PART C -Decision under Appeal Under appeal is the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation's July 29, 2014 reconsideration decision that the appellant was not eligible for income assistance because he ceased to participate in his employment program, thereby failing to meet the requirements of sections 9(1 )(b) and 9(4) of the Employment and Assistance Act. PART D -Relevant Legislation EAA Employment and Assistance Act, sections 9(1 )(b)and 9(4) EAAT003(10/06/01)
P A R T E S u m m a r y o f F a c t s 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 r y a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n t h e a p p e l l a n t i s a s o l e e m p l o y a b l e r e c i p i e n t w i t h n o a F e b r u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 3 n o t e f r o m t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s m e d i c a l r e a s o n s . " 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 n t o n M a a c k n o w l e d g e d i f h e d o e s n o t c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o n d i t i t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n t h e E m p l o y m e n t P r o g r a m o f B C ( E P o n M a y 2 8 , 2 0 1 4 E P B C r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t m e d i c a l r e a s o n s . o n J u n e 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 t h e a p p e l l a n t m e t w i t h t h e m i n i s t r e m p l o y m e n t p l a n ; t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s t o c o n t a c t E P B C E P B C r e p o r t e d o n J u l y 3 , 2 0 1 4 t h e y h a d c l o s e d t h e t h e a p p e l l a n t . T h e m i n i s t r y w o r k e r t o l d t h e a p p e l l a n t a 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 i n w h i c h t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d f i l l e d o u t n u m e r o u s r e p o rt s , h e w a s r e c o v e r i n g f r b l o o d p r e s s u r e , w a s r e c e n t l y d i a g n o s e d w i t h C O P D , s e e k i n g p s y c h i a t r i c h e l p . H e s a i d h e m i s u n d e r s t o o d p r o g r a m , w i l l a t t e n d a n d i s w i l l i n g t o g o b a c k t o w o r k T h e a p p e l l a n t f i l e d a n o t i c e t o a p p e a l o n A u g u s t 7 , 2 0 h e i s u n a b l e t o w o r k , d e p e n d s o n a s s i s t a n c e t o h e l p m e d i c a t i o n w i t h o u t i t . W i t h t h e n o t i c e o f a p p e a l w a s a n A u g u s t 7 , 2 0 1 4 M e d p h y s i c i a n , i n w h i c h h e d e s c r i b e d t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s m e d o s t e o a r t h r i t i s , w i t h c h r o n i c p a i n a s a s e c o n d a r y c o n d c o n d i t i o n a s m o d e r a t e a n d e x p e c t e d d u r a t i o n a s m o r c o m m e n t s o r c o m p l e t e t h e s e c t i o n r e q u e s t i n g a d e s c c o n d i t i o n s . T h e p a n e l d e t e r m i n e d t h e A u g u s t 7 , 2 0 1 4 M e d i c a l R e s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) o f t h e E A A , b e i n g i n s u p p o r t o f t h e r e c o b e c a u s e i t p r o v i d e d m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e m e d i 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 . E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )w a s d e p e n d a n t s . i c i a n s a y i n g " T h i s m a n i s u n a b l e t o w o r k f o r r c h 2 7 , 2 0 1 4 , i n w h i c h t h e a p p e l l a n t o n s o f h i s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n a n d t h e r e q u i r e m e n t B C ) , h i s a s s i s t a n c e w i l l b e d i s c o n t i n u e d . w i t h d r e w f r o m t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n p r o g r a m f o r y t o d i s c u s s h i s n o n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h h i s . i r f i l e d u e t o n o n c o m p l i a n c e a n d n o c o n t a c t b y h e w a s n o l o n g e r 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 . s t a t e d h e w a s u n a b l e t o w o r k , t h a t h i s d o c t o r o m a s t r o k e , a w a i t i n g h e a r t s u r g e r y , h a s h i g h a n d h a d b e e n m e n t a l l y u n a b l e t o c o p e a n d w a s t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s t o a t t e n d t h e e m p l o y m e n t w h e n h e i s a b l e . 1 4 r e q u e s t i n g a w r i t t e n h e a r i n g . H e w r o t e t h a t h i m s u r v i v e , a n d i s u n a b l e t o p a y f o r h i s i c a l R e p o r t 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 i c a l c o n d i t i o n a s h y p e r t e n s i o n , s t r o k e s u r v i v o r , i t i o n . T h e p h y s i c i a n c h e c k e d t h e o v e r a l l e t h a n t w o y e a r s , b u t d i d n o t m a k e a d d i t i o n a l r i p t i o n o f a n y r e s t r i c t i o n s r e l a t i n g t o t h e m e d i c a l p o r t E m p l o y a b i l i t y w a s a d m i s s i b l e u n d e r r d s b e f o r e t h e m i n i s t e r a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n c a l c o n d i t i o n s t h e a p p e l l a n t m e n t i o n e d i n h i 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 i s t h e r e a s o n a 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 h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t i s n o t 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 b e c a u s e h e c e a s e d t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n h i s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , f a i l i n g t o m e e t t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s o f 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 e c t i o n s 9 ( 1 ) ( b ) a n d 9 ( 4 ) . 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 A C T E m p l o y m e n t p l a n 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 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 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 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 . ( 3 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y s p e c i fy t h e c o n d i t i o n s i n a n e m p l o 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 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 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 t , i n t h e m i n i s t e r ' s o p i n i o n , w i ll a s s i s t t h e a p p li 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 ( 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 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 p a r t 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 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 ( 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 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 , t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . ( 5 ) I f a d e p e n d e n t y o u t h f a i l s t o c o m p l y w i t h s u b s e c t i o n ( 2 ) , t h e m i n i s t e r m a y r e d u c e t h e a m o u n t o f i n c o m e 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 p r o v i d e d t o o r t o r t h e f a m i l y u n i t b y t h e p r e s c r i b e d a m o u n t f o r t h e p r e s c r i b e d p e r i o d . ( 6 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y a m e n d , s u s p e n d o r c a n c e l a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . ( 7 ) A d e c i s i o n u n d e r t h i s s e c ti o n ( a ) r e q u i r i n g a p e r s o n t o 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 , ( b ) a m e n d i n g , s u s p e n d i n g o r c a n c e l li n g a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , o r ( c ) s p e c i f y i n g t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n i s f i n a l a n d c o n c l u s i v e a n d i s n o t o p e n t o r e v i e w b y a c o u r t o n a n y g r o u n d o r t o a p p e a l u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 7 ( 3 ) [ r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n a n d a p p e a l r i g h t s ] . A p p e l l a n t ' s P o s i t i o n T h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s h e i s u n a b l e t o w o r k p r e s e n t l y 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 n s . H e s a y s h e i s r e c o v e r i n g f r o m a s t r o k e , i s a w a i t i n g h e a r t s u r g e ry , h a s h i g h b l o o d p r e s s u r e , a r e c e n t d i a g n o s i s o f C O P D a n d h a s b e e n m e n t a l l v u n a b l e t o c o n e . H e s a v s h e m i s u n d e r s t o o d h i s r e q u i r e m e n t s t o a t t e n d E AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )
the employment program, that he will return to work when he is able. Ministry's Position The ministry argues that by ceasing to participate in his employment program, the appellant is not eligible for assistance under the terms of section 9 of the Employment and Assistance Act. The ministry says the appellant read, understood and agreed to the conditions of his employment plan, had conversations with the ministry about the consequences of non-compliance, and is not satisfied that the appellant did not understand the requirements to attend. The ministry says that although the appellant described multiple health issues and said his doctor filled out numerous reports, the only medical documentation provided at the time of the reconsideration decision was a February 18, 2013 note advising the appellant was unable to work for medical reasons. The ministry is not satisfied that the health issues prevent the appellant from attending the employment program. Panel's Decision Sections 9(1) and (4) of the EAA state to be eligible for income assistance, a recipient must comply with the conditions of the employment plan, and if the plan includes a condition to participate in a specific employment-related program, that condition is not met if the person ceases, except for medical reasons, to participate in the program. The appellant's position is that he ceased to participate in his employment program for medical reasons. At reconsideration the only medical information before the ministry was a February 2013 note from the appellant's physician saying the appellant was unable to work for medical reasons. Upon appeal the appellant submitted an August 7, 2014 medical report form, in which his physician lists the appellant's medical conditions as hypertension, stroke survivor, osteoarthritis, with chronic pain, describing the overall medical condition as moderate. However, the section requesting a description of restrictions relating to the medical conditions is blank in this recent medical report. As the appellant ceased to participate in the employment program and the medical evidence does not establish that the appellant is unable to participate in the employment plan due to medical reasons, the panel finds the ministry's determination was reasonably supported by the evidence and confirms the decision. EAAT003(10/06/01)
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