t . " i s t ry c l a r i f i e d a t y p o g r a p h i c a l e r r o r i n t h e t h e m i n i s t r y d o e s n o t p r o v i d e f u n d i n g f o r b l e t h e M i n i s t e r t o d o s o . g u m e n t r e g a r d i n g t h e " i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o a n e l D e c i s i o n , b e l o w ) . a p p e l l a n t ' s N o t i c e o f A p p e a l a n d i n h e r a l i m p a c t s o f t h e d e p r e s s i o n i s i n s u p p o r t o f t h e s i d e r a t i o n , a s i t i s f u r t h e r t o h e r m e n t i o n o f o r d i n g l y , t h e p a n e l a d m i t s t h i s e v i d e n c e u n d e r t .
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 w h e t h e r t h e m i n i s t r y w a s a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o p a y h e r a p p l i c a t i o n f e e f o r C a r e q u e s t d i d n o t m e e t a l l t h e c r i t e r i a s e t o u t i n s e c t i o n i s w h e t h e r t h e m i n i s t r y d e t e r m i n a t i o n s , w h i c h h e l d t a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r t o o b t a i n a n i t e m u n e x p e w i l l r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s e v i d e n c e o r w e r e 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 l e g T h e m i n i s t r y w a s s a t i s f i e d t h a t h e r r e q u e s t m e t t h e t h e f a m i l y u n i t t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e . T h e r e l e v a n t l e g i s l a t i o n i s s e t o u t i n t h e E A P W D R : 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 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 e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e i t e m b e c a ( 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 ) i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o ( i i ) r e m o v a l o f a c h i l d u ( 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 s u p p l e m e n t i s m a d e . R e g a r d i n g t h e " u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e o r i t e m u n e x p e m i n i s t r y , a s s e t o u t 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 , i h a v e i n c r e a s e d , t h e m i n i s t r y i s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e r e q i s n o t a n u n e x p e c t e d e x p e n s e , a n d a s t h e a p p e l l a n t c i t i z e n s h i p i s n o t u n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d . A s t o t h e " i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o p h y s i c a l h e a l t h " c r i t e r s u b m i s s i o n b e f o r e t h e h e a r i n g , i s t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e a C a n a d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p , t h e r e i s n o e v i d e n c e t h a t f a i l u d a n g e r t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s h e a l t h . T h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h w i t h o u t c i t i z e n s h i p s u p p o rt s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n t h c i t i z e n s h i p i n t h i s a p p e l l a n t ' s c a s e . T h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e a p p e l l a n t i s t h a t a p p l y i n g f o r C a n $ 4 0 0 i s u n e x p e c t e d , a n d t h a t t h e l a c k o f c i t i z e n s h i p s t r e s s w h i c h i n t u r n c a n l e a d t o s e r i o u s a n d e v e n l i f e E M T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )r e a s o n a b l e i n d e n y i n g t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r n a d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p b e c a u s e t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s 5 7 o f t h e E A P E D R . M o r e s p e c i f i c a l l y , t h e i s s u e h a t t h e a p p l i c a t i o n f e e w a s n o t r e q u i r e d t o m e e t c t e d l y n e e d e d a n d t h a t f a i l u r e t o p r o v i d e t h e i t e m i c a l h e a l t h , w e r e r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o rt e d b y t h e 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 . c r i t e r i o n t h a t 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 f o 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 t h e f a m i l y u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n n i t e m 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 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 f a m i l y u n i t , a n d i l u r e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e o r 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 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 t h e f a m i l y u n i t , o r n d e r t h e C h i l d , F a m i l y a n d C o m m u n i t y S e rv i c e A c t . . 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 t f o r t h e c t e d l y n e e d e d " c r i t e r i o n , t h e p o s i t i o n o f t h e s t h a t a l t h o u g h t h e c i t i z e n s h i p f e e a m o u n t m a y u i r e m e n t t o p a y a n a p p l i c a t i o n f e e f o r c i t i z e n s h i p h a s b e e n r e s i d i n g i n C a n a d a f o r 2 0 y e a r s , h e r i o n , t h e m i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n , a s s e t o u t i n i t s p p e l l a n t m a y f i n d i t s t r e s s f u l t o n o t h a v e r e t o o b t a i n c i t i z e n s h i p w i l l r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t a s b e e n l i v i n g i n C a n a d a f o r o v e r 2 0 y e a r s a t t h e r e i s n o t h r e a t o f i m m i n e n t d a n g e r w i t h o u t a d i a n c i t i z e n s h i p i s h e r r i g h t , T h e f e e i n c r e a s e t o a d d s t o h e r d e p r e s s i o n , c a u s i n g a g r e a t d e a l o f t h r e a t e n i n g i l l n e s s , s u c h a s a h e a rt a t t a c k .
Panel Decision The panel considers the "unexpected expense or item unexpectedly needed" criterion requires consideration of how sudden the need appears and how immediately it must be addressed. Put another way, one must consider how short the time period is for planning and making the necessary arrangements to meet that need. The evidence is that the appellant has resided in Canada for over 20 years and would have been eligible to apply for citizenship over the past many years. Given the length of time that the appellant has had to apply for Canadian citizenship and while the application fee may have recently increased, the panel finds that the ministry was reasonable in determining that the "unexpected expense or item unexpectedly needed" criterion has not been met. As to the "imminent danger to physical health" criterion, the appellant has provided no medical evidence -that is, documentation from a medical practitioner or other health professional -that her depression has led to increased stress and anxiety that is likely to lead to an imminent life-threatening situation, such as a heart attack, and that that this increased stress is directly attributable to her lack of Canadian citizenship. In the absence of such evidence, the panel finds that the ministry was reasonable in determining that this criterion has not been met. The panel notes, however, that even with such medical documentation she would still not meet the "unexpected expense or unexpectedly needed" criterion and would still not be eligible for the requested crisis supplement. Accordingly, the panel finds that the ministry's decision to deny the appellant's request for a crisis supplement to pay for the application fee Canadian citizenship is reasonably supported by the evidence. The panel therefore confirms the ministry's decision. EAAT003(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.