I APPEAL NUMBER PART C -DECISION UNDER APPEAL The decision under appeal is the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction's (the "ministry") Reconsideration Decision of May 24, 2019 in which the ministry determined that the appellant was not eligible for a crisis supplement for a mattress because the appellant only met part of the eligibility criteria; pursuant to section 59 of the Employment and Assistance Regulation. PART D -RELEVANT LEGISLATION EAA-Employment and Assistance Act, Section 4 EAR -Employment and Assistance Regulation, Section 59
P A R T E S U M M A R Y O F F A C T S T h e i n f o r m a t i o n 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 r e c o n 1 ) A p r i l 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 T h e A p p e l l a n t a t t e n d e d t h e m i n A p p e l l a n t i n f o r m e d t h e m i n i s t r y t h a t h e r m a t t r e t h e m i n i s t ry t h a t s h e h a d t r i e d a c c e s s i n g d i ff e r e n 2 ) A p r i l 2 5 , 2 0 1 9 T h e m i n i s t ry c o n s i d e r e d t h e r e q n o t e l i g i b l e f o r t h e s u p p l e m e n t d u e t o n o t m e e t 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 p e r m i t s f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i s 1 ) 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 f a m i l y u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n u t h e r e a r e n o o t h e r r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o t h e u n s u p p l e m e n t w i l l r e s u l t i n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e 3 ) T h e a p p e l l a n t p r o v i d e s t h a t h e r m a t t r e s s w a s s o u n e x p e c t e d b e c a u s e s h e w a s e v i c t e d d u e t o h e r m o v e , a n d c o u l d n o t a f f o r d t o p r o f e s s i o n a l l y c l e 4 ) T h e m i n i s t ry d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n t e a r o f a t e n y e a r o l d m a t t r e s s i s u n e x p e c t e d , a n d a n g e r o u s t o o n e ' s p h y s i c a l h e a l t h . A d d i t i o n a l I n f o r m a t i o n 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 i o n o f M i n f o r m a t i o n f o r t h e p a n e l t o c o n s i d e r .I A P P E A L N U M B E R s i d e r a t i o n i n c l u d e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : i s t ry o f f i c e t o r e q u e s t a s s i s t a n c e w i t h a m a t t r e s s . T h e s s w a s s o i l e d , w a s 1 0 y e a r s o l d a n d s a g g i n g . S h e i n f o r m e d t r e s o u r c e s i n t h e c o m m u n i t y t o n o a v a i l . u e s t f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t a n d d e t e r m i n e d t h a t s h e w a s i n g t h e c r i t e r i a h i g h l i g h t e d b e l o w ; s e c t i o n 5 9 ( 1 ) o f t h e t h e m i n i s t r y t o p r o v i d e a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o o r f o r a e o r h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e i f a ) t h e u n i t o r a p e r s o n i n t h e n e x p e c t e d n e e d a n d b ) i s u n a b l e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e a n d i t , a n d i ) t h e m i n i s t e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t f a i l u r e t o o b t a i n t h e p h y s i c a l h e a l t h o f a n y p e r s o n . i l e d , s a g g i n g a n d h a d b e d b u g s a n d t h a t h e r n e e d w a s r o o m m a t e n o t p a y i n g r e n t , a n d s h e h a d t o p a y f o r h e r o w n a n h e r m a t t r e s s . o t p r o v i d e s u ff i c i e n t e v i d e n c e t h a t t h e n a t u r a l w e a r a n d d o r t h a t n o t h a v i n g o n e i s c o n s i d e r e d i m m i n e n t l y a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 a n d d i d n o t s u b m i t a n y f u rt h e r e v i d e n c e o r
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 " m i n i s t r y " ) 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 M a y 2 4 , 2 0 1 9 i n e l i g i b l e f o r a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t f o r a m a t t r e s s b e c a u s e t h t o s e c t i o n 5 9 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 R e g u l a t T h e r e l e v a n t s e c t i o n o f t h e l e g i s l a t i o n i s a s f o l l o w s : C r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t 5 9 ( 1 ) T h e m i n i s t e r m a y p r o v i d e a c r i s i s s u p p l e m e n t t o h a r d s h i p a s s i s t a n c e i f ( a ) t h e fa m i l y u n i t o r a p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n a n i t e m u n e x p e c t e d l y n i t e m b e c a u s e t h e r e a r e n o r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a ( b ) t h e m i n i s t e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t f a i l u r e t o m ( i ) i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o t h e p h y s i c a l ( i i ) r e m o v a l o f a c h i l d u n d e r t h e C h i P a n e l D e c i s i o n T h e m i n i s t r y ' s p o s i t i o n , a 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 s u p p l e m e n t b e c a u s e s h e d i d n o t m e e t a l l o f t h e c r i t e r i a A s s i s t a n c e R e g u l a t i o n . T h e a p p e l l a n t ' s p o s i t i o n , a s o u t l i n e d a s h e r r e a s o n f o r a p p u r c h a s e o n e . F u r t h e r , t h e a p p e l l a n t p r o v i d e s t h a t s h e h w o r k a n d s h e c o u l d n o t a ff o r d t h e s p e c i a l p r o d u c t s n e e d n o w t h a t s h e d o e s n o t h a v e a b e d , s h e i s n o t g e t t i n g e n o a p p e l l a n t a r g u e s t h a t a n y m o n e y s h e d i d h a v e s h e u s e d r o o m m a t e w e r e e v i c t e d . T h e m i n i s t ry o u t l i n e s i n 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 t h a s h e w a s a b l e t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t s h e d i d n o t h a v e a c c e s t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h a t h e r n e e d w a s u n e x p e c t e d , a n d o r h p h y s i c a l h e a l t h s h o u l d s h e n o t r e c e i v e t h e s u p p l e m e n t .I A P P E A L N U M B E R i s t r y o f S o c i a l D e v e 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 ' s ( t h e w h i c h t h e m i n i s t ry d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t e a p p e l l a n t o n l y m e t p a r t o f t h e e l i g i b i l i t y c r i t e r i a ; p u r s u a n t i o n . o r fo r a f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i s e l i g i b l e fo r i n c o m e a s s i s t a n c e o r u n i t r e q u i r e s t h e s u p p l e m e n t t o m e e t a n u n e x p e c t e d e e d e d a n d i s u n a b l e t o m e e t t h e e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e b l e t o t h e f a m i l y u n i t , a n d e e t t h e e x p e n s e o r o b t a i n t h e i t e m w i l l r e s u l t i n h e a l t h o f a n y p e r s o n i n t h e f a m i l y u n i t , o r l d , F a m i l y a n d C o m m u n i t y S e r v i c e A c t . d e c i s i o n , i s 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 a c r i s i s s e t o u t u n d e r s e c t i o n 5 9 ( 1 ) o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d p e a l , i s t h a t s h e d o e s n o t h a v e a b e d , n o r t h e r e s o u r c e s t o a d a t t e m p t e d t o c l e a n t h e b e d w h i c h d i d n o t s u ff i c i e n t l y e d t o r i d t h e b e d o f i n s e c t s . T h e a p p e l l a n t p r o v i d e s t h a t u g h s l e e p w h i c h i s d e t r i m e n t a l t o h e r h e a l t h . T h e t o m o v e t o a n o t h e r r e s i d e n c e b e c a u s e s h e a n d h e r t t h e a p p e l l a n t m e t p a r t o f s e c t i o n 5 9 ( 1 ) o f t h e E A R , w h e r e s t o r e s o u r c e s t o r e p l a c e t h e m a t t r e s s , h o w e v e r , s h e f a i l e d o w s h e w o u l d b e f a c e d w i t h a n i m m i n e n t d a n g e r t o h e r
I APPEAL NUMBER Section 59 (1) of the Employment and Assistance Regulation permits the ministry to provide a crisis supplement to or for a family unit that is 1) eligible for income assistance or hardship assistance if a) the unit or a person in the family unit requires the supplement to meet an unexpected need and b) is unable to meet the expense and there are no other resources available to the unit, and i) the minister considers that failure to obtain the supplement will result in imminent danger to the physical health of any person. The panel finds that the evidence establishes that the appellant did not demonstrate how her need to replace the mattress was unexpected, as she indicated in advance of the discovery of insects that her bed was ten years old, sagging and needing replacement. Further, the panel finds that the ministry was reasonable in its determination t hat the appellant did not provide evidence that a failure to obtain a mattress will result in imminent danger to her physical health. The panel considered that a mattress certainly aids in restful sleep, however the lack of one does not reasonably equate to a risk of danger to one's health. Accordingly, the panel finds that the decision of the ministry to determine the Appellant was ineligible for a crisis supplement a reasonable application of the applicable enactment in the circumstances of the Appellant. Therefore, the panel confirms the ministry's decision pursuant to section 24(1}(b} and section 24{2}(a) of the Employment and Assistance Act. The appellant therefore is not successful in her appeal.
I APPEAL NUMBER PART G -ORDER THE PANEL DECISION IS: (Check one) ISJUNANIMOUS □BY MAJORITY THE PANEL ISJCONFIRMS 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) ISi and Section 24(2)(a) ISi or Section 24(2}(b) D PART H -SIGNATURES PRINT NAME Jennifer Armstrong S IGNATURE OF CHAIR DATE(YEAR/MONTH/DAY) 2019/07/11 PRINT NAME Sandra Chan SIGNATURE OF MEMBER DATE(YEAR/MONTH/DAY) 2019/07/11 PRINT NAME Anil Aggarwal SIGNATURE OF MEMBER DATE (YEAR/MONTH/DAY) 2019/07/11
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