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 amounts determined in Schedule A of the EAR or EAPWDR, minus any non-exempt net income available to the family as determined under Schedule B.

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. 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:

*For a single person under age 65 on income assistance: $235.00 for support plus up to $375.00 for shelter, for a total of '''$610.00 per month'''.

*For a single person under 65 on PPMB assistance: $282.92 for support plus up to $375.00 for shelter, for a total of '''$657.92 per month'''.  

*For a four-person family (two parents, both under age 65, and two children) on income assistance: $401.06 for support plus $700.00 for shelter, for a total of '''$1 101.06 per month'''.  

*For a couple under age 65 where one person has Persons with Disabilities status: $827.56 for support (including a $52/month transportation supplement allowance for the person with the PWD designation) and $570 for shelter, for a total of ''$1 397.56 per month.''  

NOTE: The BC government announced on July 20, 2017 that all income assistance, PPMB and disability assistance support rates would be increasing by $100 per month effective September 20, 2017.  If there are two people with the PWD designation in a household, the increase is expected to be $200 per month.

As of September 1, 2016, a $52/month transportation subsidy will be given to all recipients of disability assistance who have PWD designation. With this change, the former “special transportation subsidy” that some recipients of disability assistance received, has been 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 the Ministry. If the person wants to do this, they must contact the Ministry 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.

'''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 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 was 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).

| One || $195.02 per month

| Two || $367.56 per month

| Each additional child beyond two || $164.18 per child, per month

== B. Calculating the Shelter Allowance ==