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BC Employment & Assistance Policy & Procedure Manual

Last updated on June 28, 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: Health Supplements

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

Effective Date: June 28, 2024

Alternative Hearing Assistance Supplement

  • College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals changed to College of Health and Care Professionals.
  • Definition updated for Audiologist and Hearing Instrument Practitioner

Medical Equipment - Hearing Instruments

  • College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals changed to College of Health and Care Professionals

Extended Medical Therapies

  • Naturopathy updated to naturopathic medicine

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

Previous Policy

  • Support, Shelter & Special Care Facilities – January 1, 2024
  • Room and Board, Special Care Facilities & Allowances Rate Table – January 1, 2024

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

Previous Policy

  • Residency in BC Eligibility May 20, 2010

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

Previous Policy

  • Eligibility: July 1, 2023

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

Previous Policy

  • First Nations: December 1, 2003
  • Persons Residing in Halfway Houses: March 1, 2023

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

Family Maintenance Services

Policy has been updated to reflect that a family maintenance assignment no longer ends when a recipient ceases to be eligible for assistance. This will allow them to continue receiving family maintenance services to complete legal proceedings in progress at the time they become ineligible.

General Supplements and Programs

Effective January 1, 2024

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

  • Earnings Exemptions: January 1, 2024

Previous Policy

  • Earnings Exemptions:  July 1, 2022

New Related Links

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

Effective August 1, 2023

Policy has been updated to reflect the Affordability Initiative updates that will implement increases to shelter and select supplement rates.  Christmas Supplement has been renamed to the Winter Supplement.

General Supplements

Health Supplements

Support and Shelter

Effective: April 5, 2023

Policy has been updated to include the Indigenous Financial Settlements exemption. Payments captured by this exemption are exempt as income and assets for income, disability, and hardship assistance.  This exemption applies to past and future payments that meet the criteria. It encompasses and replaces all existing exemptions for specific settlement agreements with Indigenous Peoples.

Effective: March 1, 2023

General Supplements & Programs

The Housing Stability Supplement has been introduced to temporarily maintain support and shelter costs when there are specific changes in a family unit’s circumstances. The Housing Stability Supplement replaces the Temporary Reduced Family Unit (TRFU) policy.

Health Supplements & Programs

Policy has been updated to reflect that clients in alcohol and drug treatment centres may be eligible to receive the Housing Stability Supplement.

General Supplements & Programs

Policy has been updated to reflect that the Housing Stability Supplement can be included in determining the amount of the Crisis Supplement for shelter.

Support & Shelter

Policy has been updated to reflect the Temporarily Reduced Family Unit policy has been replaced with the Housing Stability Supplement.

Eligibility

Policy and procedures have been updated to reflect that family units in receipt of income assistance that include Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers (PPMBS) or have a member residing in a special care facility now have the same monthly reporting requirements as family units in receipt of disability assistance.

Case Administration

Policy has been updated to reflect the Temporarily Reduced Family Unit policy has been replaced with the Housing Stability Supplement.

Decisions, Reconsideration & Appeal

Procedures updated to remove CIC (Temporary Absence Assistance) and the Deceased Adjustment Supplement from the list of decisions that cannot be reconsidered. These are now encompassed within the Housing Stability Supplement which is provided under the EA Act and the EAPWD Act.

Compliance & Debt Management

Policy has been updated to remove CIC (Temporary Absence Assistance) and the Deceased Adjustment Supplement from the types of assistance that cannot be included in debt calculation. These are now encompassed within the Housing Stability Supplement which can be considered in debt calculation.

Eligibility

Policy has been updated to reflect that persons residing in Halfway Houses may be eligible for the Housing Stability Supplement.

Support & Shelter

Policy has been updated to reflect that clients in special care facilities may be eligible to receive the Housing Stability Supplement.

Eligibility

Policy has been updated to reflect that the repayable warrant supplement can be provided if the warrant holder leaves the province to resolve a warrant and the remainder of the family unit chooses to stay in BC.