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Updated: September 16, 2008

Time Limits

The BC Employment and Assistance program ensures assistance is there for those most in need and focuses on employment for those clients who are able to work.

Policy:

• As part of the province's emphasis on employment and personal responsibility, time limits were introduced in April 2002 to motivate employable income assistance clients to find jobs as quickly as possible.

• Employable clients who do not meet any of the 25 exemption criteria are limited to a cumulative 24 months (two years) of assistance out of every 60 months (five years). The 25 exemption criteria are designed to ensure no one who is unable to work or who is actively looking for work will lose assistance.

• These include persons with disabilities, pregnant women, single parents with young children, people in a special care facility or people with an alcohol or drug problem.

• Rates will be reduced as follows for those clients who fail to follow their legally binding employment plans after receiving assistance for a total of 24 months in a 60-month (five year) period:
  • No eligibility for employable singles
  • No eligibility for employable couples with both adults at the time limit
  • $300 per month for employable couples with one adult at the time limit

For families with children, rates will be reduced by:

• $100 per month for single parents
• $100 per month for two-parent families where one parent is at the time limit
• $200 per month where both parents are at the time limit

Exemptions:

Time limits only affect income assistance clients who are capable of working now. Only months when employable clients are receiving income assistance, and are expected to be actively seeking employment, count toward the time limit. Time limits do not affect:

1. Persons with Disabilities
2. Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers
3. Pregnant women
4. Children under the age of 19
5. Single parents with a child under the age of three
6. Single parents precluded from leaving the home for purposes of employment because they are caring for a disabled child
7. Single relatives of a child under the age of three when the child is living in the relative's home (Child in Home of Relative assistance)
8. Single relatives of a disabled child living in their home when caring for the child precludes the relative from leaving the home for purposes of employment (Child in Home of Relative assistance)
9. Single parents with a foster child under the age of three
10. Single parents precluded from leaving the home for purposes of employment because they are caring for a disabled foster child
11. Single caregivers for a child under the age of three in an out-of-care living arrangement
12. Single caregivers precluded from leaving the home for purposes of employment because they are caring for a disabled child in an out-of-care living arrangement
13. People in a special care facility or private hospital or who require extended care
14. People precluded from leaving the home for purposes of employment because they are caring for a disabled spouse
15. People with an alcohol or drug problem that interferes with their ability to search for, accept or continue in employment
16. People with a mental health condition that interferes with their ability to search for, accept or continue in employment
17. People with a temporary medical condition that interferes with their ability to search for, accept or continue in employment
18. People participating in an alcohol or drug treatment program that interferes with their ability to search for, accept or continue in employment
19. People leaving a violent or abusive relationship within the previous six months when the abuse or separation interferes with their ability to search for, accept or continue in employment
20. People participating in a Training for Jobs program (including Bridging Employment program and English as a Second Language program)
21. People receiving direct purchase services for employment training interventions where no Training for Jobs program providers exist in their community
22. People participating in an English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Education, literacy or upgrading program
23. People over the age of 65
24. People receiving hardship assistance including refugee claimants who have not yet been granted permission to take up permanent residence in Canada (i.e. "landed" status)
25. People who have a time count of 24 months, have an employment plan, are complying with their plan and are actively looking for work, but have not been successful in finding employment.

Expectation to Actively Seek Employment:

BC Employment and Assistance clients are required to sign an employment plan in order to be eligible for income assistance from the ministry.

The Employment Plan is a legal document between the client and the ministry that outlines the steps that the client will need to take in order to secure sustainable employment.

Employment plans encourage clients to focus, take responsibility and move quickly into employment.

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