British Columbia |
See these related Canadian Social Research Links pages also: -
British Columbia NGO Links (A-C) PovNet - my friends and kindred spirits in BC, comprehensive site - highly recommended! | Media (HINT:
Try clicking each media link below and searching their archive for specific words,
e.g., welfare) |
![]()
British
Columbia Budget 2008
Budget home page, includes links to all budget
papers, backgrounders, the Government's Fiscal Plan and Strategic Plan, along
with Ministry and Crown Agency Service Plans and Estimates of proposed spending
by ministry and government agency for the coming fiscal year.
Budget
2008 : Greener Future, Stronger Economy
News Release
February
19, 2008
VICTORIA wide range of new measures to address climate change,
promote greener choices, and encourage economic investment will allow British
Columbia to meet the challenges of the future, Finance Minister Carole Taylor
announced with the release of Balanced Budget 2008.
Budget
Highlights
HTML
PDF
(1.6MB)
Budget
Backgrounders
[ scroll to the bottom half of the page for links to
the following backgrounders: ]
Fiscal Plan 2008/09-2010/11
B.C.s Revenue-neutral Carbon Tax
$1 Billion for Climate Action
Investing in B.C.s Economic Competitiveness
Illustrations of Tax
Impacts 2009
Ministry
and Crown Agency Service Plans for 2008/2009 to 2010/2011
"..
provides an overview of every ministry and Crown agency, including how they intend
to achieve their service goals and how they support the direction laid out in
the Government Strategic Plan."
- recommended reading if you want to know
what each of the ministries is planning for the next three years.
Here (below)
are service plans for the ministries responsible for welfare and children's services
in British Columbia (follow the
service plans link to access other ministries' service plans).
Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance
Service Plan, 2008/2009 to 2010/2011
(ministry
responsible for welfare)
HTML
(the table of contents is in the left margin of the page)
PDF
(404K, 32 pages)
Additional
Information from the
Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance
(PDF file - 268K, 14 pages)
The following resources support the Ministrys
2008/09 2010/11 Service Plan.
Appendix 1: Services Map
Appendix 2:
Service Code and Organizational Values
Appendix 3: Service Standards
Appendix
4: Glossary of Terms
Appendix 5: What Benefits Do Clients Retain When They
Leave Income Assistance For Work?
NOTE: if you're interested in the
"welfare wall" effect (i.e., the loss of non-cash benefits such as supplementary
health and dental benefits when someone leaves welfare for a job), I highly recommend
this appendix.
Appendix 6: Performance Measure Methodologies
Ministry
of Children and Family Development
Service Plan, 2008/2009 to 2010/2011
HTML
(the table of contents is in the left margin of the page)
PDF
(315K, 26 pages)
* Previous
Years' Budgets
* Previous
Years' Service Plans
* Previous
Years' Service Plan Reports
Photo
Gallery for
the Carole Taylor Fan Club - Special!
Related Web/News/Blog links:
Google
Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following
search terms (without the quote marks):
"2008 British Columbia Budget"
Web
search results page
News search results
page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca
'Landmark'
Green Budget, with Some Brown Spots
Winners: Banks, oil, roads. Losers:
Schools, wild salmon.
By Andrew MacLeod
February 20, 2008
Finance
Minister Carole Taylor's new Fluevogs were green, her dress was green and the
budget documents she presented in Victoria were wrapped in green covers. The theme,
in Taylor's words, was clear: "We promised you green and today we delivered
green." It is, however, worth taking a closer look.
The budget delivered the expected carbon tax, a move applauded by several environmentalists,
but there is plenty of brown in the background. And the budget does little to
address chronic underfunding in several areas, making B.C. less sustainable.
Source:
The
Tyee
2007 and earlier BC Budgets + selected analysis (this link takes you further down on the page you're now reading)
![]()
| . |
Government
Directory
Government
News Releases
Search/Browse
by Ministry or by Topic
AchieveBC
- includes info organized under the following themes:
Early childhood development
Parenting
Education
Post-secondary
learning resources
Jobs and opportunities
Tools and resources
A celebration
of excellence
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BC Election 2005 sites
Nodice
Elections: British Columbia (from Nodice
Elections)
Deceive
BC: the Hospital Employees' Union's election web site
BCPolitics.ca
The
Tyee Election Central
Single
Transferable Vote - a BIG issue in this BC election...
Other
BC websites with Election 2005 content
Ministry
Three Year Budgets - 2002/03 to 2004/05 (PDF file - 9K) - distribution
of cuts across all ministries. Ministry Service Plan Summaries - two dozen ministries and agencies, including : - Children
and Family Development (PDF file, 23K) - children's services |
BC
Progress Board Releases Discussion Paper on Social Condition News
Release - December 15, 2006 Entire
Report: Related Links: Sixth
Annual Benchmarking Report Released News
Release Volume I News
Release Volume II Building on Our Progress - Striving
for Excellence: Volume
I - External Performance Review: Inter-Provincial and International (PDF
file - 5.3MB, 202 pages) Source: |
| . |
Government
of British Columbia Home Page
Premier's
Speech at the swearing-in ceremony
News
release (June 16)
List
of new cabinet ministers
Summary
of ministry responsibilities
Executive Council of the Government of British Columbia - from the website of the Office of the Premier - new Cabinet with biographies.
Google
News search Results : "British Columbia,
new government cabinet"
Google Web Search Results : "British
Columbia, new government cabinet"
Source:
Google.ca
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Premier
Announces New Cabinet
January
26, 2004
Office of the Premier
"VICTORIA Premier Gordon Campbell
today announced changes to the Cabinet, including the addition of six new members,
a renewed focus on economic development and several new Minister of State portfolios
to advance key priorities in the governments agenda."
Executive
Council (new list of ministers)
January 26, 2004
The new Minister
of Human Resources is the Hon. Stan Hagen.
The new Minister of Children and
Family Development is Deputy Premier Christy Clark.
Related Link:
Trouble
for Campbell with 40 Unhappy MLAs
January 27, 2004
"A
cabinet shuffle in an atmosphere of crisis, two weeks prior to the legislature
opening with the Speech from the Throne, is bad news for Premier Campbell."
Source:
Strategic Thoughts.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AchieveBC
- includes info organized under the following themes:
Early childhood development
Parenting
Education
Post-secondary
learning resources
Jobs and opportunities
Tools and resources
A celebration
of excellence
New
Initiative to Help British Columbians Reach their Goals
News Release
September
19, 2003
"Premier Gordon Campbell today unveiled a new initiative ["AchieveBC"]aimed
at helping all British Columbians achieve their goals, by providing a window to
information from early childhood development to lifelong learning, career planning
and job training.(...) For example, parents of newborns and toddlers have said
they would like advice on nutrition, diet, health and safety. Parents of students
want better information on each public school in B.C., learning standards for
each grade and how they can help their children. Students want easier access to
information on post-secondary institutions, programs offered, financial assistance
and new career opportunities. And workers want to know where they can go for information
on job training or starting their own business."
Source: Office
of the Premier
| . |
Legislative
Assembly
This link is a launchpad to many pages,
including the following : Bills, Debates of the Legislative Assembly (Hansard),
Votes and Proceedings, Orders of the Day, Legislative Committees, Standing Orders,
Speech from the Throne, Revised Statutes of British Columbia, Regulations, Regulations
Bulletins, Provisions in Force, Orders in Council and Ministerial Resumes, Message
from the Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, MLA biographies
including office and constituency information, e-mail addresses, Visiting the
Legislature, Online tour of the Legislative Chamber, Other Canadian Legislative
Assemblies, Statutory Officers of the Legislature, Important Information, Frequently
Asked Questions, etc.
Legislation
: Statutes - Regulations - Orders-in-Council - B.C.
Regulations Bulletins - Order in Council and Ministerial Order Resumes - Act/Ministry
Responsibilities
See also QPLegalEze (the link below this one) - one of these
two may be more current or complete than the other...
QP
LegalEze (Queen's Printer - $)
An internet-based legal guide to the unofficial early consolidation of the statutes
and regulations of the province of British Columbia.
- incl. links to : Revised
Statutes of British Columbia - Complete Listing of Statutes with Associated Regulations
- BC Regulations Bulletins - Order in Council and Ministerial Order Resumes -
Proceedings of Bills - Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
See also:
Quickscribe
Services - law library service (BC) - ($)
"Quickscribe
is a Victoria-based, family owned business offering clients access to provincial
legislation both in hard copy and online formats. We've been in business since
1984 and offer a more affordable alternative to the subscription based Queens
Printer legislation service. Our online service is fully searchable, printable
and includes and email notification service that alerts clients to recent amendments.
| . |
Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance
(formerly Human Resources)
Reports and Publications - links to reports, manuals, books, brochures and other publications
2004/05 2006/07 Service Plan: Ministry of Human Resources
2005/06
Annual Service Plan: Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance
July 17, 2006
- includes : Message from the Minister and Accountability Statement
* Highlights
of the Year * Purpose, Vision, Mission and Values * Strategic Context * Service
Delivery and Core Business Areas * Report on Performance * Goals, Objectives,
Strategies, and Performance Measures * Deregulation * Report
on Resources * Appendix A: Values and Service Code * Appendix B: Glossary
of Terms
- highly recommended reading, especially the three links that
you can click in the two lines above --- that's where you'll find (under "Core
Business Areas") a good description of how Employment and Income Assistance
(welfare) works in British Columbia, along with what they've accomplished and
what they've spent in the past year, compared with what they said last year they
would do and how much they planned to spend. There's much more info in the service
plan, definitely worth checking out. You might also want to go to the service
plan page for all Ministries to explore the plans for Children
and Family Development and Health,
among others.
NOTE:
In the interest of balanced reporting, you might also want to read some of the
reports about social programs in BC by a few of the non-governmental organizations
that are the social justice watchdogs of the West Coast. Below, you'll find links
to three such organizations, the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
and the Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) of British Columbia, and
PovNet, a BC-based "online resource for advocates, people on welfare, and
community groups and individuals involved in anti-poverty work." |
BC Employment and Assistance Programs (Welfare)
Legislation
Employment
and Assistance Act
- Employment
and Assistance Regulations
Employment
and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act
- Employment
and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulations
Child
Care Subsidy Act
- Child
Care Subsidy Regulations
Source:
Statutes
and Regulations of British Columbia
New from the BC Ministry of Employment and Assistance:
Latest
Employment and Assistance statistics- December 2007
Updated January
29, 2008
- incl. * Number of Cases by Program and Family Type * Number of Clients
by Program and Family Type * Number of Cases by Region
BC
Employment and Assistance Statistics
- links to earlier statistics
Related link:
BC
Welfare Caseload Up
February 5, 2008
The Campbell government
continues to suffer from the excesses of its first term. Time will tell whether
the bungled sale of BC Rail, details of which are unfolding in the courts, will
inflict damage before the May 2009 election. It still has not escaped the consequences
of cutting the Ministry of Children and Family Development as if it were any other
government department, and this week it is being reminded of its 2001 decision
to cut the Mental Health Advocate. For a surprise on the list of memories, who
would have thought that under the hard-hearted Campbell government the welfare
caseload would increase?
Source:
Strategic
Thoughts
------------------------------------------------------------
January
31, 2008
Province
invests $200,000 in Direct Deposit initiative
News Release
VICTORIA
The Province is offering an incentive package that consists of a knapsack,
warm socks, a toque and a pair of gloves to encourage income assistance clients
to sign up for direct deposit, announced Claude Richmond, Minister of Employment
and Income Assistance.
Source:
Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance
<...and, if the writers of This Hour has 22 Minutes were writing the next line of the above news release, it would read : "Minister Richmond is pleased to report that the initial response to the direct deposit incentive has been quite positive among those Income assistance clients who would prefer to not freeze their feet, head and hands this winter.">
Related link:
Welfare
payments to be loaded on to debit cards for 20,000
February 01,
2008
The B.C. government plans to issue direct-debit cards to more than 20,000
welfare recipients who don't have a bank account. Each month, Victoria will load
the welfare payments on to the debit cards, which can be used at any ATM or commercial
outlet. (...) The direct-deposit program started in 2006 and has about 60,000
clients out of a possible 80,000.
Source:
The
Vancouver Province
------------------------------------------------------------
B.C.
to put welfare payments on government debit cards
System to free recipients
from cheque fees and carrying cash
December
06, 2007
VICTORIA -- Low-income British Columbians may soon get government-issued
debit cards so they can manage assistance payments without facing hefty cheque-cashing
fees or other problems. The project -- which follows a similar program in Alberta
-- is meant to target the 24,000 low-income earners in the province who either
don't have bank accounts or are otherwise ineligible to receive payments by direct
deposit.
Source:
Vancouver
Sun
Source: Related Link: JobsNow
(Ontario) - "Brighter Futures, Stronger Communities" ------------------------ New
Employment Program Means More Job Success July
12, 2006 Related Link: Budget
2006 - Focus on Children (video) |
Here's where you'll find the most recent welfare stats from BC: BC
Employment and Assistance Caseload Statistics - latest month and time
series Other Research - links to MHR Exit Surveys |
BC
Employment and Assistance (welfare) Rate Tables
Income
Assistance rates - (effective January 1, 2005)
Disability
Assistance rates - (effective January 1, 2005)
Source:
BC
Employment and Assistance Rate Tables
- also includes the latest rates
for the following: Child in Home of Relative - Hardship Assistance - Hardship
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities - Assets - Payment of Assistance [special
needs] - General Supplements - Health Supplements and Programs - Fees for Medical
Practitioners - Seniors Supplement
Source:
Ministry
of Human Resources (MHR)
Related links:
March
23, 2005
Increased
supports for people most in need
"VICTORIA The Province
will invest another $1.25 million to boost supports to two existing programs for
British Columbians who are most in need including persons with persistent
multiple barriers and persons with disabilities."
March
21, 2005
Province
promotes health for moms and babies
"VICTORIA The
province will spend close to $400,000 this year for expectant mothers in need
and their babies, Minister of Human Resources Susan Brice announced."
March
14, 2005
Enhanced
dental program benefits British Columbians
"VICTORIA
Government is investing over $47 million over three years to improve access to
dental treatment for young children and low-income families, Health Services Minister
Shirley Bond and Human Resources Minister Susan Brice announced."
Outcomes
of those Leaving Assistance (PDF file - 64K, 6 pages) Related link: Libs
employment push fails (BC) B.C.'s
welfare state must still tackle snags |
Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance
Online Resource - British Columbia
"Effective
March 27, 2006 the BCEA (welfare) Manual has been retired and replaced with an
exciting* new information source the
Online Resource. The Online Resource incorporates information from a number
of different sources into one user-friendly website, which will save time spent
searching for up-to-date information and resources."
*"Exciting" isn't the first word that pops into most people's heads when they hear the expression "welfare information", but I, for one, found the old BC welfare manual more "exciting" because I could actually "find information" in there. The new manual has no hyperlinked table of contents - in fact, you have to open a PDF file to see the table of contents. And someone should tell the web design team that the plus sign to the left of a directory item (e.g., on the front page) is usually a simple piece of javascript that opens sub-directories, not just a graphic used in lieu of a bullet or a dash in front of each item in a list...
"Retired"
BC Employment and Assistance Manual (Oct. 2004) - from The
Internet Archive
NOTE: Do spend some time exploring The Internet Archive
--- you'll find it has not only obscure Canadian provincial welfare policy manuals,
but also large collections of links to events, people and places...
-------------------------------------
Changes
Modernize BC Employment and Assistance Act
News
Release
April 3, 2006
"VICTORIA Amendments to the B.C. Employment
and Assistance Act and the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities
Act introduced today in the B.C. legislature modernize eligibility
criteria, obligations for income assistance clients, and conditions for sharing
information. 'These amendments reflect our commitment to
provide British Columbians with an income assistance system that is fair, caring
and sustainable,' said Claude Richmond, Minister of Employment and Income Assistance.
'They will increase our ability to better serve our clients while at the same
time strengthening and protecting the integrity of the British Columbia Employment
and Assistance program.'
The amendments affect
three areas of the legislation:
· definitions
of dependant and spouse;
· sanctions for inaccurate
reporting of circumstances; and,
· information-sharing
agreements.
Source:
Ministry of Employment
and Income Assistance
$80
Million Budget Lift |
Time
Limit Policy to Protect People in Need Fact
Sheet: Time Limits Update NOTE:
|
Persons
with Persistent Multiple Barriers (PPMB)
Fact Sheet
Effective September
30, 2002
Updated August 3, 2004
The PPMB category of the BC welfare caseload
applies those individuals who are unable to achieve financial independence because
of specific barriers to employment.
Related Links:
Persons
with Persistent Mutiple Barriers
Persons
with Disabilities
[ BC Employment
and Assistance Program ]
July 27, 2004
Fact
Sheet: Sponsorship - Obligations and Responsibilities
Fact
Sheet: Sponsorship Default - Next Steps
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workforce
Adjustment: Ministry of Human Resources Related Link: |
June 11, 2004
Updated
Brochure: Assignment of Benefits for People Waiting for Employment Insurance (EI)
Canada
and British Columbia sign an agreement to assist people with disabilities
News
Release
May 17, 2004
"VICTORIA - British Columbians with disabilities
will be able to participate more easily in the labour market because of an agreement
announced today by the Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment,
on behalf of the Honourable Liza Frulla, Minister of Social Development, and the
Honourable Stan Hagen, British Columbia Minister of Human Resources. 'Helping
people with disabilities to participate fully as citizens of this country is a
priority for all governments,' said Minister Anderson. 'Every British Columbian
must have the opportunity to make a contribution to our economy and our society.
I am so pleased to work with British Columbia on this national priority.'"
Source:
Social
Development Canada (SDC)
This agreement
was signed under the Multilateral
Framework for Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities,
which replaced the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities initiative
in April 2004.
For more info about the national framework and the agreements
signed with other jurisdictions to date, go to the Disability Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm
New
Exemptions for Caregivers of Disabled Children
June 30, 2003
"Children
with disabilities in British Columbia will benefit from changes to vehicle and
earnings exemptions being provided to their caregivers."
Eye
Exams Focus on Those in Need
June 30, 2003
"Adult Income
Assistance clients are now covered for routine eye exams as part of a new optical
program."
$20
Million Helps People with Disabilities Access Jobs
News Release
April
23, 2003
"Government is establishing a $20-million endowment fund with
Vancouver Foundation to help British Columbians with disabilities find and keep
jobs, Human Resources Minister Murray Coell announced today.(...) The Ministers
Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities will provide advice to the
Vancouver Foundation on the disbursement of funds."
Backgrounder
Counterpoint: Making
the Disabled Beg Related Link: |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minister's
Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities
"The principal
goal of the Council is to advise the Minister of Human Resources on solutions
and strategies for increasing the employment, employability and independence of
persons with disabilities, particularly through partnerships with business and
industry throughout British Columbia."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greater
Supports for People with Disabilities
March 27, 2003
"People
with disabilities will be able to keep more of what they earn with an increase
to the earnings exemption from $300 to $400, Human Resource Minister Murray Coell
announced today."
Job
Placement (JP) Program Successes
"The Ministry of Human Resources
is spending more than $300 million over three years on job placement and training
for jobs programs. It's working. Since this government took office over 15,000
income assistance clients have been placed in jobs through ministry contracted
job placement agencies."
- incl. links to success stories for each program
Related
Links: ASPECT
The Other Perspective: The Job Merchants :
Meet the people who make money getting British Columbians off welfare |
From
the Ministry of Employment and Income
Assistance Evaluation
of the Job Placement (JP) Program and Training for Jobs (TFJ) Program Pilot Summary
Report (PDF file - 141K, 35 pages) Update
to the Summary Report (PDF file - 91K, 19 pages) Related Link: Libs'
Welfare-to-Jobs Program a Bust, Reveals Delayed Report |
Ministry
on Track with Commitment to Sound Fiscal Management
March
3, 2003
Murray Coell, Minister of Human Resources, responds to the provincial
budget.
- link to the full text of the Minister's speech.
Income
Assistance Changes Support People in Need
Opinion Editorial
By
Murray Coell
Minister of Human Resources
March 5, 2003
Feb.
26, 2003
Leaving
Welfare for Work Triples Income
"British Columbians leaving
income assistance for work are almost tripling their income, according to the
Ministry of Human Resources third exit survey of 1,512 former clients who
have been off assistance for six months. This survey continues the trend
that sees the majority of clients moving into sustainable jobs, earning solid
wages and becoming self-reliant, said Human Resources Minister Murray Coell.
This is precisely the goal of B.C. Employment and Assistance: to assist
people to move away from dependence and take control of their lives.
More
Income Assistance Clients Finding Jobs
December 11, 2002
"More British Columbia income assistance clients are successfully leaving
assistance for work, according to the Ministry of Human Resources second
exit survey of nearly 1,000 former clients."
Source : Ministry
of Human Resources
This is the second report in a new series of quarterly
welfare exit surveys conducted by the Ministry. It's also the second time the
Ministry's numbers and conclusions will be called into doubt by advocacy groups.
"Completed between July and September, the survey found 92 per cent
of individuals left income assistance for employment, educational opportunities,
other sources of income, or because of a change in family or financial status.
The majority 66 per cent left income assistance for paid employment.
"
- Encouraging results they *would* be, except that the 92 per cent and 66 per cent figures are based only on the 994 people who replied, not the 2,000 who didn't. From a survey "cohort"(clients who were identified as having left the system between December 2001 and June 2002) - of 3,110 clients, over 2000 did not participate in the survey, and almost three-quarters of those because their phone was not in service. If their phone wasn't in service, social advocates would say that chances are greater that they would not have a job or other sources of income. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be : "...the survey found that 92 per cent of the one-third of the survey cohort who actually responded..."
Related Links:
Exit
Surveys of "Welfare Leavers" Research
Report - Ministry of Human Resources Exit Survey Results (PDF file
- 48K, 7 pages) Survey Questions (PDF file - 65K, 16 pages) Editorial
: The number of completed surveys (1,833) represents just under 33% of the total
"cohort" (the group of people who left IA after September 2001 and hadn't
returned by April 2002), which was 5,578. The report says that the main reason
others (over 2,200 people) didn't participate was because their contact numbers
were found to be "Not In Service", showing "that many people move
when they leave income assistance." Studies of welfare reforms since the
mid-nineties in Alberta by the Canada West Foundation and by the municipal governments
of Ottawa and Toronto in Ontario have shown that when they leave social assistance
during welfare reforms, many people simply cannot afford a telephone... After
Welfare - Contrasting Studies (British Columbia) Life
after welfare : 1994
to 1999 |
BCEA
Web Orientation Session - As a prerequisite to applying for income assistance,
applicants are required (among other things) to complete a BC Employment and Assistance
Orientation Session no more than 60 days before the date of their application.
They can arrange to attend a session in person at an office of the Ministry, or
complete this web session.
Income
Assistance Estimator (Calculator) - key in some personal (or theoretical)
numbers and this online calculator will tell you if you're eligible for income
assistance and roughly how much you might expect to receive.
Information for Persons with Disabilities
Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities
See
also:
BC
Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities
Training
for Jobs Program Pilot
Ministry of Human Resources
Oct. 3, 2002
"A
total of 15 companies were chosen for the Training for Jobs pilot program that
will support 5,000 BC Employment and Assistance clients across the province by
providing them with the specific skills training and job placement leading to
sustainable employment. Payment will be based on clients completing their training
and staying off income assistance for a year."
Income
Assistance Changes Protect Disabled, Promote Jobs
September 30,
2002
Information Bulletin
"Two new
acts designed to ensure income assistance is available for people who need it
most, while creating greater opportunities for employment, come into effect today."
NOTE: The two acts were actually proclaimed at
the end of May, but the regulations under both acts have just been gazetted and
are coming into effect now.
June 28, 2002
Policy
Manual Manual Amendment #2
- incl. descriptions of changes to the following
policies : Job Placement Program - Assets - Shelter Changes - Pharmacare - Medical
Transportation - Diet - Medical Equipment & Devices - Hearing Aids - Orthotics
and Bracing Devices - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy - Optical -
Dental - Medical Services Plan - Health Benefits (Eligible Items, Non-Eligible
Items)
June 25, 2002
Income
Assistance and Disability Benefits Rates
Shelter Allowance eff.
July 1, 2002
Support Allowance eff. April 1, 2002
Incl. max. benefit levels
for :
- Income Assistance
- Disability Benefits
- Hardship Assistance
-
Child in the Home of Relative Benefits
- Youth Works Living Allowances
Welfare
Bills Passed Into Law
Both the Employment and Assistance Act and
the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act were tabled
for first reading in the BC Legislature on April 15 (2002), and both were passed
at the end of May.
Links to the final (Third Reading) version of each bill
appear below
Employment
and Assistance Act (May 28, 2002)
BILL 26 -- 2002
(Third Reading)
Employment
and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act (May 29, 2002)
Bill
27 -- 2002
(Third Reading)
NOTE: these two bills were passed into law at
the end of May 2002. The legislation appearing below will be repealed when the
two bills come into force (by regulation)
BC Benefits
(Income Assistance) Act and Regulation - BC
Benefits (Youth Works) Act and Regulation - Disability Benefits Program
Act and Regulation - BC Benefits (Appeals) Act and Regulation - BC
Benefits (Child Care) Act and Regulation [NOTE: this last statute will
not be repealed, but rather re-written and re-named Child Care Subsidy Act]
Progress
of Bills - this BC Legislative Assembly page offers links to all 14 debates
on the Employment and Assistance program bills introduced by the Campbell Government.
Click on the Progress of Bills link and scroll down the page to numbers 26 and
27 for links to the debates in the BC Legislature.
You'll find hours of reading
and tons of detail about welfare reforms in BC in these debates.
Here's just
one sample of what you'll find here - proceedings from the final Committee debate
on the proposed Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act:
May 29 Committee
Debate proceedings (Hansard) - final debate before
the Bill was passed (you have to scroll about two-thirds of the way down the page
(or use Ctrl+f to find the relevant section in this issue of Hansard
[Note:
PovNet has close to 80 links to NGO
critiques of the BC Government cuts.]
Child
Care Subsidy - New Policy
May 9, 2002
Ministry of Human Resources
"This program has been carefully reviewed to ensure
that the subsidy is available to families who are most in need. The subsidy now
reflects the principles guiding the BC Employment and Assistance program by targeting
the subsidy primarily to working parents with low to moderate incomes and parents
who are actively looking for work."
New
Acts Provide Assistance, Opportunity, Independence
News Release (incl. backgrounder)
Government of British Columbia
April
15, 2002
"Income assistance in British Columbia is being redefined
to focus on employment and self-sufficiency with the introduction of two new bills,
the Employment and Assistance Act and the Employment and Assistance
for Persons with Disabilities Act. The two acts replace four BC Benefits acts."
Work
Search Guidelines
"The Ministry of
Human Resources is committed to increasing independence through employment and
providing services that support clients. As part of this shift to employment and
active participation, you are required to carry out a three-week work search prior
to applying for assistance."
Other
versions - includes a PDF file and translations in nine other languages
- See the BC NGO Links page of this site for related links
Employment
and Assistance Act
BILL 26 -- 2002
First
Reading version (April 15, 2002)
Third
Reading version (May 28, 2002)
Employment
and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act
Bill 27 --
2002
First
Reading version (April 15, 2002)
Third
Reading version (May 28, 2002)
NOTE: See the British Columbia NGO Links page for reaction to the new legislation
BC
Employment and Assistance Initiatives Effective April 1, 2002
Fact
Sheet
March 15, 2002
NOTE: this fact sheet is no longer available on
the BC Human Resources website; the highlights below were copied directly from
the fact sheet.
Some salient points
:
- three-week wait from first contact until intake review
- child care
subsidy reductions
- children living with relatives who are their legal guardians
are considered to be part of that family and thus no longer eligible for "Child
in the Home of a Relative" assistance.
- monthly limits on crisis grants
for food, shelter, and clothing
- discontinuation of the the 25-per-cent earnings
exemption
- elimination of the earnings exemptions for employable clients
and people with level one disabilities
- increase in earnings exemption for
clients with level two disabilities ("DB2")to $300/mo. (up from$200)
- discontinuation of exemptions for family maintenance payments and orphans' benefit
from CPP and income from other specified sources
- full-time non-disabled
post-secondary students in programs eligible for BC Student Financial Assistance
(SFA) are not eligible for income assistance through the BC Employment
and
Assistance program
- discontinuation of homemaker services; short-term, emergency
home-support services are provided by local health authorities and other ministries.
- revised (downwards) asset limits
- security deposits will be recovered from
BC Employment and Assistance cheques at $20 per month; all BC Employment and Assistance
clients are limited to a maximum of two
outstanding security deposits (except
where the recipient is fleeing domestic abuse or has to move as a result of sale
or demolition of the residence)
[NOTE : BC is the first Canadian jurisdiction
to impose a time limit for receipt of welfare]
- employable single parents
receiving BC Employment and Assistance are expected to seek work when their youngest
child reaches age three
- support rates reduced ("The support rate has
been simplified to create standard rates for people under 65 years.")
- employable clients will be limited to a cumulative 24 months
(two years) of income assistance out of every 60 months (five years); after receiving
assistance for a total of 24 months in a 60-month (five year) period, eligibility
will cease for single people and rates will be reduced for families with children
- work entry assistance is discontinued and clients' requirements for items such
as work clothes will be considered through the new job-placement programs
- ongoing transition-to-work assistance is discontinued.
February
19, 2002
- Ministry
of Human Resources Service Plan, 2002/2003 - 2004/2005
- Employment
Programs - Contract Planning Fact Sheet
Ministry
of Human Resources Service Plan Summary (PDF file, 22K) - January 17,
2002
- Major overhaul of the BC Benefits (welfare) program
Seniors
Supplement
July 2001
Information for those 65 years and over receiving
federal Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement (OAS/GIS) and for those
receiving federal Allowance (SPA).
Annual
Performance Report 2000/2001
Ministry of Social Development and Economic
Security
The Self-Sufficiency
Project (SSP)
| . |
BC
Human Rights Tribunal
- incl. links to the Attorney General's unofficial
Consolidated Code including Bill 64 - the Tribunal's new Rules of Practice and
Procedure effective March 31, 2003 - Human Rights Code
- Rules of Practice and Procedure - Hearing Schedule - Decisions - Decision Index
by year - Decision Index by ground - Tribunal Members - Judicial Reviews of Decisions
- Practice Direction
| . |
Ministry of Children and Family Development
Funding
Creates Child Care Spaces, Supports Providers
August 10, 2005
"RICHMOND
Child care providers will benefit from an $8.1-million investment in child
care supporting the creation of more quality child care spaces, staff training
and other service improvements, Minister of State for Child Care Linda Reid announced."
Backgrounder - list of projects, number of spaces created and funding amounts
Related Link:
Child Care in British Columbia
Governments
of Canada and British Columbia sign an Agreement on Early Learning and Child Care Early
Learning and Child Care Agreements in Principle Source: Related Links: Child
Care in British Columbia Government
of Canada announces funding for six new Understanding the Early Years (UEY) communities
in British Columbia Government
of Canada announces funding for Understanding the Early Years North Shore in British
Columbia Related
Links: Source: Google News search Results
: "Child care, British Columbia " Since April 2005, the Government of Canada has signed agreements with the governments of (in reverse chronological order) British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. For an excellent, comprehensive collection of resources related to the 2005 ELCC Agreements prepared by the University of Toronto's Childcare Resources and Research Unit, go to the Government Early Learning and Child Care Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/ecd.htm |
Early
Childhood Development Related Links: |
| . |
Administrative Justice Project Reports - links to almost two dozen online documents - Core Services Review Reports, Administrative Justice Project Reports and workplan
| . |
Ombudsman
Investigation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre's
Complaints about the
Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance
(PDF file - 31K, 2 pages)
Press
Release
March 28, 2006
Ombudsman investigates Income Assistance complaints
VICTORIA
Acting Provincial Ombudsman Howard Kushner today released Special Report
No. 28, Ombudsman Investigation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centres
Complaints about the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance. The report
details the outcome of three investigations initiated in response to complaints
from the BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
Complete Report:
Ombudsman
Investigation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centres
Complaints about
the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance(PDF file - 121K,
22 pages)
Source:
BC
Ombudsman
Related NGO Link:
Ombudsman
report reveals underlying problems in welfare ministry (PDF file -
55K, 1 page)
News Release
March 28, 2006
(Vancouver) Fifteen anti-poverty
groups across BC are welcoming the Ombudsmans report, released today, into
complaints about unfairness at the BC Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.
As a result of the Ombudsmans investigation, the Ministry has been making
sweeping changes to policies and procedures, including to the application process
and three week work search, reconsideration and appeal rights, and Ministry home
visits.
Source:
British
Columbia Public Interest Advocacy Centre (BCPIAC)
Fairness
and Accountability in Public Administration Remain Paramount in Victoria
(PDF file - 127K, 1 page)
Press Release
July 5, 2004
"B.C. Ombudsman
Howard Kushner released his 2003 Annual Report, which outlines the achievements
of his office for 2003. The report highlights achievements that occurred during
a year of immense challenge and change for the Office of the Ombudsman. Downsizing
of staff, relocating the Victoria office, sharing space and services with other
legislative officers, restricting investigative activities as a result of severe,
cumulative budget cuts, and the planning for the closing of our Vancouver Office
were some of the changes and challenges faced by the Office of the Ombudsman during
2003, stated Kushner. Mr. Kushner noted that the processing of approximately
10,000 intakes and the closing of over 2,000 investigative files, all with fewer
staff and less resources than in 2002, is a reflection of the hard work of his
staff and of the offices commitment to administrative fairness. Individual
case summaries included in the report provide a sample of the results of some
investigations."
Office of the Ombudsman Service Plan 2004/05 2006/07 (PDF file - 1.9MB, 35 pages)
| . |
| . |
Budget
2007 Builds a Housing Legacy Ministry
Service Plans, 2007/08 to 2009/10 Ministry
of Employment and Income Assistance February 20, 2007 Ministry
of Children and Family Development Previous Years' Budgets - back to 1995 Related Web/News/Blog links: Google Search
Results Links - always current results! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- British
Columbia Budget 2006 - February 21, 2006 Budget
2006 Concentrates on B.C.s Children Budget
2006 Highlights Ministry Service Plans
Office of the
Premier HTML | PDF
(280KB) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balanced
Budget 2005: News
Release Improved
Support for Seniors at Heart of Budget Debate September
Update - Balanced Budget 2005 Google
Web Search Results : "british columbia,
budget, september 2005" More
Canadian Government Budget Information: ------------------------ From the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - BC Office:
Provincial
budget fails to address BC's social deficits Related Link: Surplus
should be reinvested in people and communities
Summary:
BC Solutions Budget 2005 - PDF File, 98 Kb Source: ------------------------ Google
News search Results : "British
Columbia Budget 2005" ------------------------ British
Columbia Budget 2004 - links to all BC Budget papers and related information
in HTML (for quick online viewing) and PDF (for printing). Balanced
Budget 2004: Bringing out the Best in B.C. Highlights
Budget
Speech Selected
Ministry Service Plans: Source: Google.ca
News Search Results : "british columbia budget 2004" Related Link: 2004
Budget Highlights ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ British
Columbia Budget 2003 (Feb. 18/03) For info on other Canadian jurisdictions' budgets, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Canadian Government Budgets page |
| . |