AP PEAL# I PAR T C-Decis io n u n d er App eal The d e cis io n under app e a l is the Ministry of Socia l Develo p me n t and Social I nnovatio n's (t he Minist ry 's) re con siderati on d ecision d at ed No v e mber 1 4 , 2014, whi ch held tha t t he Appe llant was not e lig i b l e for in com e a s sistan c e b ecaus e he fai led to co m ply w it h the co nditions o f his employ ment p lan r equired under sectio n 9 of th e Em plo y ment and Assi stance Act. PART D -Re levant Legislatio n Empl o y m e nt and As sis tance Act ( EAA ) sec t ion 9 EAAT 003(10/06/01)
P A R T E S u m m a rv o f F a c t s 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 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 c o p y o f t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , d a t c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e p l a n i n c l u d i n g t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s e r v i c e s p r o v i d e r , t o n o t i fy i f u n a b l e t o a t t e n d , a i s s i g n e d b y t h e A p p e l l a n t . • A l e t t e r f r o m t h e M i n i s t r y t o t h e A p p e l l a n t , d a t e d n o t i n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n , a n f u r t h e r a s s i s t a n c e . • A c o p y o f t h r e e a p p o i n t m e n t c a r d s , s c a n n e d o n e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s p r o v i d e r o n N o v e m b e r 4 , • A t w o p a g e s u b m i s s i o n f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t , u n d a n d h a s t h e r e f o r e n o t h a d a c c e s s t o p h o n e o r c T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e s t h a t h e w a s i n f o r m e d b y t h c o m p l i a n c e w i t h h i s j o b s e a r c h a n d t h a t h i s c h e v i s i t e d t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s o f f i c e t o e x p l a i a p p o i n t m e n t s b e c a u s e o f c o u r t d a t e s , a n d m i s s r e a s o n s . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e s t h a t h e m a d e t h r T h e A p p e l l a n t a l s o s t a t e s t h a t d u r i n g a n a p p o i n i n f o r m e d t h a t t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s c e n t r e c i n d e p e n d e n t j o b s e a r c h . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e s t h d a t e s a n d t h e d o c t o r ' s a p p o i n t m e n t s a n d s a y s t a d e q u a t e l y i n f o r m e d t h e M i n i s t r y a b o u t h i s j o b s i s u p t o d a t e a n d t h a t h e h a s p o t e n t i a l e m p l o y e r f o r a p p o i n t m e n t s . • A o n e p a g e s u b m i s s i o n f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t w i t h s t a t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t u n d e r n o c i r c u m s t a n c w o r k s h o p o r r e f u s e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a n y e m p l o y i s s u e s a r e i m p o r t a n t t o t h e A p p e l l a n t a n d a r e h i e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e c e n t r e a d v i s e d t h e A p p e l l a i n d e p e n d e n t j o b s e a r c h a n d t h a t h e s h o u l d n o t i fy A p p e l l a n t f u r t h e r s t a t e s t h a t h e i s n o t a s l a c k e r h o p i n g t o f i n d w o r k s o o n . A t t h e h e a r i n g , t h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n o u t l i n i n g h i s r i g h t s a n d r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s a s w e l l a s t h T h e A p p e l l a n t s i g n e d t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n o n J u l y t h a t t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s c o n t r a c t o r a d v i s e d t h w o r k s h o p s o r a p p o i n t m e n t s s c h e d u l e d b e t w e e n M a s e r v i c e s c o n t r a c t o r m a i l e d a r e m i n d e r f o r a n a p p o i n t h e y d i d n o t h e a r f r o m t h e A p p e l l a n t , t h e y c l o s e d h i w h e n t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s N o v e m b e r a s s i s t a n c e c h e q u e a n d m a d e a p p o i n t m e n t s o n N o v e m b e r 4 t h , 5 t h , a n d M i n i s t ry a l s o s t a t e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t a d v i s e d t h e M EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L 1 . 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 . w a s t h e f o l l o w i n g : e d J u l y 4 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n o u t l i n e s t h e 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 b y t h e e m p l o y m e n t n d t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r n o n c o m p l i a n c e . T h e p l a n S e p t e m b e r 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 , s t a t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t i s d t h a t n o n c o m p l i a n c e w i l l r e s u l t i n i n e l i g i b i l i t y f o r O c t o b e r 2 7 , 2 0 1 4 , s h o w i n g a p p o i n t m e n t s w i t h a n N o v e m b e r 5 , a n d N o v e m b e r 6 , 2 0 1 4 . a t e d , s t a t i n g t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t r e c e n t l y m o v e d o m p u t e r s e r v i c e s a n d n o m e a n s o f t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . e M i n i s t ry o n O c t o b e r 2 4 t h t h a t h e w a s n o t i n q u e w a s o n h o l d . T h e A p p e l l a n t s t a t e s t h a t h e n t h a t h e m i s s e d h i s O c t o b e r 5 t h a n d i h e d a n O c t o b e r 2 0 t h a p p o i n t m e n t f o r m e d i c a l e e a p p o i n t m e n t s f o r N o v e m b e r 4 t h , 5 t h , a n d 5 t h . t m e n t t h a t h e a t t e n d e d o n O c t o b e r 3 1 s t , h e w a s o u l d n o t d o a n y m o r e f o r h i m a n d p u t h i m o n a n a t h e t r i e d t o i n f o r m t h e M i n i s t r y a b o u t t h e c o u r t h a t t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s c e n t r e h a s n o t e a r c h e f f o r t s . T h e A p p e l l a n t s a y s t h a t h i s r e s u m e s f o r w i n t e r w o r k , a n d O c t o b e r w a s a b u s y m o n t h t h e N o t i c e o f A p p e a l , d a t e d N o v e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 1 4 , e s d i d n o t e v e r s a y t h a t h e w o u l d n o t a c c e p t a m e n t s e r v i c e c o n t r a c t o r a p p o i n t m e n t s . M e d i c a l n d e r i n g h i m f r o m a t t e n d i n g a p p o i n t m e n t s . T h e n t t h a t h e s h o u l d a s k t h e M i n i s t r y f o r a n t h e M i n i s t r y o f a n y c h a n g e s t o h i s r e s u m e . T h e a n d s t i l l l o o k i n g f o r e m p l o y m e n t a n d t h a t h e i s t h a d a n e m p l o y m e n t p l a n i n p l a c e i n J u l y 2 0 1 4 e c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r n o n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h e p l a n . 4 , 2 0 1 4 a t t h e M i n i s t r y o f f i c e s . T h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d e M i n i s t r y t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d a n y y 2 0 1 4 a n d S e p t e m b e r 4 , 2 0 1 4 . T h e e m p l o y m e n t t m e n t s c h e d u l e d f o r S e p t e m b e r 1 6 t h , a n d w h e n s f i l e o n S e p t e m b e r 1 8 t h . T h e M i n i s t r y s t a t e d t h a t w a s h e l d , t h e A p p e l l a n t c o n t a c t e d t h e M i n i s t r y 6 t h w i t h t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s c o n t r a c t o r . T h e i n i s t ry t h a t h e a t t e n d e d t h e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s
APPEAL# I contractor appointments sometimes, but that he didn't need them to get a job. The panel finds that that the Appellant was aware that there was an employment plan as he signed the employment plan on July 4 1 \ 2014. The panel also finds that the Appellant did not attend all of his appointments required under the plan as evidenced by the Ministry record and the Appellant's submissions. EAAT 003(10/06/01)
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 w h e t h e r t h e M i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n t o f i n d a s s i s t a n c e b e c a u s e h e f a i l e d t o c o m p l y w i t h t h e c o t h e E A A 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 l e g i s l 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 . T h e l e g i s l a t i o n p r o v i d e s t h e f o l l o w i n g : 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 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 ( 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 ( 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 ( 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 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 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 l l a s s i s t t h e a p p l i c a n t , 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 { 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 ( 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 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 f o r t h e 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 ( 7 ) A d e c i s i o n u n d e r t h i s s e c t i 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 ( 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 l i n g a n e m p l o y ( 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 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 ( 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 ] . T h e M i n i s t r y a r g u e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t m a k e m p l o y m e n t p l a n . B a s e d o n t h e i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m t h a r g u e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a t t e n d t h e m a j o r i t M i n i s t r y a r g u e d t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t f a i l e d t o c o m p l y w a s f o u n d i n 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 . I n t h e a p p e a l r e c o r d s u b m i s s i o n s , t h e A p p e l l a n t a r g H e i s k e e p i n g h i s r e s u m e a n d j o b s e a r c h a c t i v e , b u d a t e s a n d m e d i c a l r e a s o n s . H e a r g u e d t h a t h e d i d s e r v i c e c o n t r a c t o r a p p o i n t m e n t s . T h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e M i n i s t r y ' s d e t e r m i n a t i o n t h e m p l o y m e n t p l a n r e q u i r e d u n d e r s e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E T h e c o p y o f t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n o u t l i n EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )I A P P E A L # t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t w a s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r i n c o m e n d i t i o n s o f h i s e m p l o y m e n t p l a n u n d e r s e c t i o n 9 o f a t i o n o r 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 i 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 r , m u s t p l a n . i n i s t e r , m u s t p l a n . 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 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 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 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 c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m , o r a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m . ( 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 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 l o y m e n t p l a n . p l a n , m e n t p l a n , o r n 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 e a r e a s o n a b l e a t t e m p t t o c o m p l y w i t h h i s s i g n e d e e m p l o y m e n t s e r v i c e s c o n t r a c t o r , t h e M i n i s t r y y o f h i s s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t s a n d t h e r e f o r e w i t h t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e e m p l o y m e n t p l a n a n d u e d t h a t O c t o b e r w a s a v e r y b u s y m o n t h f o r h i m . t m i s s e d h i s O c t o b e r a p p o i n t m e n t s d u e t o c o u r t n o t r e f u s e t o p a r t i c i p a t e o r a t t e n d e m p l o y m e n t a t t h e A p p e l l a n t f a i l e d t o c o m p l y w i t h h i s A A w a s 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 . e s a c o n d i t i o n t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n a s p e c i f i c
I APPEAL# employment-related program offered by the employment services contractor. Under section 9(4), that condition is not met if the Appellant (a) fails to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in the program, or (b) ceases, except for medical reasons, to participate in the program. Given the Ministry's evidence that the employment services contractor reports that the Appellant missed all of the scheduled appointments after the employment plan was signed in July 2014 until October 30 th , 2014, and the Appellant's lack of evidence that he attempted to attend appointments before October, the panel finds that the Ministry's determination that the Appellant failed to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in the program under section 9(4)(a) of the EM was reasonably supported by the evidence. Although the Appellant gives medical reasons f o r missing the employment service contractor appointment on October 20, 2014, there is no evidence (e.g. a doctor's note) to show that the Appellant's medical issues prevented him from attending his other appointments in October. The Appellant gives no evidence f o r reasons that would explain his missed appointments before October. Therefore the panel finds that the Ministry's determination that the Appellant did not cease to participate due to medical reasons under section 9(4)(b) of the EM was also reasonably supported by the evidence. The panel therefore finds that the Ministry's reconsideration decision that the Appellant was not eligible for income assistance because he failed to comply with the employment plan required under section 9 of the EM was reasonably supported by the evidence and confirms the Ministry's reconsideration decision. EAAT 003(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.