Designation Application

Effective: September 1, 2016

The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation is required to access disability assistance or programs under the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities (EAPWD) Act.

A person may be eligible for the PWD designation if they are 18 years of age and have a severe mental (including a mental disorder) or physical impairment that meets all of the following criteria:

• In the opinion of a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner, the impairment is likely to continue for at least two years
• In the opinion of a prescribed professional, the impairment directly and significantly restricts the person’s ability to perform daily living activities either continuously or periodically for extended periods
• As a result of those restrictions, the person requires an assistive device, the significant help or supervision of another person, or the services of an assistance animal to perform daily living activities

A person may also be eligible for the PWD designation if they have reached 18 years of age and are confirmed to be a member of a prescribed class in accordance with section 2.1 of the EAPWD regulation. For more information, review the policy for prescribed class.

Recipients retain the PWD designation whether or not they continue to be financially eligible for disability assistance. They do not need to apply for the designation if they reapply for assistance.

The federal government, and each province and territory have their own definition of a person with disabilities. To be eligible for disability assistance in B.C., applicants must be granted designation under the EAPWD Act through the ministry.

Effective: October 5, 2021

The Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities (EAPWD) Act permits the ministry to designate a person as a Person with Disabilities (PWD), without going through the standard application process, if the person has already been approved for another prescribed government program or benefit.

The EAPWD regulation prescribes the classes of people who will be able to use this more streamlined process to become designated as a PWD. Those classes are:

1. People enrolled in BC PharmaCare plan p (palliative care benefits)
2. People who have been determined by the Ministry of Children and Family Development to be eligible for the At Home Program
3. People who have been determined by Community Living British Columbia to be eligible to receive its support and services (developmental disability or personal supports initiative)
4. People determined as disabled by the Government of Canada and eligible for the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit or the Canada Pension Plan Post-Retirement Disability Benefit; and
5. People who have been designated as a Person with Disabilities by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) within the BC region

Note: PWD designations made by ISC within the BC region are adjudicated by the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

People applying under a prescribed class must complete the Persons with Disabilities designation application – prescribed class form (HR3642). By submitting this application form, the applicant provides consent to the ministry to verify their eligibility as a member of a prescribed class directly with the specified agency. If the ministry is unable to confirm a person’s eligibility under a prescribed class directly with the specified agency, the applicant may be asked for written documentation to assist with verification.

A PWD designation application – prescribed class (HR3642) is provided only to new applicants or recipients of income assistance who intend to apply for disability assistance who have identified themselves as a member of one of the prescribed classes. 

People applying for PWD designation as a member of a prescribed class must still meet all other eligibility requirements (identification, financial, residency, etc.) to be found eligible for disability assistance.

For more information on policy and procedures to apply for assistance, review – Persons with Disabilities Designation application (HR2883) and BCEA Application stage 1 and stage 2.

Effective: September 1, 2016

The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation application (HR2883) is used to collect information pertaining to the applicant’s disability that will allow the ministry to make evidence-based decisions consistent with legislation. The PWD designation application (HR2883) has three-parts: 

• Section 1 is applicant information to be completed by the applicant
• Section 2 is a medical report to be completed by either a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner
• Section 3 is an assessor report to be completed by a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or other prescribed professional

A PWD designation application (HR2883) is provided only to new applicants or recipients of income assistance who intend to apply for disability assistance. 

A PWD designation application (HR2883) should only be provided where the applicant is financially eligible (meets the income and asset test) or is likely to be financially eligible within six months of the date the application is requested, including those who are in the process of transferring assets into a trust or registered disability savings plan, RDSP. Applicants who want to apply for the PWD designation to access other programs or benefits should not be provided with a PWD application (HR2883).

If an applicant or recipient has assets in excess of the PWD limit, they must be informed of the trusts program and RDSP exemption and referred to the disability assistance and trust booklet and the trusts, committeeships and structured settlements: document guidelines for clients. Ministry staff cannot provide legal or investment advice to applicants or recipients. For further information on trusts and RDSPs, review trusts and assets and exemptions.

If an applicant meets the eligibility criteria for income assistance under the Employment and Assistance Act, with the exception that their assets are tested at the PWD level (including assets over the PWD level in the process of being transferred into a trust or RDSP), the applicant may receive income assistance while they are completing their application and awaiting the outcome of their application for PWD designation. While an applicant is not required to be determined eligible for income assistance before being provided with the PWD designation application form, the applicant must first complete the intake process, sign the HR0080 and have an open case (whether in pay or not) before a PWD application can be adjudicated by Health Assistance.

Example 1: An applicant is applying for disability assistance but has assets over the PWD limit that the applicant is transferring into a non-discretionary trust. The applicant may be provided with a PWD application and may be eligible for income assistance while completing the PWD application and while the trust is being reviewed by the ministry. If the applicant is denied the PWD designation, the non-discretionary trust will be considered an asset and the applicant will not be eligible for further assistance while their assets are over the income assistance limit.

Example 2: An applicant is applying for disability assistance but has assets over the PWD limit. The applicant does not intend to transfer the excess assets into a trust or RDSP. The applicant may not be provided with a PWD application until  their assets are likely to be under the PWD asset limit within six months. 

A decision to refuse to provide a PWD designation application (HR2883) may be reconsidered.

Applicants may start the PWD designation application process six months prior to their 18^th birthday to ensure they can be adjudicated for the designation prior to requiring assistance. For detailed information, review the policy for 17-year-old applicants.

For a table explaining when a PWD designation application may be provided, review the provision of PWD application form.

Effective: July 20, 2011

Eligible recipients who receive assets that they plan to transfer into a trust or registered disability savings plan (RDSP), or who have a trust that has not yet been reviewed by the ministry, will be provided with a PWD designation application.

For recipients applying for PWD designation who have a valid trust or are transferring assets into trust, it should be assumed that the trust will exempt those assets when determining whether to provide a PWD designation application. A PWD application should be provided if the following requirements are met:

• They intend to apply for disability assistance
• They are likely to be financially eligible (within six months of the date the application is requested), presuming that the asset is or will be in a valid trust and  exempt

The ministry must make a decision on the PWD designation based on the recipient’s application. Eligibility for disability assistance will depend on the ministry’s review of the trust to determine whether it is valid and whether the assets are exempt.

If an applicant or recipient  has assets that exceed the PWD asset limit, they must be informed about the trusts program and RDSP exemption.  They should be referred to the disability assistance and trust booklet and the trusts, committeeships and structured settlements: documentation guidelines for clients. Staff cannot provide legal or investment advice to applicants or recipients.

For further information review trusts.

Effective: July 20, 2011

People who plan to apply for the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation and are in need of financial support may receive income assistance and retain their assets at the limit applicable to disability assistance recipients, until the outcome of their PWD designation application. This includes assets over the PWD level in the process of being transferred into a trust or a Registered Disability Savings Plan.

To qualify for income assistance, PWD designation applicants must meet all eligibility criteria under the Employment and Assistance (EA) Regulation, with the exception that their assets are assessed using the higher asset limits available for recipients of disability assistance as noted above.

Applicants and recipients are expected to make every effort to collect the information necessary to determine their medical condition and to return the completed PWD designation application within  approximately three months after receiving a PWD designation application.

Recipients who are denied the PWD designation and have submitted either a request for reconsideration to the ministry or a notice of appeal to the tribunal would be eligible for a reconsideration or appeal supplement while awaiting the outcome as applicable. For more information, review reconsideration and appeal. Recipients who are found ineligible for the PWD designation are not required to repay income assistance already received, but  their assets must be at or below the asset limits under the EA Regulation.

Learn more about asset limits for people applying for PWD designation here.

Effective: September 1, 2016

A person must meet the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation criteria and financial eligibility criteria under the EAPWD Act, and must be 18 years old, to receive disability assistance.

Youth with disabilities who are likely to be financially eligible for disability assistance when they turn 18, may begin the application process up to six months before their 18th birthday. Starting the application process early will allow sufficient time to schedule appointments with medical practitioners and prescribed professionals and  have their PWD application completed and adjudicated so they can start receiving disability assistance as soon as they turn 18.

For more information on the procedures to apply for assistance review BCEA Application stage 1 and stage 2.

Effective: September 1, 2016

Youth with an intellectual disability who are eligible to receive services and supports from either Community Living British Columbia or the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s At Home Program can apply for the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation as a member of a prescribed class. Review the policy on prescribed class for further information.

For youth who do not meet the prescribed class criteria, specific PWD designation procedures and a consent form have been developed for 17-year-old youth diagnosed with an intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) to streamline their transition to disability assistance with the ministry.

Youth with a diagnosis of an intellectual disability (or their parent/guardian), may consent to the sharing of relevant portions of their psychological assessments (or psycho-education reports)  to determine PWD designation eligibility, as an alternative to completing a PWD designation application (HR2883). 

If the psychological assessment information submitted does not contain sufficient information to confirm eligibility, the Youth Transition Consent form (HR3183) also gives permission for the ministry to request copies of the applicant’s psychological assessments or psycho-education reports from the applicant’s school district or, where appropriate, the Ministry for Children and Family Development.

Effective: April 4, 2024

Youth with support needs receive programs and services through the Ministry of Children and Family Development until they are 19 years of age. These youth may delay applying for the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation while they are still eligible for those services. 

These youth may apply for the PWD designation within six months of their 19^th birthday. Starting the application process at that time will allow  sufficient time to schedule appointments with medical practitioners and prescribed professionals, and to have their PWD designation application completed and adjudicated so they can start receiving disability assistance when they turn 19, if determined eligible.

Youth who are:

• In government care under the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development
• Approved for PWD designation before their 19^th birthday, and
• Eligible for disability assistance as of their 19^th birthday

are eligible to receive the shelter allowance for the full month in which they turn 19, as calculated in Schedule A for any rent owing, and the support allowance pro-rated from the day they turned 19 to the end of that month.

Any payments made by the Ministry of Children and Family Development to the caregiver for service up to the day the person turned 19 are not considered in the calculation of the applicant’s assistance.

Note: Young adults who are supported through Strengthening Abilities and Journeys to Empowerment (SAJE) agreements may begin the PWD designation application six months before their agreement ends. Payments received through SAJE should be treated as per the Income Treatment and Exemptions policy.

Effective: July 8, 2013

The Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation is effective the first of the month following the approval. A recipient with the PWD designation may be eligible for:

• Higher rates (outlined in the disability assistance rate table)
• Health supplements (review health supplement summary)
• An Annual Earnings Exemption (review income treatment and exemptions)
• A bus pass (see BC bus pass program)

Note: A person must be at least 18 years old to receive disability assistance.

Effective: February 1, 2025

The ministry recognizes that recipients with the Persons with Disabilities designation may have barriers to employment. They are not required to enter into an Employability Plan and are not subject to employability-related obligations. However, the ministry encourages them to participate in the workforce and community, if they are able, to support reaching their economic and social potential. An annual earnings exemption is available to allow recipients to earn income. An Employability Plan may help recipients to achieve their goals, which can be completed voluntarily upon request. Review eemployability plan, and, income treatment and exemptions.

Effective: September 1, 2016

People with the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation who return to the ministry for disability assistance will be required to complete the same financial application process as all other applicants. People with the PWD designation at the time of application are not required to complete a work search. Once financial eligibility has been established, disability assistance and health supplements can be provided. For more information on application for BC Employment and Assistance, review BC Employment and Assistance Application stage 1, stage 2.

People with the PWD designation in receipt of Medical Services Only coverage due to employment income should continue to submit monthly reports. This allows the ministry to re-establish eligibility for disability assistance when:

1. Their income falls below the disability assistance rate; or
2. They are eligible for an annual earnings exemption in the new calendar year

For more information, review the medical services only recipients requesting assistance policy.

People with the PWD designation in receipt of Medical Services Only coverage, for reasons other than employment income, and who are requesting disability assistance or hardship assistance must complete a reapplication. For more information, view eligibility review.

Effective: July 13, 2026

The federal government, and each province and territory have their own definition of a person with disabilities. To be eligible for the on-reserve Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation in B.C., all applicants must be granted a designation through Indigenous Services Canada (ISC).

In the B.C. region, ISC considers PWD designations made under the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities (EAPWD) Act to be a Prescribed Class within their Income Assistance Program. PWD designations made by ISC within the B.C. region are adjudicated by the BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

Recipients who have the PWD designation from the ministry before they move on reserve are not  required to complete an ISC PWD Designation Application  form. With the recipients signed consent, the ministry will provide verification to BCANDS that they are eligible for the PWD designation which will streamline their eligibility for the ISC PWD designation.

Effective: September 1, 2016

To be eligible for disability assistance, you or someone else in your family must have the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation. For this designation, you must:

• Show that you meet financial eligibility to receive assistance
  • To determine if you meet financial eligibility, please go to My Self Serve webpage
• Be 18 years old, but you can start the application process when you are 17½
• Have severe physical or mental impairment that is expected to continue for more than two years
• Be significantly restricted in your ability to perform daily living activities
• Require assistance with daily living activities from: 
  • Another person
  • An assistive device
  • An assistance animal

The application process has three steps:

1. Complete the online application for assistance through the My Self Serve (MySS) webpage or if you are already in receipt of ministry assistance, go to step 2
2. Request a PWD designation application based on your circumstances (You can do this as part of your application for financial assistance)
   • New to assistance
   • Returning to assistance
   • Prescribed Class
     • Enrolled in BC PharmaCare plan p (palliative care benefits)
     • Have been determined by the Ministry of Children and Family Development to be eligible for the At Home Program
     • Have been determined by Community Living British Columbia to be eligible to receive its support and services (developmental disability or personal supports initiative)
     • Determined as disabled by the Government of Canada and eligible for the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit or the Canada Pension Plan Post-Retirement Disability Benefit; or
     • Have been designated as a Person with Disabilities by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) within the BC region
   • 17 Years Old
3. Complete the relevant PWD designation application

If you are moving on-reserve and have received the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation from the ministry, you may request that your PWD designation information be released to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS).

Prior to the release of the ministry’s PWD information, you must complete and sign a consent form, which is available through your Band Social Development Worker (BSDW). The consent form must be sent by the BSDW directly to Health Assistance (HA), as HA is responsible for releasing the requested information. 

To initiate the release of your PWD designation information, the BSDW will complete the following steps:

1. Have you complete and sign the Consent to Release of Information, SA-320
2. Send completed consent form to HA at the fax number, email address or address noted on the consent form. When faxing, BSDWs must adhere to guidelines concerning transmittal of confidential information
3. Scan and profile a copy of the consent form and record date sent to HA

Upon receipt of the completed consent form, HA will provide confirmation or denial of your PWD designation with the ministry within 12 business days.

Effective: September 1, 2016

Fees for completing the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation application are paid as follows:

• Medical practitioners and nurse practitioners are paid through the Medical Services Plan (MSP) for completing the medical report and assessor report.
• Other prescribed professionals are paid by Health Assistance after submitting the assessor invoice included with the application or review booklet. The completed invoice should be removed from the booklet and mailed to Health Assistance.

If you have questions about completing the forms or receiving payment, medical practitioners, nurse practitioners, and prescribed professionals can contact Health Assistance using the phone number provided in the application and review forms.