Application Requirements

Effective: July 20, 2026

Some applicants may require additional support to apply for assistance, including support to complete the Application for Assistance through My Self Serve (MySS). Review the Help With an Application section for more information when an applicant requires support to apply for assistance.

The ministry provides alternative service delivery options, including interpreter services and the use of trusted third parties. To see a list of alternative service delivery options and trusted third parties, see Individual Case Administration.

Effective: June 26, 2014

Application for Assistance includes voluntary questions asking applicants to identify if they are First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit. An applicant may identify in more than one category. Applicants who identify as First Nations are also asked if they are registered under the Indian Act of Canada (i.e., status or non-status Indian). 

Answering these questions is completely voluntary and does not affect the eligibility decision for income, disability or hardship assistance. Both the primary applicant and the spouse are asked to answer the questions.

The purpose of collecting this information:

• Support referrals to programs and services designed to better meeting the needs of Indigenous Peoples;
• Improve ministry services so they better reflect the needs and cultures of Indigenous Peoples; and
• Assess how effectively ministry policies and programs serve Indigenous Peoples.

Effective: January 1, 2020

All new applicants and former recipients reapplying for assistance after a break of more than six months are required to complete or demonstrate they have completed a three-week work search. In Stage 1 of the application process, staff determine if the applicants have already completed a satisfactory work search, are required to complete a three-week work search, or are exempt from this requirement. For more information, review the Work Search topic.

Applicants who are exempt from the Stage 1 work search requirement may proceed directly to Stage 2 of the application process. Applicants who are not exempt must complete a reasonable work search before they can proceed to Stage 2 of the application process.

If an applicant has a dependent spouse, staff must assess the spouse’s circumstances to determine whether they have already completed a satisfactory work search, are required to complete a work search, or are exempt from this requirement. If only one spouse meets the exemption criteria, the other spouse is required to complete the work search. The family unit cannot proceed to Stage 2 until a reasonable work search is completed.

If any member of the family unit has the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation at the time of application, the entire family unit is exempt from the work search and must proceed directly to Stage 2 of the application process. To learn more, review the Exemption policy in the Work Search topic. If an applicant has not already completed a satisfactory work search, the work search period begins on the day that the application for assistance is submitted through My Self Serve (MySS), whether submitted on their own or with assistance.

EXCEPTIONS: If an applicant or any person in the family unit has an immediate need for food, shelter, or urgent medical attention, the family unit is not required to complete the work search prior to proceeding to Stage 2 of the application process. For information on work search requirements for applicants who have an immediate need, review the “Work search for applicant who have an immediate need” policy in the Work Search topic.

Effective: June 23, 2010

To be eligible for income assistance, disability assistance, or hardship assistance, all adult members of a family unit must complete an orientation prior to the Stage 2 eligibility interview. This requirement can be met by completing the application process.

The orientation informs applicants of their responsibility to pursue employment and other income sources, provides information about eligibility requirements, and advises what documents are required for the Stage 2 eligibility interview.

The orientation should include information about: 

• The reasonable work search requirement. For more information, review the Work Search topic
• Resources available to support work search
• Other sources of income that may be available to applicants that they are required to explore. For more information, review the Pursuing Income topic
• The Stage 2 eligibility interview, including a list of documents the applicant is required to provide. For more information, review the Eligibility Assessment topic
• Eligibility requirements for assistance
• The applicant’s legal responsibilities
• The ministry’s authority to collect and verify information

Effective: December 1, 2003

The following applicants are not required to complete an orientation:

• People who are age 65 and above
• People who do not meet the citizenship requirements of the Employment and Assistance Regulation or Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation. For more information, review the Citizenship and Residency Requirements topic
• People who have a physical or mental condition that prevents completion of the orientation

The requirement to complete an orientation may also be waived or postponed for applicants who are eligible for a comforts allowance, and for applicants in drug and alcohol, hospital, and care facilities.

Effective: September 28, 2017

You can apply for assistance online through My Self Serve (MySS) by using a computer or smart phone. If you do not have a computer, you may use a friend or family member’s, at a public library, advocate’s office, or at a ministry or Service BC office. Please call (toll-free at 1-866-866-0800) to confirm if a ministry or Service BC office in your area has a computer for you to use as not every ministry or Service BC office may have a computer available for your use. Ministry staff can provide basic instructions to help you use the computer at the ministry office. They will not be able to fill out the application for you unless they determine that an assisted application is needed.

You can use the following steps as a guide to create an application for assistance:

1. Navigate to the MySS Launch Page and sign in with an existing MySS or create a new account.
2. The system will send an email confirmation link to activate a new MySS account. This email will allow you to create a 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN will be considered an electronic signature when you submit documents and sign them in MySS.
3. Follow the instructions online to create a BCeID and password to log into MySS.
4. Navigate to the Service Request section in MySS and start a new Application for Assistance.
5. Save the application at any time to save answers and documents and come back to the application to complete it later.
6. Answer all the questions possible and attach all necessary documents in the application. Though you only need to provide information and documents necessary to make an eligibility decision, providing thorough information and documents allows the ministry to move faster with applications without needing to ask for missing information or documents.
7. Sign the application using the 4-digit PIN and submit it in MySS.

You can check the status of your application online in your MySS account. You should only call or go into a ministry office for an update if the application is taking a long time or you are in immediate need (you need food, shelter/rent, medical attention, or are fleeing abuse). Review the Immediate Needs policy for more information.

Effective: July 20, 2026

If you are in immediate need, you can contact the ministry in one of these ways:

• Telephone: toll-free at 1-866-866-0800
• In person: by going to a Ministry or Service BC office during office hours

Ministry staff will determine if an applicant is in immediate need based on the information and/or documents you provide and can process your application urgently if needed. Applicants that are fleeing abuse will have their application processed urgently.

For more information, review the Immediate Needs policy.

Effective: July 20, 2026

If you are having trouble filling out an application for assistance, you can ask for help from a friend, family member, or an advocate.

Friends, family members, or advocates helping someone apply for assistance must tell the ministry online, over the phone, or in person. The ministry will ask for signed documents to make sure the ministry can share and gather information according to privacy law (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act), while respecting the applicant’s privacy.

Ministry staff cannot share information about an applicant or recipient with anyone without proper documentation, such as signed consent for release of information document, a power of attorney, or another document that authorizes the ministry to share the information.

Anyone who assists an applicant with their application, should advise them of their rights and responsibilities, which includes reporting requirements and required consents, including the CRA consent to release taxpayer information to the ministry. This information can be found online in MySS during the application and ministry staff can be contacted to help explain the applicant’s rights and responsibilities.

Effective: July 20, 2026

Ministry staff can answer your questions but cannot fill out or change the application for you unless the staff determines an assisted application is needed. Staff can help in some circumstances if you:

• Have significant barriers and no available resources or people to help such as friends, family members, or advocates
• Do not have regular access to a computer or smartphone and cannot use MySS
• Cannot use email and/or MySS for another reason
• Do not have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Staff can create a Service Request for you and gather most information verbally if an assisted application is needed. You will need to provide necessary eligibility information and documents even with an assisted application.

You can provide information and documents for an assisted application in one of these ways:

• Telephone: toll-free at 1-866-866-0800
• By mail: to any of the Ministry or Service BC offices
• In person: by attending a Ministry or Service BC office during office hours or dropping off documents using an office’s outside drop box

Staff are responsible for explaining the rights and responsibilities to you, including reporting requirements and the consents (including the CRA consent to release taxpayer information to the ministry).

Effective: July 20, 2026

You may need to sign your application and other documents by going to a ministry or Service BC office. If you cannot go into the office to sign, you may be asked to sign in front of a trusted third party (for example, a government agent) that will confirm your identity and ensure the signature is valid.

The ministry may accept witnessed signatures in rare circumstances if you are not able to go to an office or trusted third party. Witnessed signatures can be done in front of other government staff or prescribed professionals such as a medical practitioner, nurse, nurse practitioner, chiropractor, occupational therapist, social worker, etc.

If you are a 17 or 18-year-old applying for PWD designation and cannot go to the office due to physical or mental impairment, your parent/guardian may complete and sign the application on your behalf. For more information, review the Underage PWD Applicants policy.

Effective: July 20, 2026

The ministry can provide interpretation and translation services through a contracted third party for applicants who cannot read or write in English. Interpretation services are generally provided over the phone but can sometimes be done in person at an office.

The ministry does not translate documents, and it is your (the applicant’s) responsibility to pay for and translate documents through a verifiable third-party service. The ministry cannot accept documents that are critical to determine eligibility if they are translated using an unverifiable online resource such as, but not limited to, search engine translation or artificial intelligence software translation.

Effective: June 23, 2010

The ministry provides orientation to help you learn about income assistance or disability assistance. This is usually done online on MySS during the application process. The orientation requirement can be met through the completion of the application process and orientation may be provided in the following ways:

• Using the MySS launch page
• By ministry staff, in the office or by phone
• By a contracted service provider

If you have literacy or cognitive barriers, an immediate need for food, shelter, or urgent medical attention has been identified, staff may provide orientation directly to you and/or someone helping you with the application.

Effective: July 20, 2026

If you are a former recipient of assistance through the BCEA program, you will need to reapply using the regular application process if your case is closed and/or if it has been more than six calendar months since you last received income assistance or disability assistance.

Ministry staff may be able to use a shorter application process (i.e. streamlined application) if you have received income assistance or disability assistance in at least one of the last six calendar months. This shorter (streamlined) application process may be done using the Monthly Report Form (HR0081). You must continue to meet all eligibility criteria for assistance and may need to provide additional information and documents to confirm eligibility. For more information about this process, review the Streamlined Application topic.

Effective: July 16, 2018

The ministry collects only the information necessary to determine eligibility in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The ministry uses several forms and ways to gather information including but not limited to:

• Application for Assistance – Consents (Part 1) (HR0080B)
• Application for Assistance (Part 2) (HR0080)
• Application for Assistance - Verbal Consent (HR0080A)
• Employment and Assistance/Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Review (HR0080R)

You (applicant) and your spouse (if applicable) are required to complete the applicable form/s to apply for assistance, these are normally automatically completed by the ministry’s system when you use MySS.

The application includes some of the following topics:

• BC Government’s Responsibilities
• Privacy
• Applicant’s Rights and Responsibilities
• Consent for the ministry to gather Medical Services Plan (MSP) information
• Consent for the ministry to gather information from third parties
• Consent for the ministry to gather information from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

The ministry may gather a variety of information from different sources to determine eligibility including:

• Basic information such as your name, social insurance number, address, and birth date
• Immediate needs assessment if you urgently need food, shelter, medical care, or are fleeing abuse
• Information about your income and assets for the applicant and their family (if applicable)
• Shelter expenses (such as rent or mortgage)
• Bank account information including bank statements and profiles
• Your acknowledgement that the ministry may verify your information with third parties

Effective: July 20, 2026

In some circumstances the ministry may require your verbal consent to do third party checks if you are not able to sign the consents online or in person, or if you have an immediate need.

Ministry staff complete a Verbal Consent (HR0080A) form and store it on your case to note that staff gathered verbal consent. Having a staff-completed Verbal Consent (HR0080A) form allows the ministry to gather information from third parties for a period of five business days (the verbal consent expires after five business days) and is valid for all third parties except the CRA.

Effective: July 16, 2018

The HR0080R is used for eligibility reviews, to add a spouse to an existing case, and in some circumstances for a person returning to assistance after a period of Medical Services Only (MSO) or Transitional Health Supplements (THS). It may also be used in some situations after a short period when no payments were issued. The HR0080R includes the information, declaration, and consents that are included in the HR0080 and HR0080B.