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Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance

Objective 1.1: Clients receive income and supplementary assistance supports that meet their changing needs

Income assistance, including a shelter and support allowance, is provided to Expected to Work clients on a temporary basis while they find employment. It is also provided to Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers. Individuals and families who receive income assistance may also be eligible for a variety of supplementary assistance based on individual need, including diet and natal supplements, school start-up supplements, crisis supplements, dental and optical services, security and utility deposits, and transportation supplements to access medical care or alcohol and drug treatment.

Strategies:

• Conduct regular reviews of rates, regulations, policies and processes to ensure ministry services are responsive to clients’ changing needs.
• Implement the Multi-Channel Service Delivery project to provide clients with more choice in how they access ministry services and information while ensuring consistent service quality.
• Implement a shared caseload model so that clients receive timelier service from the first available worker rather than waiting for a particular worker to be available.
• Enhance the functionality of the Online Resource to provide the public with more accessible information about current policy and programs.

Performance Measure 1: Expected to work clients as a per cent of B.C. population

Data Source:  Research, Evaluation and Statistics Branch, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.

1	Result for March 2002.
2	Result for April 2007 to December 2007.

Discussion

Within the context of the strong provincial economy, the Ministry influences the achievement of this measure through its policy framework and employment programs that encourage independence and employment. Assisting clients to find employment is a critical aspect of the Ministry’s work. The baseline reflects the Ministry’s caseload for March 2002, the month prior to the introduction of the BC Employment and Assistance program. The Expected to Work caseload is not expected to decline further in the next three years. Future-year targets for this measure reflect this trend.

Objective 1.2: Persons with disabilities who are unable to provide for their basic needs receive assistance and are supported in becoming as independent as possible

Disability assistance, including a shelter and support allowance, is provided to eligible clients with the Persons with Disabilities designation. These clients receive the highest rate of assistance available to income assistance clients in British Columbia. They are eligible for all of the supplemental supports available to regular income assistance clients, as well as additional supports, including low-cost annual bus passes, monthly nutritional supplements, enhanced dental and orthodontic services and access to a range of medical equipment and supplies and nutritional supplements.

The Ministry provides a continuum of services to help disability assistance recipients move toward employment or enhanced community involvement. Participation in employment or training programs is voluntary and does not affect a client’s disability designation. Clients who volunteer may receive a community volunteer supplement of up to $100 per month.

Strategies

• Enhance service delivery options to better accommodate the needs of Persons with Disabilities.
• Streamline the transition process for children with disabilities or special needs moving from the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s At Home Program to the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance’s disability assistance program.

Performance Measure 2: Time to process Persons with Disabilities applications

Data Source:  Provincial Services Branch, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.

1	Result for April 2007 to December 2007.

Discussion

This measure evaluates the Ministry’s performance in providing a timely and efficient review and adjudication process for applications for the Persons with Disabilities designation. The speed of adjudication has been identified by disability stakeholder groups as a critical indicator of service quality for persons with disabilities. The baseline year is the first year this performance measure was included in the Service Plan. The Ministry has achieved significant success in providing timelier decisions in 2007/08 and, as a result, has established more ambitious future-year targets than detailed in previous Service Plans.

Objective 1.3: Clients receive citizen-centred services that are consistent, respectful, innovative and accountable

In keeping with the Ministry’s focus on citizen-centred service delivery, the Ministry is undertaking a comprehensive review to streamline the delivery of critical services. This initiative will simplify key programs and services to provide clients with more timely decisions, while identifying all of the services and supports they may be eligible to receive and, where appropriate, connecting them to services offered by other ministry partners.

The Ministry continues to develop the people, culture and technologies required to deliver critical services to the public. Building on the Ministry’s Organizational Values and Service Code, the new Service Standards for core programs and service delivery channels clearly communicate what a citizen can expect when interacting with the Ministry.¹

Strategies

• Implement the Simplification Initiative, addressing the Immediate Needs Assessment, Application and Intake, Employment/Personal Plans and Financial Review processes.
• Introduce a common complaint resolution process to provide clients with a forum to address service quality concerns at the local office level with options to escalate the issue if they are not satisfied.
• Implement the Service Standards and monitor the Ministry’s performance in meeting its targets, while leveraging other opportunities to assess client satisfaction.
• Develop staff competencies and ability to deliver high quality and consistent service through standardized training and development curricula for front-line workers and Supervisors.
• Introduce debit cards to complement direct deposit and provide clients with safe access to funds, eliminate cheque cashing fees, and provide additional flexibility to issue funds in emergency situations and after business hours.

Performance Measure 3: Per cent of services that meet established standards

Data Source:  Corporate Planning and Operations Division, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.

Discussion

This measure tracks the Ministry’s success in meeting its Service Standards targets. A higher percentage for this measure indicates that citizens receive more consistent and timely service when interacting with the Ministry. Reporting ministry performance in meeting the Service Standards informs citizens, stakeholders and the Ministry of how well the Ministry is doing in providing key services to clients. The baseline year is the year of implementation of the Service Standards. Future-year targets will be set once the baseline information is available.

Objective 1.4: Individuals have access to a fair and timely reconsideration and appeal process

The Employment and Assistance reconsideration and appeal system provides unbiased, fair, timely and transparent decision-making for clients. Ministry staff are required to inform all clients of their right to request a reconsideration of any decision that affects their eligibility for assistance. A reconsideration decision is a new and final Ministry decision made by a Ministry reconsideration adjudicator who was not involved in the original decision.

Clients who disagree with a reconsideration decision can appeal to the independent Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal. The Tribunal holds hearings throughout the province. Hearings may also occur by teleconference, or, if both parties agree, through written submissions to the Tribunal. This flexibility ensures clients have access to the appeal process, regardless of where they reside.

Strategy

• Collaborate with legal advocates to address issues, improve service delivery and establish processes for ongoing dialogue to benefit clients.

Performance Measure 4: Per cent of reconsideration decisions made within 10 business days

Data Source:  Legislation and Legal Services Branch, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.

1	Result for April 2007 to December 2007.

Discussion

This measure tracks the percentage of reconsideration decisions that are made within the Ministry’s 10-day statutory time limit. A higher percentage for this measure indicates the Ministry is doing a better job of providing timely and efficient reconsideration decisions to clients. The baseline year is the year preceding the introduction of this performance measure.

Goal 2: British Columbians with disabilities have access to the best system of support in Canada

The Ministry continues to develop the cross ministry Disability Strategy to provide for a flexible, comprehensive, and integrated system of support for all British Columbians with disabilities to allow them to participate more fully in the province’s social and economic life. A key focus of the Strategy is to ensure that Government’s annual investment of $4.3 billion in disability spending provides supports and services that are citizen-centred.

Objective 2.1: Persons with disabilities are supported to seek employment or 
volunteer opportunities

Delivered throughout the province by community based service providers, the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities provides a range of specialized employment programs to help persons with disabilities realize their goals of part-time and full-time paid employment, self-employment, voluntary employment and greater community involvement. Participation in the Program is voluntary and is available to ministry clients and members of the general public with disabilities. Complementing these services, the Ministry also provides an earnings exemption for those who receive disability assistance, which provides the opportunity for these clients to receive a total monthly income of more than $1,400.

Strategies

• Support the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities’ governance model and leverage additional opportunities for dialogue with contracted service providers and other stakeholders.

• Encourage increased participation by persons with disabilities in the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities and, ultimately, increased participation in the labour force.

Performance Measure 5: Per cent of disability assistance cases with income

Data Source:  Research, Evaluation and Statistics Branch, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.

1	Result for March 2003.
2	Result for April 2007 to December 2007.

Discussion

Providing support to assist clients with the Persons with Disabilities designation in pursuing employment and volunteer opportunities is a high priority for the Ministry. This measure tracks the Ministry’s success in assisting persons with disabilities to realize their goals of employment or volunteering. Employment and volunteering increase community participation, self-reliance and employability among persons with disabilities and, as a result, reduce levels of social isolation. The baseline reflects the Ministry’s caseload for March 2003. Future-year targets include steady increases in this measure. Between 2005/06 and 2010/11, the percentage of disability assistance cases with income from employment or a volunteer supplement is targeted to increase from 15.7 per cent to 22.9 per cent, an increase of almost 46 per cent over a five year period.

Objective 2.2: Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities removes barriers to employment for persons with disabilities through partnerships with business and industry throughout B.C.

The Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities, with representation from the business community and public, private and education/training sectors, is designed to engage employers in finding concrete solutions to increase employment, employability and independence of persons with disabilities in British Columbia.

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games provide a unique opportunity to enrich the lives of persons with disabilities through access to world class sporting and arts events, as well as emerging direct and indirect employment opportunities. The Ministry will continue to work with the Minister’s Council and employment programming service providers in communities across the province to fully engage persons with disabilities in this unique opportunity.

Strategies

• Develop additional tools and resources to support the Minister’s Council’s 10 by 10 Challenge to increase employment for persons with disabilities by 10 per cent by 2010, and expand the Challenge beyond the current 47 participating communities.
• Promote participation in the WorkAble Solutions website², which offers employers an exclusive site to post employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, search through lists of job-seekers with disabilities and access specialized human resource tool kits.
• Assist 2010 Legacies Now in developing sustainable, community-based initiatives focused on sport and recreation, arts, literacy, employment, and volunteerism for persons with disabilities, including participation in the opportunities created by the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Objective 2.3: Persons with disabilities benefit from a comprehensive and integrated system of supports and services

The Government has made the development of a comprehensive and integrated system of support and services for persons with disabilities a key priority. Through the Disability Strategy, the Ministry will provide new and simplified solutions to ensure that disability supports and services are citizen-centred — easier to deal with, more accessible and more responsive to those who need them.

Strategies

• Align the eligibility criteria to access disability supports and services across multiple ministries in collaboration with other government partners.
• Simplify the Persons with Disabilities designation application and adjudication processes.
• Build upon the success of the toll-free Personal Supports Information Line by introducing a website and storefront demonstration sites that will provide access and referrals to equipment and devices offered across six provincial ministries, as well as information and referrals to additional supports that may be available from community organizations and the private sector.

Goal 3: Disadvantaged British Columbians receive integrated cross ministry social supports

The Ministry plays an important role in the collaborative effort of ministries, other levels of government and community organizations to successfully integrate income support, housing, health, education and employment services for disadvantaged British Columbians.

Objective 3.1: Vulnerable individuals receive integrated services that assist them to transition to greater independence

The Ministry is investing $3 million annually to support integrated community partnerships to deliver more responsive services for at-risk individuals. Integration initiatives provide stability to individuals during periods of transition when they may be more vulnerable and require more support. This may include assistance with securing housing or re-entering communities after incarceration or drug and alcohol treatment. Integration strategies bridge potential service gaps and create linkages between programs to improve the continuum of services available to citizens who are in need of assistance.

Strategies

• Work with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority’s Mental Health and Addictions Services as a member of the Urgent Response Team to provide Ministry services starting at the point of crisis (e.g., at a hospital or an alcohol and drug detox facility) and continuing as the individual transitions to stable membership in the community.
• Work with correctional facilities on projects to initiate supports and establish connections for inmates who are scheduled for release and those completing drug and alcohol treatment.
• Build on the success of the expanded Housing Integrated Task Team targeting unscrupulous landlord practices in Vancouver, Surrey/Fraser Valley (Fraser Region), Victoria and Nanaimo while increasing capacity to provide comparable services in additional communities.
• Work with the Residential Tenancy Office by providing a dedicated Ministry resource to inform clients of tenants’ rights and processes for landlord/tenant dispute resolution.

Objective 3.2: Homeless British Columbians receive community-based support services

As a member of the Premier’s Task Force on Homelessness, Mental Illness and Addictions, the Ministry is a partner in developing a comprehensive approach to homelessness in British Columbia. Outreach programs continue to be expanded in communities across the province to connect homeless individuals with income assistance and safe shelter, often on the same day. Efforts are not limited to urban areas where the majority of visibly homeless individuals are concentrated. Instead, outreach services are adapted to suit particular community circumstances in rural and urban areas.

Strategies

• Support the development and implementation of recommendations from the Premier’s Task Force on Homelessness, Mental Illness and Addictions.
• Expand outreach programs in communities across the province in collaboration with BC Housing, the Solicitor General, Health Authorities, local governments and other potential partners to assist potential clients that are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• Explore alternative approaches for assisting dual diagnosis clients with the Solicitor General, BC Housing and the Ministry of Health.

Objective 3.3: British Columbians receive integrated social services through cross ministry information sharing

Ministry clients often require the services and supports provided by other ministries, including Health, Children and Family Development, and Education. Government’s ability to share, manage and protect client information is a foundational aspect of providing responsive and individualized services to clients. Ultimately, new inter-ministry data sharing processes that respect the confidential nature of personal information and comply with information and privacy legislation are critical for developing effectively integrated programs and ensuring that clients receive better service from Government.

Strategies

• Monitor information and systems to ensure proper safeguards and appropriate usage of personal information as well as strict adherence to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
• Work with the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services and Ministry of Children and Family Development on a shared Case Management System that will facilitate an integrated and citizen-centred approach to service delivery.
• Work with Statistics Canada to assess long-term outcomes for clients who leave the caseload through links with the federal tax database.
• Partner with the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction to evaluate client outcomes associated with the Drug Treatment Court of Vancouver.

Objective 3.4: Aboriginal clients achieve improved social, employment and education outcomes

In support of the B.C. Government’s New Relationship with Aboriginal people and the goals identified in the Transformative Change Accord, the Ministry continues to liaise with First Nations organizations to identify social, education and economic opportunities for Aboriginal citizens. The Ministry, in co-operation with First Nations organizations, is also seeking to better understand its Aboriginal clients and how it can better meet their needs.

Strategies

• Collect data about Aboriginal status on a voluntary basis from people who receive income assistance as a basis for enhancing service delivery and providing more effective programs for Aboriginal clients.
• Work with the First Nations Social Development Society to provide band-employed social development workers with information and training on ministry policy and practice to encourage mutual understanding and smoother transitions for Aboriginal persons moving on and off reserve.
• Work with Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement holders to provide Aboriginal persons with targeted employment programming.
• Map the personal supports programs and services delivered or funded by the provincial, federal and First Nations governments and Aboriginal organizations and determine options for integration.

Objective 3.5: Ministry clients benefit from the ActNow BC initiative

The Ministry plays an important role in supporting the ActNow BC initiative, a comprehensive health promotion program designed to support individuals and communities in protecting and improving their wellness. The Ministry provides a range of supports to low- and moderate-income families with children at risk. The Ministry also provides clients with supports that promote good nutrition and a physically active lifestyle, including natal nutritional supplements and camp fees for children.

Strategies

• Increase participation in the Healthy Kids program, which offers basic dental and optical care to low- and moderate-income families, in order to improve health outcomes for children.
• Explore opportunities to improve the well-being of clients building upon earlier initiatives such as the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Conference and the “Quit Smoking Now!” nicotine replacement therapy initiative.
• Support community initiatives to improve access to healthy, nutritious food through hands-on cooking and nutritional skill building programs for adults and families living on limited incomes.

Goal 4: Clients achieve sustainable employment through flexible and individualized employment programming

Employment is the key to improving short- and long-term outcomes for many clients. Ministry employment programs, including the BC Employment Program, Community Assistance Program, Bridging Employment Program and Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities, assist clients to move along the employment continuum. These programs are designed to ensure there is a high degree of flexibility available to tailor services to meet the needs of individual clients.

Objective 4.1: Job ready clients become independent as quickly as possible

Expected to Work clients are supported to achieve financial independence through the BC Employment Program, which offers flexible and individualized programming to meet the unique needs of clients. The program is delivered by three prime contractors in nine service delivery bundles across the province, with 82 sub-contractors, forming an extensive service delivery network with in-depth knowledge of community labour markets. Contractors receive compensation through a fee-for-service model with performance incentives. The BC Employment Program is expected to serve 15,000 clients in communities throughout British Columbia. It has annual expenditures of up to $35 million.

The BC Employment Program has three main components: Client Intake, Directed Work Search and Individualized Services and Supports, which provides a range of service options, including life-skills coaching, short-term certificate training and employment services.

The Ministry generally encourages employable clients to further their education part-time or at night so as to not interfere with job search activities.

Strategies

• Monitor client outcomes relating to the new BC Employment Program.

Performance Measure 6: Per cent of BC Employment Program clients who find employment

Data Source:  Employment Division, Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance.

1	Results from July 2006 (program inception) to March 2007.
2	Results from April 2007 to December 2007.

Discussion

The Ministry’s focus on assisting clients to find employment is reflected by this performance measure, which indicates the degree to which the BC Employment Program is successful in assisting clients to move to sustainable employment. The baseline year is the year that the BC Employment Program was introduced. Future year targets are currently reflective of external service providers’ contractual obligations. As additional performance information becomes available, the Ministry will review and adjust targets where appropriate.

Objective 4.2: Clients with barriers to employment progress towards greater independence

For clients who face significant barriers to employment, the Community Assistance Program offers strategies for enhancing participants’ quality of life and participation in their communities. Program services include personal counseling and coaching, core and supplementary life-skills programming, and connections to external community services. Although it is not an employment program, employment may be an outcome for some clients. The program is delivered by 33 community-based service providers and is expected to serve approximately 5,000 clients annually.

The Ministry also offers the Bridging Employment Program to assist clients who have experienced violence or abuse to move towards greater independence. Service providers offer a combination of classroom training, counseling and other supports to assist participants in developing life skills and pre-employment skills to prepare them for participation in the BC Employment Program.

Strategies

• Continue to monitor outcomes from the revised Community Assistance Program.
• Review the Bridging Employment Program to provide survivors of violence and abuse the services they require.

1	Additional information about the Service Code, Organizational Values and Service Standards can be found at: www.eia.gov.bc.ca/ministry/.
2	The WorkAble Solutions website and resources can be found at: www.workablesolutionsbc.ca/.