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 b e i n g a p p e a l e d i s t h e M i n i s t r y o f S o c i " M i n i s t r y " ) S e p t e m b e r 3 0 , 2 0 1 4 r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c A p p e l l a n t d i d n o t m e e t t h e c r i t e r i a f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l 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 s w i t h D n o t s a t i s f i e d t h a t : • T h e n e e d f o r a n e w w i n t e r j a c k e t w a s a n u n e • T h e A p p e l l a n t h a d n o o t h e r r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a • F a i l u r e t o o b t a i n t h e j a c k e t w o u l d r e s u l t i n i m 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 AA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # I a l 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 i s i o n i n w h i c h 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 e m e n t f o r a n e w w i n t e r j a c k e t u n d e r s e c t i o n 5 7 o f 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 t h e M i n i s t r y w a s x p e c t e d e v e n t ; b l e ; a n d , 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 l t h . 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 y o f F a c t s W i t h t h e c o n s e n t o f b o t h p a r t i e s , t h e h e a r i n g w a s c 2 2 ( 3 ) ( b ) 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 . F o r i t s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n , t h e M i n i s t r y h a d t h 1 . I n f o r m a t i o n f r o m i t s r e c o r d s t h a t t h e A p p e l l a n t • H a s P e r s o n s w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s D e s i g n a t i o n " P • R e c e i v e s $ 5 3 1 . 4 2 a m o n t h i n d i s a b i l i t y s u p p • O n S e p t e m b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 4 r e q u e s t e d a c r i s i s s z i p p e r o n h i s j a c k e t b r o k e . • T o l d t h e M i n i s t r y t h a t f o o d c o s t s h a v e i n c r e a l i v i n g i n c r e a s e , m a k i n g i t d i f f i c u l t t o b u d g e t f • T o l d t h e M i n i s t r y t h a t h e t r i e d t o a c c e s s o t h e n e e d . • R e c e i v e d a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r $ 5 0 f o r a w 2 . A p p e l l a n t ' s S e p t e m b e r 9 , 2 0 1 4 r e q u e s t f o r r e c o n w i n t e r j a c k e t b r o k e c o m p l e t e l y a n d t h a t t h i s w a s a n b u d g e t e d b u t h a s o n g o i n g c r i m e s d o n e t o h i m i n h i t o p a y f o r a n e w d o o r l o c k . H e w r o t e t h a t h e a l s o h ( g o i n g o n t r i p s ) w h e n h a r a s s m e n t g e t s t o b e t o o m u 3 . A p p e l l a n t ' s a d d i t i o n a l s t a t e m e n t t i t l e d " M a j o r C r i i n h i s b u i l d i n g . I n h i s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l , t h e A p p e l l a n t w r o t e t h a t h e t h a t h e h a s i s b u d g e t e d . H e a l s o s t a t e d t h a t s p e c i a e x t e n s i v e n e r v e d a m a g e . H e h a s " f r o z e n " c o l d n e s A p p e l l a n t w r o t e t h a t h e a l s o h a s s e v e r e d i a b e t e s w a l s o r e f e r r e d t o s o m e p r o v i n c i a l f i n a n c i a l m a t t e r s . T h e P a n e l n o t e s t h a t t h e r e i s n o i n f o r m a t i o n i n t h e r e g a r d i n g t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s h e a l t h c o n d i t i o n s . T h e r e f o a b o u t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s s p e c i f i c h e a l t h i s s u e s , a s d e s s u p p o r t o f t h e e v i d e n c e t h e M i n i s t r y h a d a t r e c o n s i 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 P a n e l d o e s a s a f e t y a n d h e a l t h i s s u e s , a n d h o w h e b u d g e t s h i s m t h e M i n i s t r y h a d a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n . T h e P a n e l w i l l c o n s i d e r t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s s t a t e m e n t s a p p e a l . T h e M i n i s t r y r e l i e d o n i t s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n . EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )A P P E A L # I o n d u c t e d a s a w r i t t e n h e a r i n g p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n e f o l l o w i n g e v i d e n c e : W D " ) . o r t a s s i s t a n c e . u p p l e m e n t f o r a n e w w i n t e r j a c k e t b e c a u s e t h e s e d o v e r t h e y e a r s a n d h e h a s r e c e i v e d n o c o s t o f o r a n e w j a c k e t . r r e s o u r c e s b u t h a d b e e n u n a b l e t o m e e t h i s i n t e r j a c k e t i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 1 . s i d e r a t i o n i n w h i c h h e w r o t e t h a t t h e z i p p e r o n h i s u n e x p e c t e d e v e n t . H e s t a t e d t h a t h e h a s s h o u s i n g b u i l d i n g . M o n e y w a s s t o l e n a n d h e h a d a s b e e n s p e n d i n g m o n e y t o l e a v e h i s b u i l d i n g c h f o r h i m . m e O p e r a t i o n O n g o i n g " h i s n o t e s a b o u t c r i m e s h a s m a j o r s a f e t y a n d h e a l t h i s s u e s . E v e r y c e n t l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s h o u l d b e a p p l i e d d u e t o s i n h i s b a c k a s w e l l a s h i s r i g h t l e g . T h e h i c h h e i s t r y i n g t o k e e p i n c h e c k . T h e A p p e l l a n t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n r e c o r d o r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n r e , t h e P a n e l d o e s n o t a d m i t t h e i n f o r m a t i o n c r i b e d i n h i s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l , b e c a u s e i t i s n o t i n d e r a t i o n . P u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) o f t h e d m i t t h e A p p e l l a n t ' s s t a t e m e n t s a b o u t m a j o r o n e y . T h a t i n f o r m a t i o n i s i n s u p p o r t o f e v i d e n c e i n h i s n o t i c e o f a p p e a l t o b e h i s p o s i t i o n i n t h i s
I APPEAL# PART F -Reasons for Panel Decision The issue in this appeal is whether the Ministry reasonably determined that the Appellant did not meet the criteria for a crisis supplement for a new winter jacket under section 57 of the EAPWDR because the Ministry was not satisfied that the Appellant had established that the need for a new winter jacket was an unexpected event, that he had no other resources available and that the failure to obtain the jacket would result in imminent danger to his physical health. The following sections of the EAPWDR apply to the Appellant's circumstances in this appeal. Crisis Supplement 57(1) The minister may provide a crisis supplement to or for a family unit that is eligible for disability assistance or hardship assistance if (a) the family unit or a person in the family unit requires the supplement to meet an unexpected expense or obtain an item unexpectedly needed and is unable to meet the expense or obtain the item because there are no resources available to the family unit, and (b) the minister considers that failure to meet the expense or obtain the item will result in (i) imminent danger to the physical health of any person in the family unit. The Parties' Positions The Appellant submitted that he needs a crisis supplement for a new winter coat because: • The zipper on his existing jacket broke and this was an unexpected event. • He budgets every cent he has, but food costs have increased. Also he tried other resources. • He has major safety and health issues. In its reconsideration decision, the Ministry wrote that: • It considers a broken zipper to be general wear and tear on a 3 ½ year old jacket and therefore is not an unexpected event; • The Appellant receives $531.42 a month in support assistance for basic needs such as food and clothing. Also, the Ministry was not satisfied that the Appellant demonstrated reasonable efforts to access alternate resources such as community charity groups. • The Appellant requested a crisis supplement for a winter jacket on September 11, 2014 and it made its decision on September 30, 2014. The Appellant lives in a generally warmer region of the province where it is not winter in September and so he can still use his jacket. Therefore, the Ministry was not satisfied that the Appellant physical health was in imminent danger. The Panel's Findings and Conclusion The Ministry may provide a crisis supplement for clothing to a person receiving disability assistance, such as the Appellant, provided that all of the requirements in section 57(1) of the EAPWDR are met. The Panel acknowledges that the Appellant considered his broken zipper to be an unexpected event; however, the Ministry also reasonably determined that a broken zipper can be expected after 3 ½ years of use. Therefore, the Ministry reasonably determined that the Appellant did not meet the first requirement for a crisis supplement. The Panel also acknowledges that the Appellant is finding it difficult to budget for his basic needs of food and clothing with $531.42 a month in assistance. The Appellant, however, provided no information about any other resources he tried to access, such as community charities. He stated EAAT 003(10/06/01)
! APPEAL# only that he tried other resources. Therefore, the Panel finds that the Ministry reasonably determined that the Appellant did not demonstrate that he does not have other resources available for a new jacket. As for imminent danger to his physical health, the Appellant stated only that he has major safety and health issues. He provided no details about any dangers to his health which a new coat would prevent. Therefore, the Ministry reasonably determined that the Appellant did not satisfy this requirement for a crisis supplement for a new jacket. Having considered all of the evidence, the Panel finds that the Ministry's reconsideration decision was reasonably supported by the evidence. Therefore, the Panel confirms that decision. EAAT 003(10/06/01)
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