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Manitoba Family Services and Labour
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Section 22 - Eligibility
Basic Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the marketAbilities Program in the Province of Manitoba, the applicant must meet the following eligibility conditions:
- Living with one of the following disabilities:
- mental;
- physical
- psychiatric;
- vision;
- hearing; or
- learning.
- Have the disability substantiated in writing by:
- a licensed medical practitioner in the case of a physical disability or vision disability;
- a licensed psychiatrist in the case of a psychiatric disability; or a recent discharge summary from the Psychiatric Unit of a hospital or a mental health centre;
- a licensed audiologist in the case of a hearing disability; or
- a registered psychologist (or a person working for government
in a "psychologist" position or a Certified School
Psychologist and exempt from registration under The Psychologists
Registration Act) in the case of a learning or mental disability.
If an applicant already has predetermined disability eligibility for greater than 12 months through Employment and Income Assistance, further substantiation of their disability may not be required for determining Basic Eligibility.
If they are being referred by a Mental Health Worker, no further substantiation is required for determining basic eligibility.
- Be 16 years of age or over.
- A resident of Manitoba who is defined as "a person who
makes his/her home, or is ordinarily present in Manitoba (has
a Manitoba Medical Card or is registered to vote in Manitoba),
but does not include a student who is a resident of another province
or country and studying in Manitoba, a transient, or a visitor
in Manitoba".
- Is a Canadian citizen or a person legally entitled to remain
and work in Canada on a permanent basis. Appropriate documents
such as a Social Insurance Number or Landed Immigrant Status must
be provided to substantiate this.
- If a registered member of an Indian Band in Manitoba, must
have established a permanent residence off reserve in Manitoba
prior to the referral or request for service.
- Be assessed by a Vocational Counsellor as being
able to enhance his/her ability to regularly pursue, maintain
or retain employment, and be willing to participate in a vocational
program.
- In those situations where individuals were previously involved
with the program and were terminated or withdrew from services,
re-opening must be based on the individual having addressed the
issues that caused the initial closure (e.g., need for mental
health counselling; compliance with medication; stability in family
life).
- Area Supervisors/Program Managers of Family Services and Consumer Affairs or Designated Agencies are responsible for approving basic eligibility for the marketAbilities Program. The participant should be advised of the decision in writing by the applicable decision making authority. Information regarding the Appeal Process must be provided if the applicant is found ineligible. Refer to Section 180.
Eligibility for marketAbilities Individualized Training Funds
Where the participant is seeking access to the marketAbilities Individualized Training Fund, the following additional criteria also apply. The participant shall:
- Be unemployed (unemployed is defined as not working or working
less than 15 hours per week) at the time of application for marketAbilities Individualized Training funding and be prevented from increasing
employability due to a lack of training and/or a need for support
services, or;
- Be employed on a part-time or short-term basis, or under-employed,
and be prevented from increasing employability due to a lack of
training; and/or a need for support services; and where it can
be demonstrated that the services requested will likely result
in a more suitable or better paying job. Typical employment situations
that may qualify include:
- Employed on a "casual" or "on call" basis where hours vary and are generally assigned at the discretion of the supervisor and average less than 25 hours per week over the last 20 weeks.
- An Individual Vocational Training Plan that is developed which includes a planned short-term period (up to one year) of employment, including summer employment, to save money, to develop responsibility, or to verify occupational interests, ability, or suitability.
- Situations of being under-employed. The participant may be employed in an ongoing job, however, is working less than 25 hours per week and would like to work 30 hours per week or more. A limited range of training and employment supports may be accessed to assist in achieving this goal. This may include funding for disability-related technical aids and devices.
- Be required to terminate employment within the next six months
due to the onset or deterioration of a disabling condition that
will prevent the individual from continuing in the current job
and is not covered for vocational costs through any other sources.
- No longer be in the regular school system on a sequential basis,
except during the final six months of the transitional planning
process where specific placement or assessment services are required.
- Be actively and consistently managing their disability but
the disability restricts or creates barriers to the pursuit or
retention of employment, which following the provision of vocational
goods and services, will enable the pursuit or retention of employment.
- Be able to identify a feasible vocational goal.
- Not be eligible for or be in receipt of vocational funding
under The
Workers Compensation Act.
- Explore eligibility for funding from all other sources (participant
and Vocational Counsellor). In situations where
all costs are not covered by one funding source, cost sharing
arrangements will be considered. For example, Canada Pension Plan
- Disability, Labour Market Development Agreement and other disability
insurance, etc.)
- Be eligible due to a drug or alcohol addiction, where the addiction
is under control and the participant is living with another disabling
condition.
- Be eligible for funding if qualified for the marketAbilities
Program because of a mental health condition and referred by a
Community Mental Health Worker.
- If in a vocational program, the participant may also be eligible
to receive funding in support of Follow-Up Goods and Services*
where, following completion of a vocational process:
- Participant is employed or about to become employed in
a job which meets all of the following criteria:
- hours of work average 15 hours or more per week (exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for participants who have achieved their maximum capacity and are employed less than 15 hours per week);
- salary is at minimum wage or above; and
- job is anticipated to be 20 weeks or more in duration,
or will allow the participant to achieve the number of
qualifying hours for Employment
Insurance.
- Follow-Up Goods and Services requested are related to the
maintenance of employment.
* Follow-up Goods and Services are described further under Section 177 and Section 133.5.
Follow-Up Goods must be provided within the first 12 months following employment. After 12 months the provision of "goods" must meet the criteria for Vocational Crisis. For further information, please refer to Section 133.7.
Follow-Up Services are generally limited to the first 36 months following employment placement. Follow-up Services may be extended beyond 36 months in situations where the services required continue to be critical for maintenance of employment. - Participant was receiving services from the marketAbilities Program prior to commencement of employment.
- Participant is employed or about to become employed in
a job which meets all of the following criteria:
