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

All rates are monthly and set out in Schedule A of the EAR and EAPWDR. The rates are divided into a portion for shelter, and a separate portion  for support (which is intended to cover all living expenses other than shelter, including food, clothing, etc.). The shelter portion is listed  as a maximum. MSDSI 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:

*For a couple under age 65 where one person has Persons with Disabilities status: $700.56 for support and $570 for shelter, for a total of '''$1 270.56 per month'''.

'''NOTE:''' MSDSI has announced that the disability assistance support rate will be increased by $25 per month for a single person on September 1, 2016. At the time of writing this chapter, the increase for couples and families with children on disability assistance had not been announced.

MSDSI has also announced that as of September 1, 2016, a $52/month transportation subsidy will be given to all recipients of disability assistance. With this change, the former “special transportation subsidy” that some recipients of disability assistance received, is being eliminated. The recipient of the new $52/month transportation subsidy then has the option each month to:

purchase a monthly bus pass for $52 through MSDSI. If the person wants to do this, they must contact MSDSI by the 5th of the month prior to the month they want the bus pass.)   

keep the $52 in a given month and spend it on their transportation or other needs.

In addition to the support allowance, families may also receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit for children under 18 and the Universal Child Care Benefit for children under 6. A Canada Child Tax Benefit cheque usually includes the national child benefit supplement. If a family does not receive the maximum rate of the national child benefit supplement (see table below) for each child aged two months to 18 years, (e.g. because a child is ineligible or a check is delayed), see EAR, Schedule A, s 2(2), then MSDSI may issue a top up to that amount, as per the chart below:

| Number of Children || Maximum national child benefit supplement (and Top-Up Supplement if eligible)

| One || $185.08 per month

| Two || $348.74 per month

| Each additional child beyond three || $155.77 per child, per month

MSDSI has announced that the support rate will also be increased as of September 1, 2016 for people with the PWD designation who receive room and board. The announcement is that they will receive a $25 support rate increase and have the choice between buying a bus pass from MSDSI each month or receiving a $52 transportation allowance each month.  

“Special care facility” is defined in s 1 of each regulation as a specialized adult residential care setting approved by MSDSI or a licensed boarding home, alcohol or drug treatment centre, a personal care facility, or intermediate care facility.  

Schedule A, s 8 of EAR and the EAPWDR sets out what MSDSI will cover for shelter and support for a person residing at such a facility.   

Until 31 March 2010 the EAA provided that if a child was supported in the home of a relative other than the child’s parent and no parent of the  child was able to pay the total cost of the child’s care, MSDSI would pay income assistance according to the child’s age:

MSDSI’s standard method of payment is by direct deposit by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) into the recipient’s bank account.   

Applicants can generally get an exemption where EFT payment is not appropriate for them. Such recipients typically receive their benefit cheque by picking it up from the MSDSI office.   

MSDSI also commonly pays recipients’ shelter allowances directly to their landlords. This is optional.   

**(ii) undertakes to promptly deliver the lost or stolen cheque to MSDSI if it is recovered.