Income Security (Legal Information for Indigenous People): Difference between revisions

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==Employment Standards==
==Employment Standards==
===On and Off Reserve Employment===
If you have a Complaint: The Canada Labour Code sets federal labour standards for people employed in federal industries, which often includes First Nations Bands and other employment on reserve.
Call Canada Labour to confirm jurisdiction (Federal or Provincial) 1-800-641-4049 and to speak with a Labour Program Officer about your rights and the options you have if your rights have been violated.
Note time limits for filing complaints:
* Monetary and Non-Monetary Complaints must be filed within 6 months
* Unjust Dismissal Complaints must be filed within 90 days
* The deadline starts running from the last day the employer was required to pay you or from when you were aware of the issue.


==Debt==
==Debt==

Revision as of 23:50, 1 February 2023

Employment Insurance[edit]

The EI Application is online and takes about 40 minutes. As a general rule, apply within 4 weeks of stopping work https://www.canada.ca/en/ services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html

Eligibility Considerations Include[edit]

Regular Benefits[edit]

  • Eligible if you lise work through no fault of your own (shortage of work, laid off, etc.) and
  • You have the required amount of hours in the last 52 weeks (a minimum of 420 hours) but changes back to pre-Covid rules September 24, 2022

Sickness Benefits[edit]

  • Eligible if unable to work for medical reasons
  • Have enough hours
  • Medical note

Maternity[edit]

  • Eligible when pregnant or caring for newborn
  • Have enough hours

Caregiver Benefits[edit]

  • Providing care for critically ill or injured family member
  • Have enough hours
  • Medical note

Parental Benefits[edit]

  • Eligible when parents are away from work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child
  • Have enough hours

Fishing EI[edit]

  • Have made the required earnings $2500 from fishing
  • Apply within four weeks from end of fishing

Compassionate Care Benefits[edit]

  • Providing care for family member in need of end-of- life care
  • Have enough hours
  • Medical note

General Tips[edit]

  • Apply ASAP. You do not need to wait for your ROE. You will want to confirm that it has been sent. You will not get money from EI until the ROE is received.
  • If quit or fired or late applying call a Legal Advocate to assist. Do not assume you are not eligible.
  • If you return to work, even temporarily, report the income because you could owe money back if you double-dip and you may have a harder time getting EI in the future.
  • If fired, you will be ineligible for EI unless you can show that you did not lose your job due to your own misconduct.
  • If you quit, you will be ineligible unless you show that there was no reasonable alternative to quitting (e.g. hostile work environment) and that quitting was the only reasonable solution.
  • If denied, call a Legal Advocate: to assess and help with an appeal You must file within 30 days after the date the decision was communicated to you.

[People's Law School logo] [Info about PLS]

Disability Benefits[edit]

There are different kinds of Disability Benefits that people may be eligible for. It is important that you check the requirements so you apply for the best one for you.

Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D) benefits[edit]

To qualify for CPP-D, you must:

  • Be under 65 years of age
  • Have made the required amount of contributions from your paychecks
  • Not all Bands contribute to CPP, so check your pay stub to check or ask if unsure
  • Have made contributions to the program in four of six years before you became disabled, with minimum levels of earnings in each of these years, or in three of the prior six years for those with 25 or more years of contribution
  • Call Service Canada to check if you are unsure about contributions 1-800-277-9914.
  • Have not collected CPP Early Retirement for more than 15 months and
  • Have a “severe and prolonged” disability as defined in the CPP legislation: Severe is a condition that makes “a person incapable of regularly pursuing any substantially gainful occupation.” Prolonged is defined as “likely to be long continued and of indefinite duration or is likely to result in death…” https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ publicpensions/cpp/cpp-disability-benefit/apply
  • You can apply online or by mail. See: https://www.canada.ca/en/ services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/cpp-disability-benefit/apply

Talk to your Doctor about filling in the forms. Call a Legal Advocate for help applying. If you are denied, call the Disability Alliance of BC or another Legal Advocate for help with an appeal 604-872-1278

Employment Disability Benefits[edit]

e.g. Sun Life, Canada Life, Municipal, I.W.A.

Employment Benefits such as Disability, Pension and Life Insurance are typically given to full-time employees as part of the employment contract and the employer/ee would pay into this benefit package during their employment. The benefit package would contain the qualifying Disability requirements.

Persons with Disabilities[edit]

On and Off Reserve applications[edit]

To apply for disability benefits on reserve, you need to request the disability application form from the Band Social Development Worker. Take the application to your doctor to complete. If you are denied a Disability claim, you have the right to appeal within 20 business days from the decision.

For help with disability applications and appeals: Contact a Legal Advocate near you www.povnet.org/find-an-advocate and/or call the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS) 1-888-815 -5511.

When living off reserve, people apply for the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation through the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation. To start the application process:


To qualify, you must meet the Ministry’s financial eligibility criteria and complete a PWD application with a doctor. For more support, call a Legal Advocate and/or contact the Disability Alliance of BC for help with applications and appeals for the PWD designation 1-800-663-1278

Both on and off reserve, in order to get the PWD designation you must:

  • be at least 18,
  • have a disability that is severe and expected to last at least two years,
  • have daily living activities that are directly and significantly restricted by your disability, and
  • to do daily living activities, you need an assistive device, or help or supervision from another person, or an assistance animal.

Employment Standards[edit]

On and Off Reserve Employment[edit]

If you have a Complaint: The Canada Labour Code sets federal labour standards for people employed in federal industries, which often includes First Nations Bands and other employment on reserve.

Call Canada Labour to confirm jurisdiction (Federal or Provincial) 1-800-641-4049 and to speak with a Labour Program Officer about your rights and the options you have if your rights have been violated.

Note time limits for filing complaints:

  • Monetary and Non-Monetary Complaints must be filed within 6 months
  • Unjust Dismissal Complaints must be filed within 90 days
  • The deadline starts running from the last day the employer was required to pay you or from when you were aware of the issue.

Debt[edit]