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BC Employment and Assistance Policy & Procedure Manual

Last updated on July 7, 2025

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 and search tips page.

What's New

Category: Eligibility 

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

Effective date: July 1, 2025

Policy and procedures have been updated to reflect:

  • Those without employability-related obligations may now choose to complete an Employability Plan (HR2863) on a voluntarily basis. The Voluntary Employability Plan has been phased out.

Category: Eligibility 

Topic: Income Treatment and Exemptions, Assets and Exemptions, Eligibility for Hardship Assistance

Effective date: July 1, 2025

Policy has been updated to reflect that the following payments are exempt as income and assets:

  • The Canada Disability Benefit
  • Sons of Freedom Recognition Payments

Category: BC Employment and Assistance rate tables 

Topic: Senior's supplement rates

Effective date: July 1, 2025

Policy and procedures have been updated to reflect:

  • OAS/GIS rate increases

Category: Eligibility 

Topic: Income treatment and exemptions

Effective date: May 1, 2025 

  • Policy has been updated to clarify the following:
    • Direct readers to earnings exemption section of policy to reduce repetition of earnings exemption amounts for various forms of earned/qualifying income
    • Employment income - Income Assistance recipients and employment income - Disability recipients have been combined to a general Employment Income section
    • A description of employment income has been added to the employment income section
    • Income from social media platforms is considered employment income and is subject to earnings exemptions
    • Money received through charity or through crowdfunding platforms (e.g., go fund me) are considered gifts
    • Interest/dividends are considered unearned income
    • Honoraria has been given its own section as a specific type of earned income

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Income treatment and exemptions

Effective date: April 1, 2025

The policy and procedure manual (PPM) has been updated to clarify that the Ministry of Finance’s BC climate action tax credit program has ended. The B.C. climate action tax credit payment for April 2025 was the final payment. Recipients may still receive this payment for previous years if filing their income tax returns late.

Category: General supplements and programs 

Topic: Guide dog and service dog supplement

Effective date: April 1, 2025 

Both the policy and the procedure sections of the policy and procedure manual (PPM) have been updated to reflect the public safety assessment used to certify guide dog and service dog teams is no longer administered by the Justice Institute of BC but is now administered by the obedience unleashed dog training (OUDT).

British Columbia’s Guide Dog and Service Dog Act and regulation requires guide and service dog teams to recertify every two years. The procedures section of the PPM has been updated to highlight the recertification requirement every two years.

Category: Eligibility  

Topic: Income treatment and exemptions

Subtopic: Rental subsidy and rental supplements

Effective date: April 1, 2025 

The procedures in the policy and procedure manual (PPM) has been updated to include the new BC Housing rental subsidy for survivors of gender-based violence that was announced to the public on March 12, 2025.

Category: General supplement 

Topic: Identification supplement

Subtopic: Eligibility 

Effective date: April 1, 2025 

Policy has been updated to clarify costs that may be considered under this supplement.

Category: Health supplement 

Topic: Medical equipment and devices

Subtopic: Assessing eligibility 

Effective Date: March 26, 2025 

Procedures have been updated to include the Health Assistance streamlined process to assist recipients in obtaining medical equipment and/or devices required to secure wheelchair accessible, affordable housing (i.e.: The right fit program).  

Category: General supplements and programs  

Topic: Child benefits top-up supplement

Effective date: January 1, 2025 

The policy and procedure manual (PPM) has been updated to include the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) for grieving families.

Category: Support and shelter

Topic: Support, shelter and special care facilities

Effective Date: January 1, 2025

The Ministry of Health introduced new client rates for community care residential facilities in BC effective January 1, 2025. The monthly rate has been increased to $1,466.20 (was previously $1,417.00) and the short-term care daily rate has been increased to $48.20 (was previously $46.59). There has been no increase to other per diems.

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Income treatment and exemptions

Effective date: January 1, 2025

  • Policy has been updated to clarify that honoraria, which are nominal payments for a service or action in a voluntary capacity, is considered earned income and is subject to earnings exemptions
  • Policy has been updated to clarify that per diems to cover expenses (e.g., travel, food, accommodation) associated with government boards, commissions, and councils is not considered income

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 bBenefits 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 and exemptions overview; eligibility review; non-ministry funded employment programs and 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 and 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 and 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

Effective: September 1, 2024

Category: Eligibility 

Topic: BCEA Application- Stage 2; Designation Application; Determining Clients with No Employability-Related Obligations; Employability Plan; Employment Programs, Planning and Exemptions Overview; Eligibility Review; Non-Ministry Funded Employment Programs and 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 and 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: 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

New Policy

Category: Eligibility

Topic: Assets and 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 and Exemptions

  • money received from the sale of a primary residence is considered exempt income during the month of the sale if the family unit plans to purchase a new primary residence
  • 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 and 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