Awaiting Other Income

Effective: January 1, 2020

Hardship assistance issued under Awaiting Other Income is available to applicants for income assistance and their adult dependants who are awaiting other income, including income from any of the following:

• retroactive benefits from Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
• Old Age Security (OAS) [for more information, see Related Links – Support, Shelter and Special Care Facilities - 65 and Older and Pending Old Age Security/Guaranteed Income Supplement]
• Veterans Affairs Canada
• WorkSafeBC

It is also available to those who are in the one-week Employment Insurance (EI) waiting period.

Hardship assistance in this category is limited to three consecutive months during which time clients are expected to receive this other source of income. Once a family unit has received hardship assistance for three consecutive months without having received this other source of income, they are not eligible for any additional hardship assistance in any of the duration limited categories for a period of three consecutive months

Hardship assistance is provided on a temporary basis, for only one month.  If further hardship assistance is required, eligibility must be re-established each month.  All cheques will be automatically directed to the local office for a monthly review of eligibility.

The Supervisor may approve hardship assistance beyond the three months in exceptional situations only.  These cases should be monitored closely and issued one month at a time.

Applicants awaiting other income must be advised upon application of the duration limits.

Applicants with the Person with Disabilities designation who are awaiting other income should be issued disability assistance rather than hardship assistance.

Hardship assistance issued under this category is repayable, except when provided for special care facility user charges and comforts, through a repayment or assignment depending on the type of income awaited.

For assignments or consent to deduction forms, such as CPP, Worksafe, or Employment Insurance (other than EI Maternity, Parental or Special Benefits for Parents of Critically Ill Children), the person who is expecting the income must sign the form.

Applicants for income assistance, and their dependants, are required to complete the appropriate repayment form but are eligible for continued hardship assistance while awaiting other income.

Where a person is awaiting other income and the value of the anticipated income is known, a Promise to Pay (HR2664) should not be issued once the hardship assistance issued exceeds the value of the anticipated income.

[For information on the requirement to pursue other income, see Related Links – Pursuing Income.]

[For more information on repayment agreements, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Repayment Agreements – Repayable Benefits by Deduction from Ongoing Assistance.]

[For more information on promise to repay, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Promise to Repay – Recovery of Repayable Benefits at a Future Date.]

[For an overview of eligibility for hardship or the hierarchy of hardship codes, see Related Links – Eligibility for Hardship Assistance.]

Once the hardship reason no longer exists, cases must be re-assessed to determine if the family unit meets the eligibility criteria for income assistance.

Effective: July 29, 2013

A Promise to Pay (HR2664) or designated repayment agreement or assignment document, is to be completed each time hardship assistance is issued under Awaiting Other Income. For assignments or consent to deduction forms, such as Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Worksafe, or Employment Insurance, the person who is expecting the income must sign the form.

A Supervisor must approve hardship assistance under this category that is issued beyond the three-month duration.

[For more information on promise to repay, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Promise to Repay – Recovery of Repayable Benefits at a Future Date.]

[For more information on repayment agreements, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Repayment Agreements – Repayable Benefits by Deduction from Ongoing Assistance.]

Effective: December 1, 2003

An HR2664 must be signed for the first month of assistance, and an Assignment – Veterans Affairs Canada (HR2098) [see Forms and Letters] must be completed for subsequent months of assistance.

Effective: December 1, 2003

An Assignment WorkSafeBC (HR2100) [see Forms and Letters] is completed after applicants make a WorkSafeBC claim. Once a WorkSafeBC claim is denied, applicants may receive income assistance or disability assistance, even if they are appealing the WorkSafeBC claim. An assignment is no longer required once a client is eligible for income assistance or disability assistance.

Effective: September 1, 2006

A federal Consent to Deduction and Payment, Canada Pension Plan (ISP1613) must be completed if the total repayment amount is more than $50 [See Additional Resources].

Effective: September 1, 2006

If, at the time of application, applicants have been awarded a settlement and are waiting to receive this income, hardship assistance may be issued, and a Promise to Pay (HR2664) is completed.

[For more information on promise to repay, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Promise to Repay – Recovery of Repayable Benefits at a Future Date.]

Effective: September 1, 2006

This category of hardship assistance applies only when the probate process has been completed and applicants are waiting to receive the pending income or assets. A Promise to Pay (HR2664) is completed.

[For more information on promise to repay, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Promise to Repay – Recovery of Repayable Benefits at a Future Date.]

Effective: September 1, 2006

When hardship assistance is issued using a Promise to Pay (HR2664), a Repayment Agreement (HR2663A) is to be completed when clients start receiving income assistance instead of hardship assistance, or when they stop receiving assistance. [For more information on repayment agreements, see Related Links – Recoveries – Policy – Repayment Agreements – Repayable Benefits by Deduction from Ongoing Assistance.]

Effective: September 1, 2006

Applicants with the Person with Disabilities designation who are awaiting other income should be issued disability assistance rather than hardship assistance.  A manual Consent to Deduction and Payment, Canada Pension Plan (ISP1613) is to be completed when the applicant has applied for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).  A manual Assignment of Benefits (HR2528) is to be completed for applicants until they receive Employment Insurance (EI) benefits or are found to be ineligible for EI [see Related Links – Awaiting EI Benefits].  Recipients are responsible to declare all income on a Monthly Report (HR0081).

Note: The transportation supplement is issued to disability assistance recipients, but it is not to be included in the ISP1613 or the HR2528 [see Related Links – Transportation Supplement].

Effective: April 19, 2004

Hardship – Awaiting other Income
Supervisor	Approving hardship assistance issued under Awaiting Other Income category for more than three months

Answer   Once the hardship reason no longer exists, cases must be re-assessed to determine if the family unit meets the eligibility criteria for income assistance or disability assistance. If the family unit has additional eligibility criteria that must be met before they can receive income assistance (for example, completion of a work search) they may be re-assessed for another hardship category.

Answer    Once a WorkSafeBC claim is denied, applicants may receive income assistance or disability assistance, even if they are appealing the WorkSafeBC claim.