Difference between revisions of "Welfare Eligibility (21:III)"

In order to be eligible for income assistance, PPMB assistance, or disability assistance, applicants must exhaust all other sources of income to support themselves and their dependants, except for income specifically exempted by legislation or policy.  

The net income limits for welfare recipients are set out in s 10 of the EAR and s 9 of the EAPWDR. Schedule B in both regulations sets out the manner in which a person’s net income is calculated for the purpose of welfare eligibility.  

The MSDSI distinguishes between earned and unearned income for the purpose of the net income calculation.

*any money or value received in exchange for work or the provision of a service;

*pension plan contributions that are refunded because of insufficient contribution to create a pension;

*money or value received from providing room and board at a person’s place of residence; or

*money or value received from renting rooms that are common to and part of a person’s place of residence.

*any type of CPP benefits;  

*WCB benefits and other disability payments and pensions;

*inheritances;  

*rental income from land or property;

*education or training allowances, grants, loans, bursaries, and scholarships;  

*winnings from lotteries and other forms of gambling;

*criminal injury compensation or crime victim compensation;  

*“any other financial awards or compensation”; and

*funds received from a sponsor under a sponsorship agreement pursuant to the ''Immigration and Refugee Protection Act''.  

*a. Income tax refunds;

*b. Universal child care benefits;

*c. Canada child tax benefits;

*d. Withdrawals from a Registered Disability Savings Plan;

*e. Child support payments (as of Sept 1, 2015; before Sept 1 2015, payments were considered unearned income and deducted dollar-for-dollar)

*f. CPP orphan’s benefit (as of Sept 1, 2015)  

*g. A one-time gift, if it does not make the recipient exceed their asset exemption level; and

*h. Some portion of WCB Temporary Wage Loss Replacement Payments issued under ss 29 and 30 of the ''Workers Compensation Act'', if:   

***the family unit has received PWD benefits in the past.  

Students must see ss 1-9 of Schedule B of the EAR and ss 1-9 of Schedule B of EAPWDR for a complete list of income exemptions.

Recipients of income assistance, PPMB assistance, and disability assistance all have an earnings exemption. The earnings exemption for income assistance and PPMB assistance is monthly. As of January 1, 2015, the earnings exemption for recipients of disability assistance is calculated per year (i.e. annual earnings exemption). The exemptions apply to all earned income, including wages from employment, money received from providing room, and board at a person’s place of residence, or money received from renting rooms that are common to the person’s place of residence.  

For recipients of income assistance and PPMB assistance, there is a one month waiting period to claim any earnings exemption. This means that a family unit cannot claim an earnings exemption for the first month in which they initially apply for and become eligible for income assistance or PPMB assistance, but can claim an earnings exemption for any subsequent months.  

*a. Family units, without children, receiving income assistance: $200/month  

*b. Family units receiving income assistance who have a dependant child or are caring for a supported child: $400/month (up from $200 as of  September 1, 2015); Exception: a single parent of a child or foster child who has a disability that prevents the parent from working more than 30 hours per week has an earnings exemption of $500/month while receiving income assistance (up from $300/month as of September 1, 2015)   

*c. Family unit receiving PPMB assistance: $500/month  

*d. Family unit receiving disability assistance:   

**$9600 per calendar year for a single adult (or single parent) with the PWD designation; $12 000 for a family unit with two adults where one  adult has the PWD designation, and the other adult does not.   

If a child is under 19 and in school full-time, a family unit can still keep the entirety of that child’s income without it affecting their  benefits (although the child’s income must still be reported to MSDSI). If a child is under 19 and not in school full time, then any income the child earns counts toward the family unit’s earnings exemption.   

'''It is very important to note that all earned income must be reported to MSDSI, even if it is below a person’s earnings exemption.'''