PART C -DECISION UNDER APPEAL The decision under appeal is the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (ministry's) reconsideration decision dated November 19, 2018 whereby the appellant was found to be ineligible for income assistance pursuant to Section 9 of the Employment and Assistance Act (EM) for not complying with the conditions of his Employment Plan (EP), due to his failure to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in the employment-related program and with no medical reason fpr ceasing to participate. PART D -RELEVANT LEGISLATION Employment and Assistance Act (EAA), Section 9
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 ry a t t h e t i m e o f 1 ) C o p y o f i n c o m p l e t e W o r k S e a r c h A c t i v i t i 2 ) E P s i g n e d b y t h e a p p e l l a n t a n d d a t e d M • M e e t w i t h t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r . • T a k e p a r t i n t h e c o n t r a c t o r p r o g r a m a c t i v • C o m p l e t e a l l t a s k s g i v e n t o h i m , i n c l u d i n • C a l l t h e c o n t r a c t o r i f h e i s u n a b l e t o a t t e 3 ) 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 N o v e I n h i 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 , t h e a p p e l l a • H e h a s b e e n l o o k i n g fo r e m p l o y m e n t . H b y m o r e t h a n o n e W o r k B C i n s t r u c t o r . • H e h a s l i m i t e d f u n d s t o g e t t o w o r k . • T h e E P s y s t e m i s n o t d e s i g n e d f o r p e o p w o r k s e a r c h e s . • S o m e o f h i s p e r s o n a l f a u l t s ( e . g . p r o c r a s t o d r a w a n i n c o r r e c t v i e w o f h i m a n d t h i s • H e h a s b e e n c o n d u c t i n g a w o r k s e a r c h a i t c o r r e c t l y . A d d i t i o n a l i n fo r m a t i o n I n h i s 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 6 , 2 0 1 t h e m i n i s t ry ' s r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n a n d w r o w o r k . H e w o u l d l i k e a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o d e s c r i b e p r o b l e m s h e h a s e n c o u n t e r e d . A t t h e h e a r i n g , t h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d : • H e h a s b e e n l o o k i n g f o r w o r k . H e h a s b • H e h a d b e e n s c h e d u l e d f o r a o n e w e e k s o m e a c t i v i t i e s t h a t c o n f l i c t e d w i t h s o m e e x c e p t f o r o n e s m a l l p a r t . • H e t h o u g h t t h e w e e k c o u l d b e r e s c h e d u • H e b e l i e v e s t h a t p a r t i a l l y t h i s s i t u a t i o n r e • H e w a s a b i t l a t e f o r t h e f i r s t d a y a n d h e w o r k e r a n d t h e r e w a s a p o s s i b l e m i s c o m w o u l d h a v e b e e n b e t t e r i f h e s p o k e w i t h w a s t h e p o i n t w h e r e e v e r y t h i n g w e n t w r o p a r k i n g . • I f h e h a d b e e n a b l e t o t a k e t h e c o u r s e s w I 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 n c l u d e d : e s R e c o r d f o r m ; a y 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 . T h e t e r m s o f t h e E P i n c l u d e t o : i t i e s a s a g r e e d t o w i t h t h e c o n t r a c t o r ; g a n y a c t i v i t i e s s e t o u t i n h i s A c t i o n P l a n ; n d a s e s s i o n , o r w h e n h e f i n d s w o r k ; a n d , m b e r 8 , 2 0 1 8 . n t w r o t e : i s s e a r c h h a s b e e n u n c o n v e n t i o n a l , a s a d v i s e d l e l i k e h i m w h o a r e p e rf o r m i n g u n c o n v e n t i o n a l t i n a t i o n , m o o d s w i n g s , e t c . ) h a v e l e d t h e m i n i s t ry h a s n e g a t i v e l y a ff e c t e d h i s w o r k s e a r c h . s r e q u i r e d b y t h e m i n i s t r y , b u t h e d i d n o t r e p o r t 8 , t h e a p p e l l a n t e x p r e s s e d h i s d i s a g r e e m e n t w i t h t e t h a t i t i s n o t e a s y f o r s o m e o n e h i s a g e t o f i n d i n p e r s o n t h e e ff o r t s h e h a s m a d e a n d t h e e e n t r y i n g . c o u r s e f o r d e v e l o p i n g a r e s u m e a n d h e h a d o f t h e c o u r s e . H e m a d e i t t o m o s t o f t h e w e e k l e d b u t i t t u r n e d o u t t h a t i t c o u l d n o t b e d o n e . s u l t e d f r o m a m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g . e n d e d u p s p e a k i n g w i t h b o t h a m a n a g e r a n d a m u n i c a t i o n . H e r e a l i z e s , i n h i n d s i g h t , t h a t i t b o t h o f t h e m a t t h e s a m e l i m e . H e b e l i e v e s t h i s n g . H e w a s l a t e b e c a u s e h e c o u l d n o t f i n d h e n h e w a n t e d t o , t h a t w o u l d h a v e b e e n b e t t e r .
• H e w o u l d h a v e g o n e b a c k t o s c h o o l i f h e • H i s w o r k s e a r c h e s a r e c o n s i d e r e d " u n c o t h e p o l i t i c a l s c i e n c e f i e l d t o s t u d y t h e l a s h e h a d a l s o d o n e r e s e a r c h i n t o t e a c h i n g h e c o u l d m e e t p e o p l e a n d n e t w o r k , a n d w o r k . • W i t h h i s e d u c a t i o n a l b a c k g r o u n d , h e b e l w h i c h i s a n o p p o rt u n i t y t o n e t w o r k , b u t w w a y . T h e s e a c t i v i t i e s a r e h a r d t o d o c u m • H e h a s b e e n a s o c c e r f a n a l l h i s l i f e a n d h i s t e a m w o u l d b e i n t h e s e m i f i n a l s a n d k n o w s a n d h a d m a d e c o n n e c t i o n s w i t h w C a s i n o . • S e v e r a l y e a r s a g o , h e g o t w h a t h e t h o u g u p c l o s i n g i t s C a n a d i a n s t o r e s a fe w m o m o n t h s . • H e d o e s n o t h a v e a m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n t h p r o g r a m . H i s r e f e r e n c e t o " m o o d s w i n g s e x p e r i e n c e d i n t r y i n g t o f i n d w o r k . • H e b e l i e v e s h i s l i m i t a t i o n s f o r f i n d i n g w o a n d h e c o u l d n o t s u s t a i n p h y s i c a l w o r k fo t e a c h i n g n e e d t o b e u p d a t e d a n d s u p p l e r e q u e s t e d b e c a u s e h e w a n t e d t o t a k e a b e f o r e h e s e n t i t o u t . • H e d i d n o t s u b m i t a w o r k s e a r c h l o g b e c m e e t i n g p e o p l e a n d t r y i n g t o g e t a j o b . • H e d i d n o t r e a l i z e t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o f l o g . • H e b e l i e v e s t h e r e i s a j o b o u t t h e r e f o r h T h e m i n i s t r y r e l i e d o n t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s T h e p a n e l c o n s i d e r e d t h a t t h e r e w a s n o a d d i t i o a d m i s s i b i l i t y w a s r e q u i r e d u n d e r S e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) ( h a d t h e f i n a n c e s t o a l l o w i t . n v e n t i o n a l " b e c a u s e h e u s e d h i s b a c k g r o u n d i n t P r e s i d e n t i a l e l e c t i o n i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a n d m e t h o d s . H e p u t h i m s e l f i n t o p o s i t i o n s w h e r e h e t h o u g h t t h e s e a c t i v i t i e s m i g h t r e s u l t i n s o m e i e v e s t h a t h e i s w e l l s u i t e d fo r p l a y i n g p o k e r , i t h o u t f u n d s i t i s d i ff i c u l t t o " l o o k f o r w o r k " i n t h i s e n t . t h e r e w a s a c r u c i a l g a m e t h a t w o u l d d e t e r m i n e i f h e d i d n o t w a n t t o m i s s i t . A l l t h e p e o p l e h e e r e g o i n g t o b e w a t c h i n g t h e g a m e a t t h e h t w a s f u l l t i m e w o r k w i t h a c o m p a n y t h a t e n d e d n t h s l a t e r . H e h a s n o t h a d a n y w o r k fo r s e v e r a l a t i m p a c t e d h i s a b i l i t y t o p a rt i c i p a t e i n t h e E P " o n l y r e f l e c t s t h e f r u s t r a t i o n t h a t h e h a s r k a r e h i s a g e , s i n c e h e i s s t a r t i n g t o s l o w d o w n r a p r o l o n g e d p e r i o d o f t i m e . H i s c r e d e n t i a l s fo r m e n t e d . H e d i d n o t s u b m i t a r e s u m e w h e n c o u r s e t o l e a r n h o w t o i m p r o v e h i s r e s u m e a u s e h e t h o u g h t h i s t i m e w o u l d b e b e tt e r s p e n t h i s n o t s u b m i t t i n g t h e r e s u m e a n d t h e j o b s e a r c h i m . i o n , a s s u m m a r i z e d a t t h e h e a r i n g . n a l i n f o r m a t i o n f o r w h i c h a d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f b ) o f t h e Emp l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e A c t .
PART F -REASONS FOR PANEL DECISION The issue on appeal is whether the ministry's conclusion that the appellant did not comply with the conditions of his EP, due to his failure to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in the employment-related program and with no medical reason for ceasing to participate and that, th e refore, the appellant is not eligible for income assistance pursuant to Section 9 of the Employment and Assistance Act (EAA), is reasonably supported by the evidence or is a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the appellant's circumstances. Employment plan 9 (1) For a family unit to be eligible for income assistance or hardship assistance, each applicant or recipient in the family unit, when required to do so by the minister, must (a)enter into an employment plan, and (b) comply with the conditions in the employment plan. (2)A dependent youth, when required to do so by the minister, must (a)enter into an employment plan, and (b) comply with the conditions in the employment plan. (3)The minister may specify the conditions in an employment plan including, without limitation, a condition requiring the applicant, recipient or dependent youth to participate in a specific employment-related program that, in the minister's opinion, will assist the applicant, recipient or dependent youth to (a) find employment, o r (b) become more employable. (4) If an employment plan includes a condition requiring an applicant, a recipient or a dependent youth to participate in a specific employment-related program, that condition is not met if the person (a)fails to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in the program, or (b)ceases, except for medical reasons, to participate in the program. (5) If a dependent youth fails to comply with subsection (2), the minister may reduce the amount of income assistance or hardship assistance provided to or for the family unit by the prescribed amount for the prescribed period-. (6)The minister may amend, suspend or cancel an employment plan. (7) A decision under this section (a)requiring a person to enter into an employment plan, (b) amending, suspending or cancelling an employment plan, or (c)specifying the conditions of an employment plan is final and conclusive and is not open to review by a court on any ground or to appeal under section 17 (3) [reconsideration and appeal rights]. Panel's decision In the reconsideration decision, the ministry determined that the appellant did not comply with the conditions of his EP, due to his failure to demonstrate reasonable efforts to participate in the employment-related program and with no medical reason for ceasing to participate and that, therefore, the appellant is not eligible for income assistance pursuant to Section 9 of the EAA. The ministry wrote that the appellant entered into an EP dated May 31, 2018, and the conditions of his EP required that he meet with the EP contractor, take part in the contractor program
a c t i v i t i e s a s a g r e e d t o w i t h t h e c o n t r a c t o r , c o m c o n t r a c t o r i f h e i s u n a b l e t o a t t e n d a s e s s i o n . T t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t e m a i l h i s d i g i t a l r e s u m e a n d c o n t r a c t o r a d v i s e d t h e m i n i s t r y o n O c t o b e r 1 1 , t h e s e d o c u m e n t s . T h e E P c o n t r a c t o r a d v i s e d t a n y e v i d e n c e o f a j o b s e a r c h s i n c e h i s a c t i o n p m i n i s t r y w r o t e t h a t t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r a d v i s e d t h b e c a u s e h e w a s w a t c h i n g a W o r l d C u p s o c c e r A t t h e h e a r i n g , t h e a p p e l l a n t a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a c o n t r a c t o r a n d e x p l a i n e d t h a t h e n e e d e d t o r e c b e f o r e h e w o u l d s u b m i t i t . H e a d m i t t e d t h a t t h i n o t a tt e n d e d a l l o f t h e w o r k s h o p s t h a t m i g h t h a t h a t h e h a d m i s s e d s o m e w o r k s h o p s b e c a u s e b e l i e v e d h e c o u l d n e t w o r k a t t h e s o c c e r g a m e s e a r c h a p p r o a c h . T h e a p p e l l a n t a c k n o w l e d g e d r e q u i r e d b y t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r , a n d e x p l a i n e d t h h i s u n c o n v e n t i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s o f n e t w o r k i n g f r o m p o k e r , a n d w a t c h i n g t h e W o r l d C u p s o c c e r g a m w o u l d n o t b e a c c e p t e d . T h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t i m p a c t e d h i s p a rt i c i p a t i o n w i t h t h e E P p r o g r a m S e c t i o n 9 ( 1 ) o f t h e E AA p r o v i d e s t h a t , w h e n t h e E P a n d 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 P i n T h e r e fo r e , t h e m i n i s t ry r e a s o n a b l y c o n s i d e r e d a n d t h a t t h e c o n d i t i o n s w e r e f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t t o a g r e e d w i t h b y t h e c o n t r a c t o r , c o m p l e t e a l l t a s k i s u n a b l e t o a tt e n d a s e s s i o n . 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 r e a s o n a b l y c o c o n t r a c t o r o v e r t h e p e r i o d s i n c e h e s i g n e d t h e r e s u m e a n d a j o b s e a r c h l o g b y A u g u s t 2 8 , 2 0 1 a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t h e b e l i e v e d h i s r e s u m e w a s u r e i f h i s u n c o n v e n t i o n a l w o r k s e a r c h a c t i v i t i e s A c t i v i t i e s R e c o r d r e q u e s t s i n fo r m a t i o n a b o u t t h w i t h a c o n t a c t n a m e a n d t e l e p h o n e n u m b e r a n d fo r t h e a p p e l l a n t t o f i l l o u t t h e fo r m l i s t i n g h i s u n t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r t o d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r t h i s a p T h e r e w a s a l s o a n o p t i o n fo r t h e a p p e l l a n t t o p r a n d t h e n t o s p e a k w i t h t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r a b o u t r e s u m e , b u t h e d i d n o t d o s o . T h e a p p e l l a n t a d p l e t e a l l t a s k s g i v e n t o h i m , a n d c o n t a c t t h e h e m i n i s t r y w r o t e t h a t t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r r e q u i r e d h i s j o b s e a r c h l o g b y A u g u s t 2 8 , 2 0 1 8 a n d t h e E P 2 0 1 8 t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d n o t y e t p r o v i d e d h 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 h a d n o t s u b m i t t e d l a n h a d b e e n r e n e w e d i n J u n e 2 0 1 8 . T h e a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t a tt e n d s o m e w o r k s h o p s g a m e . t h e h a d n o t p r o v i d e d a r e s u m e t o t h e E P e i v e s o m e t r a i n i n g o n h o w t o i m p r o v e h i s r e s u m e s s e e m e d l i k e a " C a t c h -2 2 " s i t u a t i o n a s h e h a d v e a s s i s t e d w i t h t h e s e s k i l l s . H e a c k n o w l e d g e d o f t h e s o c c e r g a m e , b u t e x p l a i n e d t h a t h e a n d t h a t t h i s w a s p a r t o f h i s u n c o n v e n t i o n a l w o r k t h a t h e d i d n o t s u b m i t a w o r k s e a r c h l o g , a s a t h e d i d n o t t h i n k h e c o u l d p r o p e r l y d o c u m e n t w a t c h i n g t h e U S P r e s i d e n t i a l e l e c t i o n , p l a y i n g e , a n d h e w a s c o n c e r n e d t h a t t h e s e a c t i v i t i e s h a t h e d o e s n o t h a v e a m e d i c a l c o n d i t i o n t h a t . m i n i s t r y r e q u i r e s , a p e r s o n m u s t e n t e r i n t o a n o r d e r 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 . t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t s i g n e d a n E P o n M a y 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 t a k e p a rt i n t h e c o n t r a c t o r p r o g r a m a c t i v i t i e s a s s g i v e n t o h i m , a n d t o c o n t a c t t h e c o n t r a c t o r i f h e n s i d e r e d t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s i n t e r a c t i o n s w i t h t h e E P E P a n d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t h a d n o t s u b m i tt e d a 8 , a s r e q u i r e d b y t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r . T h e s n o t r e a d y t o b e s u b m i tt e d a n d t h a t h e w a s n o t w o u l d b e a c c e p t a b l e . T h e W o r k S e a r c h e " d a t e " , " t y p e " , a n d " l o c a t i o n " o f a c t i v i t y a l o n g t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e a c t i v i t y . T h e r e w a s a n o p t i o n c o n v e n t i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s a n d t h e n t o s p e a k w i t h p r o a c h w a s a c c e p t a b l e , b u t h e d i d n o t d o s o . o v i d e h i s r e s u m e t h a t h e c o n s i d e r e d o u t d a t e d h i s n e e d fo r a s s i s t a n c e w i t h i m p r o v i n g h i s m i t t e d t h a t h e h a d n o t s u b m i t t e d t h e d o c u m e n t s
a n d h e h a d n o t a t t e n d e d s o m e o f t h e w o r k s h o p ' p a r t i c i p a t e ' i n t h e E P i s ' t o t a k e p a r t i n ' o r ' t o b e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e p r o g r a m w h e n h e n e g l e c t e d t t h e p r o g r a m a c t i v i t i e s . T h e l e g i s l a t i o n r e q u i r e s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d e m o p r o g r a m , o r t o p r o v i d e a m e d i c a l r e a s o n f o r c e a f i n d s t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y c o n c l u d e d , p r e q u i r e m e n t s h a v e n o t b e e n m e t i n t h i s c a s e . C o n c l u s i o n 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 d e c i s i o n , w h e r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e p u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n 9 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 e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h a p p e l l a n t ' s a p p e a l , t h e r e f o r e , i s n o t s u c c e s s f u l .s , a s r e q u i r e d b y t h e E P c o n t r a c t o r . T o a c t i v e l y i n v o l v e d i n , ' a n d t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h e n t f a i l e d t o m a k e r e a s o n a b l e e ff o rt s t o o s u b m i t t h e r e q u i r e d d o c u m e n t s a n d t o a t t e n d n s t r a t e r e a s o n a b l e e ff o r t s t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e s i n g 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 , a n d t h e p a n e l u r s u a n t t o S e c t i o n 9 o f t h e E AA , t h a t t h e e b y t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s f o u n d t o b e i n e l i g i b l e f o r E AA , 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 e a p p e l l a n t a n d c o n f i r m s t h e d e c i s i o n . T h e
I P A R T G O R D E R T H E P A N E L D E C I S I O N I S : ( C h e c k o n e ) � U N A N I M O U S □ B Y M A J O R I T Y T H E P A N E L � C O N F I R M S T H E M I N I S T R Y D E C I S I O N □ R E S C I N D S T H E M I N I S T R Y D E C I S I O N I f t h e m i n i s t r y d e c i s i o n i s r e s c i n d e d , i s t h e p a n e l d e c i s i o n r e f e r r e d b a c k t o t h e M i n i s t e r f o r a d e c i s i o n a s t o a m o u n t ? □ Y e s □ N o L E G I S L A T I V E A U T H O R I T Y F O R T H E D E C I S I O N : E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s ta n c e A c t S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 1 ) ( a ) D o r S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 1 ) ( b ) � a n d S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 2 ) ( a ) C8I o r S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 2 ) ( b } D P A R T H S I G N A T U R E S P R I NT NA M E S . W a l t e r s S I G N A T U R E O F C , r D A TE ( Y E A R / M O N T HI D A Y ) " I N 2 0 1 8 -1 2 -1 4 l / I \ II V P R I N T N A M E K i m P o l o w e k S I G z , e M E M B E R ( , , ./ D A T E ( _ Y E A R J M O N T H/ D A Y J · I ' I t- 2 0 1 8 -1 2 -1 4 I , t . i v? P R I N T N A M E K u l w a n t B a l S I G N A T U R E O F M E M B E R 'C t \) ) D A T E ( Y EA R / M O N T H I D A Y ) · .-: -s-- \. 2 0 1 8 -1 2 -1 4 � ; -
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