Difference between revisions of "Welfare Rates and Payment Issues (21:VIII)"

People who are eligible for income assistance, PPMB assistance, or disability assistance are entitled to the assistance amounts determined in Schedule A of the EAR or EAPWDR, minus any non-exempt income  

All rates are monthly and set out in Schedule A of the EAR and EAPWDR.  The Ministry divides the rates into a portion for shelter, and a separate portion for support (which the Ministry intends to cover all living expenses other than shelter, including food, clothing, etc.).  The shelter portion listed is a maximum.  The Ministry will only pay the lesser of a person’s actual shelter costs or the maximum listed shelter allowance.  Below are examples of monthly rates for different family configurations:

NOTE: Helpful rate tables are online at http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/policies-for-government/bcea-policy-and-procedure-manual/bc-employment-and-assistance-rate-tables. These show the shelter support and shelter rates for all forms of assistance under the EAA and EAPWDA

In addition to the support allowance, families may also receive the Canada Child Benefit for children under 18, which includes the old Universal Child Care Benefit for children under 6, the former Canada Child Tax Benefit, and what the government called (until 2016) the national child benefit supplement.  If a family’s Canada Child Benefit for a given month is less than what sections 1 of the EAR and EAPDR define as the “BC child adjustment amount” (see table below) for each child aged two months to 18 years, (e.g. because a child is ineligible, or a check is delayed), then the Ministry may issue a top up to that amount, as per the chart below.  See also EAR Schedule A, section 2(2).

Recipients are eligible for the full monthly shelter amount only if they are paying at least that much in shelter costs. Schedule A, s 5 of the EAR and EAPWDR set out what expenses and items can be included when calculating shelter costs. They are: rent, mortgage payments, house insurance premiums, property taxes for the recipient’s own home, utility costs, and the actual cost of maintenance and repairs for the recipient’s own home '''if''' these costs have been approved.  Note that the definition of “utility costs” in Schedule A, s 5(1) of the EAR and EAPWDR is quite broad.   

Where two or more family units share the same place of residence, the Ministry calculates family units’ shelter costs according to s 5(4) of Schedule A of the EAR and EAPWDR.  

Schedule A, s 6 of the EAR and EAPWDR set out the method for calculating the income assistance and disability assistance rates for a family unit receiving room and board.   

Schedule A, s 9 of EAR and EAPWDR provide for the level of assistance for a family unit that is receiving accommodation and care in an emergency shelter or transition house.