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 M i n i s t r y o f S o c i a l R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n D e c i s i o n d a t e d O c t o b e r 3 , 2 0 1 4 w c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r a b e d , u n d e r s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) o f D i s a b i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n b e c a u s e h e d i d n o t m e e t t h e 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 a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t h h i s o w n a n d t h a t f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n a b e d w i l l r e s u l t i n h e a l t h ; h o w e v e r , t h e m i n i s t r y f o u n d t h a t t h e r e i s i n s r e q u e s t e d i t e m w a s r e q u i r e d t o m e e t a n u n e x p e c t e n e e d e d . 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 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 ) , S e c t i o n 2 4 A P P E A L # I D e v e l o p m e n t a n d 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 ) h i c h h e l d 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 a 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 f o r P e r s o n W i t h c r i t e r i a a s s e t o u t i n t h e l e g i s l a t i o n . a v e a l t e r n a t i v e r e s o u r c e s t o p u r c h a s e t h e i t e m o 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 u f f i c i e n t i n f o r m a t i o n t o e s t a b l i s h t h a t t h a t t h 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 a b 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 . ( 1 ) ( a ) & ( b ) , 2 4 ( 2 ) ( b ) .
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 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 d a t e d S e p t e m b e r 1 a p p e l l a n t ' s a d v o c a t e d a t e d S e p t e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 a n S e p t e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 1 4 . A c o p y o f a n I n v o i c e d a t e d A u g u s t 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 f o r a b A c o p y o f a n u n d a t e d i n v o i c e f o r a d o u b l e m a t t r e s s i n c l u d i n g t a x . A c o p y o f a n i n v o i c e d a t e d M a r c h 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 f o r s t o r A c o p y o f a p r e s c r i p t i o n f o r m i n d i c a t i n g t h a t t h e a p p F e b r u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e l e t t e r 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 i n d i c a t e d t 2 0 1 0 a n d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t i s a q u a d r i p l e g i c , h a s l o o f t h e a b i l i t y t o i n t e n t i o n a l l y m o v e t h e m , a n d i s d i a g t h a t t h a t i t i s n o t u n c o m m o n f o r p a t i e n t s w i t h s e v e r e d i s s o c i a t e f r o m t h e i r e m o t i o n s a n d / o r t h e e v e n t s u n a p p e l l a n t ' s r e p o r t s t h a t h e c o u l d n o t c o p e w i t h t h e e t h e s i t u a t i o n h e w a s i n . T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s m e n t a l a n d e v i c t i o n . H e h a d t o l i v e i n h i s v a n f o r t w o m o n t h s f o a n d w a s a d m i t t e d f o r f i v e m o n t h s t o t h e h o s p i t a l f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t r e p o r t e d e x p e r i e n c i n g e x t r e m e s u i c i d h e l p l e s s n e s s a n d f e e l i n g o v e r w h e l m i n g l y d e p r e s s e d a y t o d a y . T h e p h y s i c i a n n o t e d t h a t t h e c r i s i s s u p a p p e l l a n t w i l l f a c e a n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o h i s p h y s i c c a n n o t s l e e p o n a f l o o r o r f o a m c u s h i o n a s h e h a s h i s w h e e l c h a i r , a n d h e c a n n o t l o w e r h i m s e l f o n t o t h s t a t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t n e e d s a p r o p e r b e d s o t h a u n a b l e t o m o v e o r a s s i s t h i m s e l f . T h e p h y s i c i a n a d h i s m e n t a l h e a l t h w i l l d e t e r i o r a t e f u r t h e r . T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s a d v o c a t e ' s s u b m i s s i o n f o r h i s R e q u d e t a i l s . T h e a p p e l l a n t : • g o t i n t o a v e r b a l a l t e r c a t i o n w i t h t h e c a r e t a k e h a r a s s e d t h e c a r e t a k e r w o u l d s h o w u p o n h i s p r o a n d a s a r e s u l t h e w a s e v i c t e d ; • i s a q u a d r i p l e g i c w h o s u f f e r s f r o m s e v e r e P T a n d o n e a s a a n a d u l t ; • w a s b e i n g v e r b a l l y a n d p h y s i c a l l y a b u s e d b y • w a s e x c e p t i o n a l l y v u l n e r a b l e , h i s m e n t a l h e a b e g a n t o s e p a r a t e h i m s e l f f r o m t h e w o r l d a r o u n d h i • e x p e r i e n c e s m o o d s w i n g s ; • c o u l d n o t c o g n i t i v e l y p r o c e s s w h a t w a s g o i n g I A P P E A L # c o n s i s t e d o f : 8 , 2 0 1 4 w h i c h i n c l u d e d a s u b m i s s i o n f r o m t h e d a l e t t e r 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 d a t e d e d a n d a c c e s s o r i e s , n o t o t a l i n d i c a t e d . / b o x , m a t t r e s s c o v e r a n d f r a m e t o t a l i n g $ 7 0 9 . 5 0 a g e r e n t a l w i t h a $ 2 0 0 b a l a n c e . e l l a n t h a s b e e n d i s c h a r g e d f r o m t h e h o s p i t a l o n h a t h e h a d b e e n t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p h y s i c i a n s i n c e s t s e n s a t i o n i n h i s a r m s a n d l e g s a s w e l l a s m o s t n o s e d w i t h s e v e r e P T S D . T h e p h y s i c i a n r e p o r t e d P T S D o r w h o h a v e s u f f e r e d s e v e r e t r a u m a t o f o l d i n g a r o u n d t h e m . T h i s l e n d s i t s e l f t o t h e v i c t i o n p r o c e s s a n d t o h i s d e n i a l o f t h e r e a l i t y o f p h y s i c a l h e a l t h h a s f u r t h e r u n r a v e l e d s i n c e h i s l l o w i n g h i s e v i c t i o n ; h e d r o p p e d d o w n t o 1 2 0 l b s . , t r e a t m e n t o f p n e u m o n i a . S i n c e l e a v i n g h o s p i t a l a l i d e a t i o n s , a s e n s e o f h o p e l e s s n e s s a n d d . H e i s h a v i n g s e v e r e d i f f i c u l t i e s c a r r y i n g o n f r o m p l e m e n t i s n e c e s s a r y a n d t h a t w i t h o u t i t , t h e a l s a f e t y . T h e a p p e l l a n t w i l l b e u n a b l e t o s l e e p , l i t t l e t o n o a b i l i t y t o m o v e , i s e f f e c t i v e l y c o n f i n e d t o e g r o u n d n o r r a i s e h i m s e l f b a c k u p . T h e p h y s i c i a n t h e d o e s n o t f i n d h i m s e l f s t u c k o n t h e f l o o r , d e d t h a t i f t h e a p p e l l a n t d o e s n ' t r e c e i v e a n e w b e d e s t F o r R e c o n s i d e r a t i o n p r o v i d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g r o f h i s h o u s i n g u n i t a s h e f e l t h e w a s b e i n g p e r t y w i t h o u t n o t i c e a t s t r a n g e h o u r s o f t h e d a y S D a f t e r w i t n e s s i n g 2 m u r d e r s o n e a s a c h i l d h i s s o n w h o w a s l i v i n g w i t h h i m p r i o r t o e v i c t i o n ; l t h f r a g i l e a n d e m o t i o n a l l y o v e r w h e l m e d a n d h e m a n d s h u t d o w n ; o n d u r i n g t h e e v i c t i o n p r o c e s s a n d p l a n f o r w h a t
I APPEAL# to do next or communicate effectively with other people and seek assistance; • could not strategize how best to pack and move all of his possessions; • was able to move some of the smaller possessions into storage and loss larger possessions; • lived in his van for 2 months without resources until being admitted to the hospital for severe pneumonia where he was kept for 5 months; and • upon leaving the hospital was able to borrow a bed from a community organization which was subject to return on September 30, 2014. The appellant's advocate's submission dated November 12, 2014 has gone to argument. The appellant testified that he had lived at the residence he was evicted from for 20 years and basically had one hour to move out. He stated that the landlord showed up with 2 guys who moved the appellant's things into a pre-arranged storage space which did not have enough room for large items including his bed. The appellant believed that that the items that were left behind were thrown out as he was never contacted by anyone about them. The appellant in response to a question stated that when he attended the ministry office to request a bed, he did not speak with a case worker. The ministry representative testified that the ministry cannot apply individual circumstances to a decision for a crisis supplement as that would lead to inconsistencies in applying the Regulations and difficulties with training workers. The ministry representative testified that the same set of objective criteria must be applied to all applicants, and it cannot use a subjective test; that is it cannot assess each individual's need based on factors unique to that applicant. The ministry representative indicated that there are other supplements to cover Persons With Disabilities needs and that a crisis supplement is not intended to meet such situations. The ministry also has no discretion to take a word such as "unexpected" and make it fit in a situation. The common usage is about fairness and consistent application. The ministry representative also noted that that a crisis supplement may be provided only for the calendar month in which the request was made. Chronology of Events On July 11, 2013, the appellant advised the ministry that he was being evicted for violating the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA). On August 12, 2013, the appellant requested a moving supplement and indicated that his belongings were in storage. He was determined ineligible. On December 30, 2013, the ministry was advised that the appellant was residing in the hospital since September 12, 2013. An overpayment was then added to his file as he was only eligible for comforts. On February 21, 2014, the hospital social worker advised the ministry that the appellant had discharged himself from the hospital and would request to collect full support funds. The appellant used those support payments to pay his outstanding storage locker fees so he wouldn't lose his belongings. On March 6, 2014, the appellant requested a moving supplement which was denied along with coveraqe of his storaqe locker fees.
O n M a r c h 1 0 , 2 0 1 4 , $ 2 0 0 o f t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s s u p p o r t o p a y f o r h i s o u t s t a n d i n g s t o r a g e f e e s a n d h i s i t e m a c c o m m o d a t i o n .I A P P E A L # t w a s s e n t b y t h e m i n i s t r y t o t h e s t o r a g e c o m p a n y s w e r e m o v e d o u t o f s t o r a g e i n t o h i s n e w
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 ' s d f o r a b e d , o n t h e b a s i s t h a t h e d i d n o t m e e t a l l t h e l 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 t h e e v i d e n c e o r 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 R e l e v a n t L e g i s l a t i o n E A A D e c i s i o n o f P a n e l 2 4 ( 1 ) A f t e r h o l d i n g t h e h e a r i n g r e q u i r e d u n d e r s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 3 d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r t h e d e c i s i o n b e i n g a p p e a l e d i s , a s a p p l i c a ( a ) r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o rt e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e , o r ( b ) 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 a p p l i c a b l e e n a c t m e n t i n t h ( 2 ) F o r a d e c i s i o n r e f e r r e d t o i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 ) , t h e p a n e l m u s ( b ) o t h e r w i s e , r e s c i n d t h e d e c i s i o n , a n d i f t h e d e c i s i o n o f t h e t t o a m o u n t , r e f e r t h e f u r t h e r d e c i s i o n b a c k t o t h e m i n i s t e r . E A P W D R C r i s i s S u p p l e m e n t s 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 f 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 f a m i l y u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e s 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 t h e 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 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 ( i i ) r e m o v a l o f a c h i l ( 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 r s u p p l e m e n t i s m a d e . ( 3 ) A c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t m a y n o t b e p r o v i d e d f o r t h e p u r p o s e ( a ) a s u p p l e m e n t d e s c r i b e d i n S c h e d u l e C , o r ( b ) a n y o t h e r h e a l t h c a r e g o o d s o r s e r v i c e s . ( 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 f o 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 a ( 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 ( i ) t h e f a 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 e t h e f a 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 e ( 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 m s u p p l e m e n t , a n d ( i i ) $ 4 0 0 f o r 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 m o n t h p e r i o d p A s 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 a p p e l l a n t h a s m e h a v i n g a l t e r n a t e r e s o u r c e s t o p u r c h a s e a b e d a 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 h e a s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) ( a ) w h e t h e r t h e i t e m w a s u n e x p e c t e w a s n o t m e t b y t h e a p p e l l a n t . 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 u T h e m i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n i s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t l e f t b e h i a n d t h e b e d h e c u r r e n t l y u s e s i s b o r r o w e d f r o m a c o A P P E A L # I e c i s i o n t o d e n y t h e a p p e l l a n t a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t e g i s l a t e d c r i t e r i a p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) o f t h e b i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n , w a s r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o r t e d b 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 . ) [ p a n e l s o f t h e t r i b u n a l t o c o n d u c t a p p e a l s ] , t h e p a n e l m u s t b l e , e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e p e r s o n a p p e a l i n g t h e d e c i s i o n . t r i b u n a l c a n n o t b e i m p l e m e n t e d w i t h o u t a f u r t h e r d e c i s i o n a s 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 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 b 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 o b t a i n t h e i t e m w i l l r e s u l t ( 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 d u 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 r v i c e A c t . 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 o f o b t a i n i n g 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 : 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 ; 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 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 m a t c h e s x c e e d t h e s m a l l e r o f 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 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 s u p p l e m e n t . t t h e l e g i s l a t i v e c r i t e r i a o f s e c t i o n 5 7 ( 1 ) ( a , b ) ; n o t d t h a t f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n a b e d w o u l d r e s u l t i n l t h , t h e p a n e l w i l l c o n s i d e r t h e r e m a i n i n g c r i t e r i o n d l y n e e d e d , w h i c h t h e m i n i s t r y h a s c o n c l u d e d n e x p e c t e d l y n e e d e d n d h i s b e d w h e n h e l e ft h i s r e s i d e n c e i n J u l y 2 0 1 3 m m u n i t y a Q e n c y a n d w a s u n d e r s t o o d b y t h e
I APPEAL# appellant not to be a permanent solution. The minister is not satisfied that the information reported by the appellant's physician establishes that the appellant's need for a bed was unexpected. Therefore, since the appellant has not owned a bed since July 2013, a bed is no longer considered an unexpected need and the ministry has determined that the criterion has not been met. The appellant's advocate argues that: • the appellant's PTSD dissociates him from his emotions and/or events unfolding around him which is why the appellant could not cope with the eviction process and to the reality of the situation he was in; • the appellant's trauma of being abused by his son caused �im to lash out at the caretaker who he felt was harassing him and he felt emotionally overwhelmed and it felt like another person trying to bully him; • the appellant was unexpectedly told to vacate the premises and was unable to physically pack his bed and mentally could not think what the consequences of not taking it right then and there would be; • the appellant knew that borrowing a bed from the community agency was not a permanent solution; however, when he received a notice from the community agency that the bed was due back at the end of September, the appellant then asked the ministry for a bed and submitted quotes for beds at their request; • the appellant's severe depression was exacerbated by his failure to get a bed and he attempted to commit suicide after finding out he was denied a Crisis Supplement; • the legislature had a benevolent purpose in mind when drafting the EAPWDA; • the legislation EAPWDR section 57(1)(a) is to support people like the appellant where they find themselves in a situation to face an expense that they could not foresee, require assistance because there is nowhere else to turn and face a threat to their physical being if they do not receive assistance; • when determining whether a need is "unexpected", consideration must be given to the person's disabilities, and what is expected for them -there is no definition of "unexpected" in the Act or Regulations; • the Court in Hudson accorded with the Interpretation Act, section 8 confirmed that every enactment must be considered remedial and given "such fair, large and liberal construction and interpretation as best ensures the attainment of its objects" ; • the ministry unreasonably concluded that the length of time between the appellant's initial unexpected need and the present date changes the need's unexpectedness; • the ministry failed to adequately consider the appellant's cognitive abilities and the specific context of the appellant that his need for a bed was not one long, continuous unexpected need between July 2013 and September 2014 rather he faced an unexpected need each time he found himself without a bed and in need of one; and • section 24(1) of the Employment and Assistance Act refers to the decision being appealed is, as applicable "a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the circumstances of the person appealing the decision". The panel finds that although the appellant testified that he understood that his borrowed bed from a community resource was not a permanent solution, it was only when he unexpectedly received their letter on August 15, 2014 advising that he had to return the bed by the end of September 2014 that he realized he needed a bed and immediately approached the ministry for help. While the panel acknowledges that the ministry must treat people consistently and does not have discretion to make a
I APPEAL# word fit in a situation, the panel finds that the appellant who has been a recipient of disability assistance since 1991 and according to his medical practitioner has "effectively dissociated from the world around him and the predicament he was in" does not speak to the average person. The evidence establishes that the appellant was evicted with short notice, lived in his vehicle for 2 months until he presented at the hospital with pneumonia where he remained for 5 months. Upon discharge the appellant found accommodation and was lent a bed from a community agency. Only when the community agency formally notified him that they would require the return of the bed did the appellant find himself with an unexpected expense. The panel finds that in the circumstances of the appellant, with consideration for the medical evidence that implies his inability to plan for the future and understand consequences of not doing so, that the ministry unreasonably determined that the appellant did not meet the legislated requirement of meeting an unexpected expense. The panel finds that the ministry was unreasonable in the application of the legislation in the circumstances of the appellant pursuant to section 57 of the EAPWDR. In denying the appellant his request for a crisis supplement, the reconsideration officer applied an objective test and did not take into account the unique factors applicable to this appellant. The reconsideration officer failed to consider that what may not be "unexpected" for an average person not having the disabilities of the appellant may be "unexpected" in the circumstances of this appellant and his particular disabilities. Section 24(1 )(b) of the Employment and Assistance Act directs the panel to determine if the ministry's decision was "a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the circumstances of the person appealing the decision". Having reviewed and considered all of the evidence and the relevant legislation, the panel finds that the ministry's decision that the appellant was not eligible for a crisis supplement for a bed was not a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the circumstances of the person appealing the decision and therefore rescinds the ministry's decision in favour of the appellant.
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