After you apply – approved or denied

Congratulations, you have been approved to receive Assured Income and/or AccessAbility Supports!

If you are approved for Assured Income, you will receive:

• $342 for a food benefit
• $83 for essentials such as clothing and household supplies
• Up to $794 for accommodations for a single person without dependents

If you are approved for AccessAbility Supports, you will receive:

• Additional financial supports as deemed necessary
• Person supports to enable you to continue living at home

During the development of your Support Plan, you and your Support Coordinator will have identified your currently unmet needs and how those needs will be met. Your financial assessment will have determined if you are responsible for paying for a portion of the resources provided through AccessAbility Supports, and if so, the amount you are responsible for paying.

Other supplemental benefits you may receive

If you are approved for Assured Income, you will also be eligible for additional benefits including:

• Transportation to help provide transportation to non-disability specific needs such as travel to your workplace
• Special Needs to cover the cost of special needs items such as:
  • School allowance
  • Repairs to property
  • Furniture and appliances
  • Damage and security deposits
  • Funeral expenses
• Medical Supports
• Employment and Transitional Supports to eliminate unnecessary barriers in the workplace

As part of AccessAbility Supports, you can receive a wide range of supports. With your Supports Coordinator, you will identify which supports will help you meet your currently unmet needs. This could include:

• Personal Supports to supplement your natural supports and existing personal supports
• Community Supports to increase your ability to participate in your community
• Caregiver Supports to supplement your natural supports and existing caregiver supports
• Employment and Vocational Supports to help you prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment
• Technical Aids and Assistive Devices Supports to provide technical aids or assistive devices to improve your ability to perform activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living
• Home Modifications
• Vehicle Modifications

To Keep Your Information Up-to-Date and Avoid Overpayments

To remain eligible for Assured Income and AccessAbility Supports, it is expected that you report any changes that could impact the amount of support you receive and/or the portion you are required to pay for AccessAbility Supports. You must inform your Support Coordinator if:

• You have a dramatic change in your income or your expenses
• Your family situation has changes, such as the birth of a child or a divorce
• You have been sentenced to a correctional facility
• You are hospitalized for more than 30 days in a row

Overpayments

If you do not report these changes, it is possible that you will receive more financial support than you are eligible to receive. This is called an overpayment. If you receive an overpayment, it will be recorded in your file with the reason for the overpayment. You will then be required to complete an Acknowledgement of Overpayment Form.

Paying Overpayments

It is required that you repay any overpayments. If you are still receiving Assured Income and/or AccessAbility Supports, the overpayment will be paid back through one of the following options:

• Repayment in a lump sum
• A withhold from your monthly entitlement, typically between $25 - $100 per month
• Suspension of supports until the amount is repaid
• A combination of the above options

If you are no longer receiving Assured Income and/or AccessAbility Supports or stop receiving Assured Income and/ore AccessAbility Supports while you still owe an overpayment, the Overpayment Coordinator will send you an Out-of-Pay Overpayment Letter. You will have 30 days to complete the terms of you repayment that have already been decided or to contact the department.

The Overpayment Coordinator can take additional steps if necessary, such as:

• Recovery by the Overpayment Coordinator
• Filing of judgment against your property
• Registering your debt with the CRA Set-Off Program

If your application is denied and you disagree with a decision that was made about your application, you have the right to appeal the decision. You can request an appeal up to 30 days from the day you receive written notice that your application is denied. In some cases you may receive verbal notification that your application has been denied before you receive written notification. In these cases, you must request written notification before you can begin the appeal process.

Starting the Appeal Process

To start the appeal process, you or someone on your behalf must write a letter to the Social Assistance Appeal Board and send it or drop it off to the following address:

Social Assistance Appeal Board
P.O. Box 2000
11 Kent Street, Jones Building
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
C1A 7N8

The Appeals Administrative Assistant will review your letter and will forward a Notice of Appeal and your letter to the Chairperson of the Appeal Board.

Scheduling the Appeal Hearing

The Chairperson will schedule a hearing within 15 calendar days after receiving the Notice of Appeal. You will receive a letter containing the date, time, and place of the appeal hearing. The Appeals Administrative Assistant will also call you to verbally confirm the date, time, and place of the appeal hearing.

The Appeal Hearing

During the appeal hearing you will have the opportunity to provide information that is relevant to the decision you think was incorrectly made. Once all the information has been provided, the appeal hearing will end and you will be told when to expect a final decision from the Social Assistance Appeal Board.

Choosing the best option if you are denied

Here are some common reasons that people are denied with advice on the next step to take: