Section 11 - General Assistance

11.1.1 DEFINITION AND LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

General assistance is the name given to assistance provided by EIA to participants who are not eligible under any of the categories of eligibility described in Section 5(1) of the Act. In other words, a general assistance applicant or participant is an applicant or participant who is

• not aged (see section 12.1);
• not a person with a disability (see section 7.1 and 12.2);
• not a single parent (see section 8.1);
• not a child in the care of an adult other than their parent or legal guardian (see section 10.1);
• not an applicant or participant with dependants in need of special care (see section 6.1.5 and section 12.3);
• not an applicant residing in a crisis intervention facility (see section 9.3.1); and
• not a special case (see section 9.1.1 to 9.2.1).

 

11.1.2 FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY

For the most part, the financial eligibility of general assistance (GA) applicants and participants is assessed the same as any other applicant or participant. (For more detail on assessing eligibility, see section 6.1). Exceptions are described below.

Liquid asset exemption for GA applicants and participants

Under section 8(1)(a)(iv)(4)(c) of the Regulation, there is no liquid asset exemption for GA applicants. Once enrolled, GA applicants may have:

• up to $400 for the applicant, and
• $400 for each dependant,

to a maximum of $2,000 for the household.

(For a more detailed description of liquid assets, see section 14.3.2).

Earnings exemption or work incentive

Under section 8(4)(c) of the Regulation, GA applicants are entitled to an earnings exemption of up to $100 of net monthly earnings, for each employed or self-employed household member.

After one month of enrolment, GA participants (single, childless couple, couple with dependent children) are entitled to an earnings exemption of up to $100. of net monthly earnings plus 25% of net monthly earnings in excess of $100. for each employed or self-employed person.

Where both adults in a GA household work during the same period and their children are not in school, child care is an allowable employment expense for children less than 12 years of age.

Under section 8(6), the value of the work incentive is subject to an exit point, which is reached when the household's gross monthly income from all non-exempt sources exceeds 135% of the household' EIA budget. (For more on the exit point, see section 16.3.7).

For a more detailed description of earned income, see section 16.1. For more on the work incentives applicable to GA participants, see section 16.3.

11.1.3 EMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS AND SANCTIONS

Employment Expectations

Under section 10(1)(a) of the Regulation, all general assistance (GA) applicants and participants are subject to employment expectations, unless they have been deferred. (For more on who is subject to employment expectations, see section 6.3.5. For more on the circumstances under which employment expectations may be deferred, see section 6.5.3).

Under sections section 10(1)(e) to (g) of the Regulation, all GA applicants and participants who are subject to employment expectations must satisfy EIA staff that they:

• have not quit or been fired from a job that they might reasonably have held (see section 6.5.4);
• have not refused employment that they might reasonably have obtained (see section 6.5.4); and
• are undertaking any employability enhancement measure recommended by EIA staff.

Sanctions

Under section 10(2) of the Regulation, assistance may be denied, reduced, suspended or discontinued when childless GA applicants fail to comply with the employment expectations described above.

Under section 10(3) of the Regulation, GA applicants and participants with dependent children may be subject to an assistance reduction of $50 per month for failure to comply with the employment expectations described above.

(For more on the process for administering sanctions, see sections 6.7.3 to 6.7.6).

11.1.4 BASIC ASSISTANCE

Rates applicable to general assistance participants
Basic assistance rates for general assistance (GA) households are found in Schedule A, section 1(1)(c) of the Regulation.

See section 18.4.1 for GA rates in northern Manitoba.

11.1.5 SPECIAL NEEDS

General assistance participants are eligible for special needs. See section 21 for more detailed information on special needs.

11.1.6 HEALTH SERVICES

For provisions regarding health services for EIA participants, see section 22.

The following sections contain health services provisions specific to general assistance participants:

• Health services cards: see section 22.1.2 and section 22.1.4;
• Optical: see section 22.1.1; and
• Dental: see section 22.1.1.

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