PART C -DECISION UNDER APPEAL The decision under appeal is the reconsideration decision dated October 12, 2018, made by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (the ministry), which determined that the appellant does not qualify for income assistance for the months of September and October because she was dismissed from her employment for just cause which disqualifies her from receiving income assistance for two months from the date of her application in accordance with sections 13 of the Employment and Assistance Act (EAA) and 29 of the Employment and Assistance Regulations (EAR). PART D -RELEVANT LEGISLATION The relevant legislation is sections 13 of the EAA and 29 of the EAR.
P A R T E S U M M A R Y O F F A C T S T h e a p p e l l a n t i s a s i n g l e e m p l o y a b l e a p p l i c a n t . S h e m o v h e r a p p l i c a t i o n i n S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8 . T h e a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d d u e t o a m e n t a l c o n d i t i o n . M e d i c a t i o n s h a v e h e l p e d h e r d i f f i c u l t f o r h e r t o m a i n t a i n e m p l o y m e n t g i v e n h e r m e n t a l O n S e p t e m b e r 2 1 , 2 0 1 8 , t h e a p p e l l a n t a p p l i e d f o r i n c o m t h e a p p e l l a n t a d v i s e d t h e m i n i s t r y t h a t s h e h a d b e e n d i s a p p e l l a n t d i s p u t e s b o t h t h a t s h e s a i d t h i s a n d t h a t s h e w c o n t a c t e d t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s e m p l o y e r , b u t w a s u n a b l e t o a a p p e l l a n t p r o v i d e d t h e m i n i s t ry w i t h a d o c t o r ' s n o t e i n d i c p r o v i d e d t h e m i n i s t r y w i t h tw o R e c o r d s o f E m p l o y m e n t ( f r o m F e b r u a ry 2 7 , 2 0 1 8 t o S e p t e m b e r 2 a n d b e e n d i s m i s e l s e w h e r e f o r o n e d a y , S e p t e m b e r 2 7 , a n d a g a i n b e e n d s u b m i t t e d a l e t t e r f r o m h e r l a n d l o r d d a t e d O c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 1 r e n t o n O c t o b e r 1 0 . 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 t h a t s h e h a s s u b s e q u d i s p u t e d t h a t s h e h a d b e e n d i s m i s s e d f o r c a u s e f r o m h e t h a t h e r e m p l o y e r d i s c o v e r e d t h a t s h e w a s p r e g n a n t . S h w h e n s h e i s a t r a i n e d c o o k . I n h e r a p p l i c a t i o n fo r a p p e a l t h e a p p e l l a n t i n c l u d e d a n o t s t a t i n g : " [ T h e a p p e l l a n t ] i s c u r r e n t l y p r e g n a n t a n d h o m e l D u e t o m e n t a l h e a l t h c o n c e r n s [ t h e a p p e l l a n t ] i s c u r r e n t l c l i n i c . " T h e m i n i s t r y d i d n o t o b j e c t t o t h e a d m i s s i o n o f t h i s i n f o r m p a n e l f i n d s t h a t t h i s n o t e i s a d m i s s i b l e b e c a u s e t h e i n f o r b e f o r e t h e m i n i s t r y a t t h e t i m e o f t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c p r e g n a n t , t h a t s h e f a c e d e v i c t i o n a n d t h a t s h e h a s m e n t a w o r k i s n o t r e l e v a n t t o t h e d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f h e r e l i g i b i l i t y e d t o B C f r o m O n t a r i o a n d w a s e m p l o y e d u n t i l t h e t i m e o f t h a t s h e w a s i n r e c e i p t o f d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e i n O n t a r i o w h i l e i n B C , b u t h e r i n t e n t i s t o g o b a c k o n d i s a b i l i t y a s i t i s c o n d i t i o n . e a s s i s t a n c e . T h e m i n i s t r y s t a t e s t h a t o n S e p t e m b e r 2 7 , m i s s e d f r o m h e r e m p l o y m e n t fo r c a u s e , a l t h o u g h t h e a s d i s m i s s e d f o r c a u s e . O n O c t o b e r 2 , t h e m i n i s t ry s c e rt a i n t h e r e a s o n f o r h e r d i s m i s s a l . O n O c t o b e r 3 , t h e a t i n g t h a t s h e w a s p r e g n a n t . O n O c t o b e r 4 , t h e a p p e l l a n t R O E s ) . T h e f i r s t i n d i c a t e d t h a t s h e h a d b e e n e m p l o y e d s e d f o r c a u s e . T h e s e c o n d , t h a t s h e h a d b e e n e m p l o y e d i s m i s s e d f o r c a u s e . O n t h e s a m e d a t e , t h e a p p e l l a n t 8 s t a t i n g t h a t s h e w o u l d b e e v i c t e d f o r n o n p a y m e n t o f e n t l y b e e n e v i c t e d a n d i s s t a y i n g i n a s h e l t e r . S h e a l s o r e m p l o y m e n t , s t a t i n g t h a t i t w a s a c t u a l l y d u e t o t h e f a c t e w a s a l s o u n h a p p y w i t h b e i n g a s s i g n e d t o w a s h i n g d i s h e s e f r o m a N u r s e P r a c t i t i o n e r d a t e d O c t o b e r 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 , e s s . S h e h a s r e c e n t l y e n g a g e d i n m e d i c a l c a r e a t o u r c l i n i c . y n o t a b l e t o w o r k . S h e h a s b e g u n p s y c h i a t r i c c a r e a t o u r a t i o n . I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h s e c t i o n 2 2 ( 4 ) o f t h e E AA , t h e m a t i o n i t c o n t a i n s i s i n s u p p o rt o f t h e i n fo r m a t i o n t h a t w a s i s i o n . T h i s n o t e c o n f i r m s t h e f a c t s t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s l h e a l t h c o n c e r n s . W h e t h e r o r n o t t h e a p p e l l a n t i s a b l e t o f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e . A T T A C H E X T R A P A G E S I F N E C E S S A R Y
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 u n d e r a p p e a l 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 r e c e i v e i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e f o r t h e m o n t h s o f S e p t e m b e r e m p l o y m e n t f o r j u s t c a u s e w h i c h d i s q u a l i f i e s h e r f r o m r e h e r a p p l i c a t i o n . T h e r e l e v a n t l e g i s l a t i o n i s s e c t i o n s 1 3 o f t h e E A A a n d 2 9 C o n s e q u e n c e s o f n o t m e e t i n g e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e 1 3 ( 1 ) S u b j e c t t o 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 s u b j e c t t o t h e c o n s e q u e n c e d e s c r i b e d i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 2 ) f a m i l y u n i t i f ( a ) a t a n y t i m e w h i l e a r e c i p i e n t i n t h e f a m i a s s i s t a n c e o r w i t h i n 6 0 d a y s b e fo r e a n a p p a p p l i c a n t o r r e c i p i e n t h a s ( i ) f a i l e d t o a c c e p t s u i t a b l e e m p l o y ( i i ) v o l u n t a r i l y l e f t e m p l o y m e n t w i t ( i i i ) b e e n d i s m i s s e d f r o m e m p l o y m ( b ) a t a n y t i m e w h i l e a r e c i p i e n t i n t h e f a m i a s s i s t a n c e , t h e r e c i p i e n t f a i l s t o d e m o n s t r a ( 2 ) F o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 ) , ( a ) i f a f a m i l y u n i t i n c l u d e s d e p e n d e n t c h i l d p r o v i d e d t o o r f o r t h e f a m i l y u n i t m u s t b e r p e r i o d , a n d ( b ) i f a f a m i l y u n i t d o e s n o t i n c l u d e d e p e n d a s s i s t a n c e fo r t h e p r e s c r i b e d p e r i o d . ( 3 ) T h e L i e u t e n a n t G o v e r n o r i n C o u n c i l m a y s p e c i fy b y f a m i l y u n i t s t h i s s e c t i o n d o e s n o t a p p l y . C o n s e q u e n c e s o f f a i l i n g t o m e e t e m p l o y m e n t r e l a 2 9 ( 1 ) F o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f s e c t i o n 1 3 ( 2 ) ( a ) [ c o n s e q o b l i g a t i o n s ] o f t h e A c t , ( a ) f o r a d e f a u l t r e f e r r e d t o i n s e c t i o n 1 3 ( 1 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 f a m i l y u n i m o n t h s s t a rt i n g f r o m t h e l a t e r o f t h e f o l l o w ( i ) t h e i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e a p p l i c a t i o ( i i ) t h e d a t e t h e d e f a u l t o c c u r r e d , a ( b ) f o r a d e f a u l t r e f e r r e d t o i n s e c t i o n 1 3 / 1 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 f a m i l y u n i t h e l a t e r o f t h e f o l l o w i n g o c c u r s : ( i ) t h e i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e o r h a r d s h r e d u c e d f o r o n e c a l e n d a r m o n t h ; ( i i ) t h e m i n i s t e r i s s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e d e m o n s t r a t i n g r e a s o n a b l e e f f o rt s t o ( 2 ) T h e r e d u c t i o n u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 ) a p p l i e s i n r e s p e a n y t h i n g p r o h i b i t e d u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 3 / 1 ) [ c o n s e q u e n c e A c t . ( 3 ) F o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f s e c t i o n 1 3 ( 2 ) ( b ) [ c o n s e q u e n c e A c t , t h e p e r i o d o f i n e l i g i b i l i t y f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e l a s t ( a ) fo r a d e f a u l t r e f e r r e d i n t o s e c t i o n 1 ; L ( 1.} f r o m t h e l a t e r o f t h e f o l l o w i n g d a t e s : ( i ) t h e i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e a p p l i c a t i o ( i i ) t h e d a t e t h e d e f a u l t o c c u r r e d , a ( b ) f o r a d e f a u l t r e f e r r e d t o i n s e c t i o n 1 3 W o c c u r r e d :i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n f i n d i n g 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 t o a n d O c t o b e r b e c a u s e s h e w a s d i s m i s s e d f r o m h e r c e i v i n g i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e f o r tw o m o n t h s f r o m t h e d a t e o f o f t h e E A R : d o b l i g a t i o n s l a n , t h e f a m i l y u n i t o f a n a p p l i c a n t o r a r e c i p i e n t i s f o r a f a m i l y u n i t m a t c h i n g t h e a p p l i c a n t ' s o r r e c i p i e n t ' s l y u n i t i s r e c e i v i n g 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 l i c a n t i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t a p p l i e s f o r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e , t h e m e n t , h o u t j u s t c a u s e , o r e n t f o r j u s t c a u s e , o r l y u n i t i s r e c e i v i n g 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 t e r e a s o n a b l e e ff o r t s t o s e a r c h f o r e m p l o y m e n t . r e n , t h e 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 d u c e d 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 e n t c h i l d r e n , t h e f a m i l y u n i t i s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r i n c o m e r e g u l a t i o n c a t e g o r i e s o f a p p l i c a n t s o r r e c i p i e n t s t o w h o s e t e d o b l i g a t i o n s u e n c e s o f n o t m e e t i n g e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e d ) ( a ) o f t h e A c t , t h e 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 t m u s t b e r e d u c e d b y $ 1 0 0 fo r e a c h o f 2 c a l e n d a r i n g d a t e s : n d a t e u n d e r t h i s r e g u l a t i o n ; n d ) ( b ) o f t h e A c t , t h e 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 t m u s t b e r e d u c e d b y $ 1 0 0 f o r e a c h c a l e n d a r m o n t h u n t i l i p a s s i s t a n c e p r o v i d e d t o t h e f a m i l y u n i t h a s b e e n a p p l i c a n t o r r e c i p i e n t w h o c o m m i t t e d t h e d e f a u l t i s s e a r c h f o r e m p l o y m e n t . c t o f 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 a f a m i l y u n i t w h o d o e s s o f n o t m e e t i n g e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e d o b l i g a t i o n s ] o f t h e s o f n o t m e e t i n g e m p l o y m e n t r e l a t e d o b l i g a t i o n s ] o f t h e s ( a ) o f t h e A c t , u n t i l 2 c a l e n d a r m o n t h s h a v e e l a p s e d n d a t e u n d e r t h i s r e g u l a t i o n ; n d ( b ) o f t h e 8 � t , u n t i l t h e l a t e r o f t h e f o l l o w i n g h a s
(i) the family unit has been ineligible for income assistance for one calendar month; (ii) the minister is satisfied that the applicant or recipient who committed the default is demonstrating reasonable efforts to search for employment. Section 13(1 )(a)(iii) of the EAA and 29(3)(a)(i) of the EAR are clear that an applicant who has been dismissed from employment for cause within the last 60 days is disqualified from receiving income assistance for two months from the date of their application. The information before the ministry at the time of the reconsideration decision in the form of the appellant's RO Es was that she had been dismissed for cause on September 2, 2018 and September 27, 2018, well within 60 days of her application on September 27. The appellant's testimony that she was not dismissed for cause is not substantiated by the evidence of the ROEs. The facts that the appellant is pregnant and homeless and has a mental condition are unfortunate but not relevant to a determination of her eligibility to receive income assistance for the months of September and October. Accordingly, the panel concludes that the ministry's decision that the appellant is not eligible to receive income assistance for the months of September and October 2018 was a reasonable interpretation of the applicable legislation and confirms the ministry's decision.
I PART G -ORDER THE PANEL DECISION IS: (Check one) 121UNANIMOUS □BY MAJORITY THE PANEL 121CONFIRMS THE MINISTRY DECISION □RESCINDS THE MINISTRY DECISION If the ministry decision is rescinded, is the panel decision referred back to the Minister for a decision as to amount? □Yes □No LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY FOR THE DECISION: Employment and Assistance Act Section 24(1 )(a) D or Section 24(1 )(b) 121 and Section 24(2)(a) 121 or Section 24(2)(b) D PART H -SIGNATURES PRINT NAME Marcus Hadley SIGNATURE OF CHAIR DATE (YEAR/MONTH/DAY) u ,,. 2018/11/08 PR!NTNAME Susan MacKey SIGNATURE OF MEMBER DATE (YEAR/MONTH/DAY) � 2018/11/08 PRINT NAME Joseph Rodgers SIGNATURE OF MEMBER DATE (YEAR/MONTH/DAY) ��-2018 /11/08
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.