Difference between revisions of "I'm Being Investigated by the Welfare Ministry"

{{Template:Legal Help Guide TOC}}If the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation ("MSDSI") believes that you have received welfare benefits you shouldn't have, they may ask you to repay them. The same applies for the Administering Authority for welfare on an Indian reserve. This is called an overpayment. If they believe that you have received the benefit through fraud, or providing false or misleading information, they will investigate and may have you charged with an offence under the ''Criminal Code'' or provincial welfare laws. Fraud means receiving assistance as a result of providing information that you know is false or misleading.  

| tips = Take any accusation of welfare fraud very seriously. Bans on welfare eligibility because of fraud convictions were eliminated on August 1, 2015.  But there are still serious consequences of being convicted of welfare fraud.  In most cases at least $100 per month will be deducted from your welfare check to pay MSDSI back for money you were convicted of obtaining by fraud or providing false or misleading information. This deduction will last for at least 12 months. If you were convicted of fraud under the ''Criminal Code'', the deduction will last until all of the funds your conviction related to are repaid.  (The exception is that MSDSI can choose to deduct less than $100 per month if you are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless because of the deduction, or if the deduction puts your health or the health of someone else in your family at risk).