Immediate Needs

Effective: October 1, 2012

During Stage 1 of the application process, staff must determine whether an applicant has an immediate need for food, shelter, or urgent medical attention. An applicant is considered to have an immediate need if they have one or more of the following:

• An immediate need for food.
  • The applicant does not have the resources to meet basic food needs.
• An immediate need for shelter.
  • The applicant does not have safe or stable housing (e.g. eviction notice, pending hydro disconnect, or staying at a hostel, emergency shelter, or transition house with no suitable accommodation available in the immediate future.
• An immediate need for urgent medical attention.
  • The applicant requires immediate medical supports, such as prescribed medication, medical supplies, or medical transportation. 

An immediate need does not need to last for a specific period of time and is still considered immediate, even when community resources such as food banks or shelters are available.

An applicant is considered to have an immediate need only after all available income and personal assets have been used. Pending income is considered only if it will be available in time to meet the immediate need.

Applicants who are exempt from the work search requirement may still have an immediate need. In these cases, the immediate need takes priority, and the eligibility interview will be given priority scheduling.

Applicants who are not exempt from the work search requirement and have an immediate need, proceed directly to Stage 2 of the application process and are assessed for eligibility for Hardship Assistance – Immediate Needs – Work Search Required.

Staff must ensure the applicant is informed of available community resources and supports, such as community kitchens, food banks, shelters, or by supporting access to urgent medical care through referrals or available health coverage programs. The ministry may provide a food/sundries voucher if there are no community resources available and the ministry is not able to make an immediate eligibility decision. Where a food/sundries voucher is issued, it is intended only for one-time only short-term use while eligibility is being determined.

Addressing the immediate need in the interim does not remove the requirement for expedited third party checks and eligibility interview.

Effective: October 1, 2012

The following examples, while not exhaustive, describe circumstances where an applicant has an immediate need:

• The applicant is relying on community resources, such as food banks or emergency shelters, to meet basic food needs
• The applicant is staying at a hostel, or temporary emergency shelter, with no suitable accommodation available in the immediate future, and their ability to secure accommodation depends on receiving assistance
• The applicant has a prescription from a medical doctor for medication or medical supplies that are required immediately, and their ability to get them depends on receiving assistance
• The applicant is a pre-release prisoner (assessments must be completed in accordance with provincial protocol) 

Effective: October 22, 2007

You should tell the ministry if you are in immediate need so staff can assess your application and immediate needs. Ministry staff will also determine if you have an immediate need by asking you questions about your situation regarding food, shelter/rent, medical needs, or if you are fleeing abuse. Staff will record this information on your case so if another staff works on the case they will have the necessary information to help you.

The following are some examples of questions staff may ask you:

Food:

• Do you have any food?
• How much food do you have?
• How long do you think it will last you?
• Has your doctor told you that you have any special dietary needs (e.g. diabetes, high protein, etc.)? What sort of needs?
• How did you manage last night/week/month?

Shelter:

• Do you have a place to stay tonight? Tomorrow? Next week? The next three weeks?
• Where did you stay last night?
• Are you able to pay your rent this month?
• How flexible is your landlord about late rent? Do you think you may be able to resolve this with your landlord? Have you tried approaching the landlord?
• Have you received a disconnection notice from any essential utility (e.g. B.C. Hydro)? When? Do you have it with you?
• Have you tried to speak to utility company about the disconnection notice? Are they willing to be flexible? Do you think you may be able to make any arrangement with them for late payment?
• Are you awaiting admission to a treatment centre?
   

Medical Needs:

• Do you have any medical conditions? What are they? What sort of treatment do you normally get for your medical conditions?
• Do you require any medicine or other medical treatment for which you need a prescription?
• How much medicine do you have left? How long will it last you?
• When does your prescription next need to be filled?
• Do you have a medical plan that would cover this prescription? Do any of your family members have a medical plan which covers you for this prescription?

Fleeing abuse:

• Are you fleeing an abusive situation from a partner or family member?

Other Resources:

• Do you have any money or other property assets that could be used to meet your immediate needs? (Bank accounts? RRSP? Bonds?) 

If staff suspect that an applicant may have a mental health need, other medical need, or other reason which may make them unable or reluctant to disclose an immediate need, the staff member will be proactive and sensitive in questioning and then apply their best judgement in deciding whether an immediate need exists.

Effective: October 22, 2007

Sometimes you will have an immediate need in the reasonably foreseeable future (e.g., eviction notice, utility disconnection notice, etc. coming in the next few days). Staff will determine whether you will soon have an immediate need and may prioritize your application to make an eligibility decision. 

Staff will assess the likelihood and timing of a future immediate need and whether your application can be prioritized as immediate need.

Effective: February 8, 2008

If you have an immediate need, you have submitted your application and the ministry is unable to make an immediate eligibility decision based on your prioritized application, staff may issue you a food/sundries voucher up to maximum of $50. If the need is greater than $50, additional information must be provided for the increased amount and staff must obtain additional approval.