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BC Employment & Assistance Policy & Procedure Manual

Last updated on September 19, 2024

The BC Employment and Assistance (BCEA) Policy and Procedure Manual is a one-stop source for ministry service delivery, of all BCEA policy, procedure and program information.

Welcome to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction BC Employment and Assistance (BCEA) Policy and Procedure Manual.

The BCEA Policy and Procedure Manual is a one-stop source for all BCEA policy, procedure and program information.

BCEA policy and procedure information is organized by Category. Each Category has a set of Policy Topics. To view an expanded list of available Policy Topics, click on the appropriate Category.

Topics provide related content such as an overview, policies, procedures, and links to relevant acts, regulations, contacts, rate tables and resources.

For more information on how to use the BCEA Policy and Procedure Manual, please visit our Navigation & Search Tips page.

What's New

Category: Eligibility  

Topic: Income Treatment and Exemptions 

Effective Date: November 1, 2024  

Policy has been updated to reflect that:

  • ICBC Enhanced Care Coverage Income Replacement Benefits (ICBC ECC IRB) are exempt for disability assistance clients under their annual earnings exemption (AEE).
  • Like Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) temporary wage loss replacement, ICBC ECC IRB is a specified income replacement benefit. Both are unearned income that may be exempt under the AEE as qualifying income.

Category: Eligibility  

Topic: Monthly Reporting Requirements

Effective Date: November 1, 2024  

Policy has been updated to reflect that:

  • Disability assistance recipients who receive ICBC Enhanced Care Coverage Income Replacement Benefits must report them each month on a monthly report, even if the amount does not change. This mirrors the current requirement to report every month for all types of income that may be exempt under the AEE, meaning earned income and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) temporary wage loss.
  • Income assistance family units with a member in the PPMB category or with a member residing in a special care facility have nearly the same reporting requirements as disability assistance recipients. However, they do not have to report a specified income replacement benefit from the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) or ICBC every month. These benefits are unearned income to be reported if it is the first time they have received the money or the amount has changed. 

Category: Eligibility 

Topic: BCEA Application- Stage 2; Designation Application; Determining Clients with No Employability-Related Obligations; Employability Plan; Employment Programs, Planning & Exemptions Overview; Eligibility Review; Non-Ministry Funded Employment Programs & Services; Persons Fleeing Abuse; Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers; Reconsideration; Self-Employment Program (SEP) for PWD and PPMB; Voluntary Employability Plan; WorkBC Employment Services

Effective Date: September 1, 2024 

Policy and procedures have been updated to reflect:

  • There is no longer a requirement for applicants to have an Employment Plan to be eligible for assistance.
  • Terminology changed from Employment Plan to Employability Plan, allowing for these terms to be used interchangeably during the transition period.
  • New recipients and current recipients will not be considered employment obligated until they enter into an Employability Plan.
  • Client Needs Assessments are being introduced which will be used to determine a recipient’s level of employment readiness, identify barriers to employment, and determine whether they will be referred to employment services and required to have an Employability Plan.
  • Clients who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness are exempt from employment-related sanctions.

New Policy

Category: Eligibility 

Topic: Sanctions

Effective Date: September 1, 2024 

Policy and procedures have been updated to reflect:

  • There are no longer sanctions for inaccurate and incomplete reporting.
  • There are no longer employment-related sanctions for applicants, dependent youth, and disability assistance recipients.
  • There is a new sanction for income assistance recipients who fail to meet their employment obligations – a $50/month assistance reduction applied to the recipient, not the family unit. After the reduction is applied for six months, recipients without children will be reassessed and may be denied assistance. 
  • Clients who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness are exempt from employment-related sanctions.

New Policy

Category: General Supplements & Programs

Topic: Crisis Supplement

Effective Date: September 1, 2024

Eligibility Criteria

  • Policy has been updated to reflect the change in the crisis supplement eligibility criteria where imminent danger to the health (e.g., physical or mental health) of any person in the family unit will replace imminent danger to the physical health of any person in the family unit.
  • The reference to the risk of removal of a child under the Child, Family and Community Services Act within the eligibility criteria has been removed.

New Policy

Category: Health Supplements & Programs

Topic: Medical Equipment – Breathing Devices

Effective Date: September 1, 2024

Policy has been updated to reflect the addition of two new breathing devices:

  • Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD) to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea for those who are intolerant to positive airway pressure devices.
  • Cough Assist Device, accessories, and supplies essential for clearing respiratory airways.

New Policy

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Monthly Reporting Requirements

Effective Date: September 1, 2024

Policy has been updated to reflect:

  • There are no longer sanctions for inaccurate and incomplete reporting. 
  • A change in circumstance that may affect a family unit’s eligibility must be reported by the 5th of the month after the month the change occurs. The information may be reported in a monthly report or signed statement. An example is being absent from BC.

New Policy

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Warrants

Effective Date: September 1, 2024

Resolving a Warrant

  • Accepted documents for resolving a warrant have been updated to include:
    • Undertaking
    • Release Order
    • Appearance Notice
    • Copy of Request for Waiver filed with the courts

New Policy

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Assets & Exemptions, Income Treatment and Exemptions

Effective Date: August 1, 2024

Asset Exemptions

  • money received from the sale of a family unit’s primary  residence during the calendar month in which a person receives the money and three subsequent calendar months
  • payments granted by the Government of BC under an agreement referenced in section 12.4 of the Child, Family and Community Services Act (SAJE Housing Agreements)
  • money paid or payable to or for an injured person in relation to the injury if the money is paid or payable for the purpose of covering expenses that are necessary only because of the injury
  • money paid or payable to or for an injured person in relation to the injury if the money is not for a specific purpose and the minister is satisfied the money will be used to cover expenses that are necessary only because of the injury
  • income earned by a dependent child in the family unit

Income Treatment & Exemptions

  • Income earned by a dependent child is exempt regardless of whether they are a full-time student or not
  • Payments to former caregivers who continue to provide housing to former youth in care from the ages of 19-21 under a SAJE Housing Agreement (SHA) is exempt
  • Payments for injury-related costs are fully exempt, this includes insurance benefits provided for medical equipment or medical treatment

New Policy

Category: General Supplements & Programs

Topic: Housing Stability Supplement (HSS)

Effective Date: August 1, 2024

Eligibility

  • Applicants who experience a change in circumstances in the month immediately preceding their initial application may now be eligible for HSS
  • Incarcerated applicants are not eligible for HSS

New Policy

Category: Hardship Assistance

Topic: Eligibility for Hardship Assistance

Effective Date: August 1, 2024

Income and Asset Exemptions for Hardship Assistance

  • Income earned by a dependent child is exempt regardless of whether they are a full-time student or not
  • payments granted by the Government of British Columbia under an agreement referred to in section 12.4 of the Child, Family and Community Services Act (SAJE Housing Agreements)
  • Payments for injury-related costs are fully exempt, this includes insurance benefits provided for medical equipment or medical treatment

New Policy

Category: Health Supplements

Topic: Alternative Hearing Assistance Supplement, Medical Equipment Hearing Instruments, and Extended Medical Therapies

Effective Date: June 28, 2024

New Policy

Definitions updated:

  • Audiologist
  • Hearing Instrument Practitioner
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Optician
  • Optometrist
  • Physical Therapist

Definitions added:

  • Acupuncturist
  • Chiropractor
  • Massage Therapist
  • Naturopath
  • Podiatrist

Category: Support & Shelter

Topic: Support Shelter & Special Care Facilities

Effective Date: June 1, 2024

Support, Shelter and Special Care facilities was updated to reflect the June 1, 2024 per diem increases.

  • Residential Mental Health Facilities rate increased from $45 per day to $60 per day
  • Licensed Substance Use Residential Treatment Facilities rate increased from $45 per day to $70 per day
  • Registered Assisted Living Residences rate was increased from $35.90 per day to $60 per day

New Policy

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Absent from BC

Effective Date: June 1, 2024

Policy and procedures have been updated to clarify applicants and recipients must be ordinarily resident in BC to be eligible for assistance and ineligibility occurs after 30 consecutive days absent from BC without prior authorization.

The topic has been renamed to “Absent from BC” and information on First Nations Income Assistance Programs and Halfway Houses has been moved to the Pursuing Income topic.

New Policy

Category: Application & Intake

Topic: Citizenship and Residency Requirements

Effective Date: June 1, 2024

Policy has been updated to reflect the residency requirement to be eligible for income, disability, and hardship assistance and how to assess whether someone is “ordinarily resident in British Columbia.”

New Policy

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Pursuing Income

Effective Date: June 1, 2024

Information on First Nations Income Assistance Programs and Halfway Houses has been moved to the Pursuing Income topic. This is to clarify that the information is in relation to the requirement to pursue and accept other income or means of support.

New Policy

Effective May 13, 2024

Decisions, Reconsideration & Appeal

Policy and procedures have been updated to reflect:

  • If someone needs more than 20 business days to submit a Request for Reconsideration to the ministry, they may request an extension. The reconsideration officer will decide whether an extension is available
  • If someone submits additional information to inform a reconsideration decision, the ministry has one additional business day to write and send the reconsideration decision.
  • The timeline to appeal a reconsideration decision has changed from 7 to 20 business days, with the ability to request an extension.
  • Appeals may be dismissed by notifying the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal, without having to submit a form in writing.

Decisions, Reconsideration & Appeal

General Supplements and Programs

Effective January 1, 2024

Policy has been updated to reflect the increase in the Monthly Earnings Exemption limits, Annual Earnings Exemption limits, Special Care Facility rates, and Senior Supplement rates.

Earnings Exemptions

Support & Shelter

Supports for Seniors

Income Treatment and Exemptions

The Earnings Exemption and the Annual Earnings Exemption limits have increased.  This topic is being updated to reflect these changes.

New Policy

New Related Links