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 ry o f S o c i a l D e v e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n o f F e b r u a r y 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 i n w h i c h t i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e ( " I A " ) u n d e r S e c t i o n 2 o f t h e E m p l o y m E 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 ( " E A R " ) b e c a u s s t u d i e s , 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 A A : S e c t i o n 2 E A R : S e c t i o n s 1 , 1 6 C a n a d a S t u d e n t F i n a n c i a l A s s i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n ( " C S F A l o p m e n t a n d P o v e r t y R e d u c t i o n ( " t h e m i n i s t ry " ) h e m i n i s t r y f o u n 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 e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e A c t ( " E A A " ) a n d S e c t i o n 1 6 o f t h e e s h e w a s a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t i n a f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f R " ) : S e c t i o n 2 ( 1 )
I PART E -SUMMARY OF FACTS The information before the ministry at reconsideration included the following: • Request for Reconsideration submitted by the appellant on or about February 4, 2019, summarized as follows: o the appellant is enrolled in a university program of studies for a term commencing January 7, 2019 and ending April 30, 2019; o her course load is 60% of full-time (9/15 credits); o she attends classes only 2.5 days per week; o she has been unable to secure funding from Student Aid BC because she is on the "restricted list"; o she has applied for bursaries and grants to assist with payment of her tuition and fees but not living expenses; o she has a college diploma in accounting but has been unable to find employment. • university course registration form confirming that the appellant is registered in 3 courses for a total of 9 credits for the term starting January 7, 2019 and ending April 30, 2019; • January 30, 2019 letter from the university student awards and financial support department confirming that the appellant has applied for awards and/or bursaries and if successful her award will not exceed the cost of tuition and fees. Documents Received after Reconsideration 1. February 27, 2019 email message from the appellant to the Employment Assistance Appeal Tribunal stating that she has withdrawn from university and has arranged an appointment with Work BC; 2. University form entitled "Withdrawal in Extenuating Circumstances" indicating that the appellant applied for a withdrawal from all 3 courses on February 25, 2019; 3. Work BC card confirming an appointment on March 8, 2019. Admissibility of Information Received after Reconsideration The panel determined that Documents 1 and 2 tendered by the appellant are not admissible under EAA Section 22 (4) because they constitute new information that was not before the ministry at reconsideration and did not support the information upon which the ministry made its determination. The panel also determined that Document 3 is inadmissible under Section 22 (4) because it is not relevant to the issues before the ministry at reconsideration and contains no substantive information.
PART F -REASONS FOR PANEL DECISION The issue under appeal is whether the ministry's determination that the appellant is not eligible for IA under EAA Section 2 and EAR Section 16 because she is a full-time student in a funded program of studies is reasonably supported by the evidence or is a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the appellant's circumstances. Relevant Legislation: EAA: Eligibility of family unit 2 For the purposes of this Act, a family unit is eligible, in relation to income assistance, hardship assistance or a supplement, if (a)each person in the family unit on whose account the income assistance, hardship assistance or supplement is provided satisfies the initial and continuing conditions of eligibility established under this Act, and (b) the family unit has not been declared ineligible for the income assistance, hardship assistance or supplement under this Act. EAR: Definitions 1 (1) In this regulation: "full-time student" has the same meaning as in the Canada Student Financial Assistance Regulations (Canada); "funded program of studies" means a program of studies for which funding provided to students under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act may be provided to a student enrolled in it; "student financial assistance" means funding provided to students under (a) the British Columbia Student Assistance Program, (b) the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, or (c) a similar program provided by another province or jurisdiction; "unfunded program of studies" means a program of studies for which a student enrolled in ii is not eligible for funding provided to students under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. Effect of family unit including full-time student 16 (1) Subject to subsection (1.1 ), a family unit is not eligible for income assistance for the period described in subsection (2) if an applicant or a recipient is enrolled as a full-time student (a) in a funded program of studies, or
( b ) i n a n u n f u n d e d p r o g r a m ( 1 . 1 ) S u b s e c t i o n ( 1 ) ( a ) d o e s n o t a p p l y a f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s w i t h t h e p t h e p e r i o d d e s c r i b e d i n s u b s e c t i o n ( 2 ) . ( 1 . 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 f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s i f t h e p e r s o n ( a ) i s a s o l e r e c i p i e n t o f i n c ( i ) h a s a d e p e n d e n ( i i ) p r o v i d e s c a r e t ( b ) i s r e q u i r e d t o e n r o l l i n t p l a n a n d ( c ) w a s r e c e i v i n g i n c o m e a e a c h o f t h e i m m e d i a t e l y p r u n l e s s t h e m i n i s t e r i s s a t i s C S F A R ( C a n a d a ) : 2 ( 1 ) " f u ll t i m e s t u d e n t " m e a n s a p e r s o n • ( a ) w h o , d u r i n g a c o n f i r m e d p e r i o d w i t h i n a p ( i ) a t l e a s t 4 0 p e r c e n t a n d l e s s d e s i g n a t e d e d u c a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o p e r s o n w h o h a s a p e r m a n e n t d i o r ( i i ) a t l e a s t 6 0 p e r c e n t o f a c o u r i n s t i t u t i o n a s c o n s t i t u t i n g a f u l l t i • ( b ) w h o s e p r i m a r y o c c u p a t i o n d u r i n g t h e c o n o f s t u d i e s i n t h o s e c o u r s e s . T h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t s h e s h o u l d b e e l i g i b l e f o r I A b e s e e k i n g e m p l o y m e n t a n d h a s b e e n u n a b l e t o o b t a i n f u n d T h e m i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n i s s e t o u t i n t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d • a 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 A i f t h e r e c i p i e n t i s s t u d i e s o r i n a n u n f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s w i 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 e x t e n d s f r o m t h e f i r s t d a a n d e n d s o n t h e l a s t d a y o f t h e m o n t h i n w h i c h e P a n e l D e c i s i o n T o b e e l i g i b l e f o r I A , t h e f a m i l y u n i t m u s t s a t i s fy i n i t i a l c o f o r a s s i s t a n c e u n d e r s e c t i o n 2 o f t h e E M . I n r e l a t i o n t o s 1 6 ( 1 ) o f t h e E A R i f t h e a p p l i c a n t f o r a s s i s t a n c e i s e n r o l l e i n a n u n f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s w i t h o u t t h e p r i o r a p p r p r o v i d e s e x c e p t i o n s fo r s i n g l e p a r e n t s b u t t h e r e a r e n o e t h e a p p e l l a n t .o f s t u d i e s w i t h o u t t h e p r i o r a p p r o v a l o f t h e m i n i s t e r . t o a f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i n c l u d e s a r e c i p i e n t w h o i s e n r o l l e d i n r i o r a p p r o v a l o f t h e m i n i s t e r u n d e r s u b s e c t i o n ( 1 . 2 ) d u r i n g . 1 ) , t h e m i n i s t e r m a y a p p r o v e a p e r s o n t o e n r o l l i n a o m e a s s i s t a n c e w h o t c h i l d , o r o a s u p p o rt e d c h i l d , h e p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s a s a c o n d i t i o n o f a n e m p l o y m e n t s s i s t a n c e , h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e o r d i s a b i l i t y a s s i s t a n c e i n e c e d i n g 3 c a l e n d a r m o n t h s , f i e d t h a t e x c e p t i o n a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s e x i s t . e r i o d o f s t u d i e s , i s e n r o l l e d i n c o u r s e s t h a t c o n s t i t u t e t h a n 6 0 p e r c e n t o f a c o u r s e l o a d r e c o g n i z e d b y t h e n a s c o n s t i t u t i n g a f u l l c o u r s e l o a d , i n t h e c a s e o f a s a b i l i t y a n d e l e c t s t o b e c o n s i d e r e d a s a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t , s e l o a d r e c o g n i z e d b y t h e d e s i g n a t e d e d u c a t i o n a l m e c o u r s e l o a d , i n a n y o t h e r c a s e , f i r m e d p e r i o d s w i t h i n t h a t p e r i o d o f s t u d i e s i s t h e p u r s u i t c a u s e s h e i s a p a rt t i m e u n i v e r s i t y s t u d e n t w h o i s a c t i v e l y i n g t h ro u g h S t u d e n t A i d B C . e c i s i o n , s u m m a r i z e d a s fo l l o w s : e n r o l l e d a s a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t i n a f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f h o u t t h e p r i o r a p p r o v a l o f t h e m i n i s t r y ; y o f t h e m o n t h f o l l o w i n g t h e m o n t h i n w h i c h c l a s s e s b e g i n x a m s a r e h e l d . n d i t i o n s o f e l i g i b i l i t y a n d n o t h a v e b e e n d e c l a r e d i n e l i g i b l e t u d e n t s , a 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 A u n d e r s e c t i o n d a s a f u l l t i m e s t u d e n t i n a f u n d e d p r o g r a m o f s t u d i e s , o r o v a l o f t h e m i n i s t e r . T h e m i n i s t r y n o t e s t h a t t h e R e g u l a t i o n x c e p t i o n s u n d e r t h e l e g i s l a t i o n fo r s o l e a p p l i c a n t s s u c h a s
I Essentially, the legislation makes the sole applicant ineligible for IA when two criteria are met: • the applicant is enrolled in school full-time; and • the program is a funded program of studies. "Full-time student" is defined in section 1 (1) of the EAR as having the same meaning as in the federal CSFAR. In relation to a student who does not have a disability, Section 2(1) of the CS FAR defines a full-time student as a person who is taking at least 60 per cent of the course load recognized by the learning institution as a full-time course load during a confirmed period of studies. The panel therefore finds that at the time of reconsideration the appellant was a full-time student because she was taking 60% of the course load offered in her program of studies. "Funded program of studies" is defined in section 1 (1) of the EAR as a program of studies for which funding under the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act may be provided to a student enrolled in it. Although the appellant was declared ineligible for funding due to being on the "restricted list", the program of studies in which she was enrolled is one for which funding may be provided. The panel therefore finds that at the time of reconsideration the appellant was a full-time student in a funded program of studies. EAR Section 16 (2) states that the period for which a full-time student in a funded program of studies is not eligible for IA extends from the first day of the month following the month in which classes commence and continues until the last day of the month in which exams in the relevant program of studies are held. The appellant's study period began on January 7, 2019 and ends on April 30, 2019. Based on the evidence before the minister at reconsideration and the applicable legislation the panel finds that the ministry reasonably determined the appellant is not eligible for IA for the period February 1, 2019 -April 30, 2019 because at the time of reconsideration she was a full-time student in a funded program of studies. Conclusion The panel finds that the ministry's decision to deny IA to the appellant for the period February 1, 2019 -April 30, 2019 because she is a full-time student in a funded program of studies is a reasonable application of the applicable enactments in the appellant's circumstances, and confirms the decision. The appellant is not successful in her appeal.
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 ) X U N A N I M O U S â–¡ B Y M A J O R I T Y T H E P A N E L X 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 â–¡ 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 ? â–¡ Y e s â–¡ 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 t a n c e A c t S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 1 ) ( a ) o r S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 1 ) ( b ) X a n d S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 2 ) ( a ) X o r S e c t i o n 2 4 ( 2 ) ( b ) P A R T H S I G N A T U R E S P R ) N T N A M E J o a n B u b b s S I G N A T U R E O F C H A I R D A T E ( Y E A R / M O N T H / D A Y ) 2 0 1 9 / A p r / 1 1 P R I N T N A M E C h r i s M c E w a n S I G N A T U R E O F M E M B E R D A T E ( Y E A R/ M O N T H / D A Y ) 2 0 1 9 / A p r / 1 1 P R J N T N A M E G l e n n P r i o r S I G N A T U R E O F M E M B E R D A T E { Y E A R / M O N T H / D A Y ) 2 0 1 9 / A p r / 1 1
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