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→C. Failing to Accept or Pursue Income or Assets or Disposing of Property
== C. Failing to Accept or Pursue Income or Assets or Disposing of Property ==
Section 14 of the EAA (s 13 of the EAPWDA) and s 31 of the EAR (s 27 of the EAPWDR) outline the sanctions that MSDSI may apply to applicants who fail to pursue income or assets or who dispose of property for inadequate consideration. '''NOTE: ''' The details of the sanctions that MSDSI may apply under EAA s 14 (s 13 of the EAPWDA) and EAR s 31 (s 27 of the EAPWDR) are summarized in the Online Resource in a table at http://www.gov.bc.ca/meia/online_resource/verification_and_eligibility/sanctions/policy.html as above, or indexed under Sanctions/Policy/Reasons for Sanctions. == D.Conviction or Civil Judgment for Welfare Fraud == As of Sept 1, 2015 , a person is no longer ineligible for income assistance, PPMB assistance or disability assistance ONLY because of either: ·a *a conviction under the ''Criminal Code '' in relation to obtaining welfare benefits by fraud or false or misleading representation (i.e. lifetime ban repealed); ·a *a conviction of a statutory offence under the EAA or EAPWDA (or prior welfare legislation); OR ·a *a declaration of ineligibility by MSDSI following MSDSI obtaining a civil judgment against them for a welfare overpayment. People convicted of such offences either before or after September 1, 2015, or with declarations of ineligibility related to a civil judgment, can now qualify for regular income assistance, PPMB or disability assistance, if they meet all other eligibility requirements. These family units are liable to repay the government, under section 27 of the EAA (s 18 of the EAPWDA), the amount or value of the overpayment that was the subject of the ''Criminal Code '' conviction and/or conviction under the EAA/EAPWDA and/or civil judgment. This amount is known as an “offence overpayment.”Section ” Section 89 and 89.1 of the EAR (74 and 74.1 of the EAPWDA) detail a minimum monthly welfare benefit deduction and repayment structure that applies to an “offence overpayment,” as well as the exemptions from those deductions. The basic rule is a reduction of $100 per month reduction in welfare benefits for each person in a family unit who has an “offence overpayment.”Where ” Where a person was convicted under the Criminal Code, that deduction continues until the amount of the overpayment is repaid in full. Where a person was convicted of a statutory offence under the EAA or EAPDA, that deduction continues for: 1.#12 months for a first conviction (unless the overpayment is repaid in less than 12 months) 2.#24 months for second conviction, (unless the overpayment is repaid in less than 24 months); and 3.#For a third or subsequent conviction, until the amount of the third or subsequent overpayment is repaid. There is some degree of ministerial discretion to waive the minimum $100 repayment requirements in a given benefit month. The minister may waive the repayment for the following reasons: ·The *The minister is satisfied that the family unit is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless*The minister is satisfied that a deduction would result in danger to the health of a person in the family unit; OR *A recipient in the family unit is liable for an offence overpayment but the person convicted of the criminal code offence or Act offence that resulted in the offence overpayment is not a member of the family unit for the benefit month. Clinicians should consult these sections to see what specific repayment structure matches the client’s current family unit and welfare benefit status, and what exemptions they might be entitled to. == E. Providing Inaccurate or Incomplete Information to MSDSI == If a household provides inaccurate or incomplete information regarding eligibility (under s 10 or 11 of the EAA or EAPWDA), and as a result receives assistance for which it was not eligible, MSDSI may apply sanctions under s 15.1 of the EAA (s 14.1 of the EAPWDA) and ss 32-34 of the EAR (ss 28-30 of the EAPWDR). '''NOTE:''' The details of the sanctions that MSDSI may apply under s 15.1 of the EAA (s 14.1 of the EAPWDA) and ss 32-34 of the EAR (ss 28-30 of the EAPWDR) are summarized on the Online Resource in a table as above: http://www.gov.bc.ca/meia/online_resource/verification_and_eligibility/sanctions/policy.html == F. Outstanding Warrants == Effective 1 June 2010, the legislation (EAA, s.\ 15.2 and EAPWDA, s 14.2) provides that where there is an outstanding warrant for a person under the ''Immigration and Refugee Protection Act'' or any other enactment of Canada in relation to an indictable offence, that person will be ineligible to receive income assistance, disability assistance, or hardship assistance. Exceptions to these rules include people under 18, pregnant women, and people in the end stage of a terminal illness (see the EAR, s 38.1 and EAPWDR, s 34.1 for details). If MSDSI cuts off a person’s assistance due to an outstanding warrant, the person may appeal the decision by requesting reconsideration by MSDSI. If the reconsideration is unsuccessful, a further appeal may be filed to the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal (EAAT). While the appeal is in progress, the person should be able to collect a repayable appeal supplement. If a person is ineligible to collect assistance due to an outstanding warrant, he or she may be able to collect two other forms of financial help: *A repayable monthly supplement may be paid if a person can show that without financial help, undue hardship will be experienced. Normally, this form of assistance can only be paid for three consecutive months, unless MSDSI authorizes payment for up to three additional months or *A repayable transportation supplement may be available to those whose warrants were issued in a jurisdiction other than the one in which they live and who are not able to cover the expense of traveling to that jurisdiction to deal with the warrant. The amount of this supplement is limited to the cost of the least expensive mode of travel. If MSDSI denies a person’s application for these two supplements, a request for reconsideration may be filed, but if that fails, no appeal may be made to the EAAT. If a person has a warrant that makes them ineligible for welfare, other people in their family unit can still get welfare. For more information about how an outstanding warrant may affect a person’s eligibility for income assistance, the Community Legal Assistance Society of BC has a published a detailed fact sheet at: http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/clastest/pages/79/attachments/original/1401252000/Outstanding_warrants_fact_sheet_FINAL.pdf?1401252000 == G. Labour Disputes == Applicants are not eligible for income assistance, PPMB assistance, or disability assistance if they or their adult dependant is on strike or locked out (EAR, s 14 and EAPWDR, s 13). An applicant in this situation may, however, qualify for hardship assistance under s 45 of the EAR or s 40 of the EAPWDR. If a person is not on strike themselves but cannot go to work because their union is honouring another union's picket line, they can apply for income assistance. == H. Being in Prison or “Other Lawful Place of Confinement” == A person in a “lawful place of confinement” or on temporary leave from such a place is not eligible for assistance: s 15 of EAR and s 14 of EAPWDR. However, pre-release prisoners are eligible to apply for welfare on an expedited basis, based on an immediate needs assessment (see [http://www.gov.bc.ca/meia/online_resource/application/immneeds/policy.html MSDSI’s policy]). This is intended to ensure that they can receive welfare immediately upon their release. The [http://www.johnhowardbc.ca John Howard Society] provides pre-release planning assistance for prisoners, including help with welfare applications. == I. Being a Full-Time Student == Full-time students who are eligible for student loan funding are not eligible for income assistance or PPMB assistance during the school term (EAR, s 16). The dependent children of income assistance and PPMB recipients are not affected by this limitation. Section 1 of the EAR defines the term “full-time student,” and s 16(2) of the EAR sets out the period during which a full-time student is ineligible for income assistance or PPMB. Full-time students who are no longer eligible for student loan funding because they have used up their allowable loans, bursaries, or grants may be eligible for income assistance during summer break if they cannot find work. Recipients of disability assistance, and their dependants, are not restricted from being full-time students. Students who are enrolled in unfunded programs (where student loans are not available)—such as high school completion and adult basic education or students whose post-secondary education is sponsored under a federal or provincial government plan—may remain eligible for income assistance if they have received prior approval from the minister. See EAR s 16(1)(b). Part-time students remain eligible for income assistance provided other eligibility requirements, including employment obligations, are met. Certain recipients of welfare benefits who receive grants, scholarships, student loans, a training allowance, or withdraw money from RESPs for education-related expenses, can have those monies exempted by MSDSI as their “income” up to the amount of their education costs (for tuition, books, compulsory student fees, and reasonable transportation costs) and related childcare expenses. This applies if: *The student is the dependent child (under 19) of a welfare recipient; *The student has the PWD designation or is the dependant of a person with the PWD designation;