Photo: The Canadian Press
Ombudsman Jay Chalk released a report at a press conference in Victoria, British Columbia, on Thursday, April 6, 2017. Chalk’s office on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, released a new report on what he called a “disturbing” case. which federal benefits intended for the family of an indigenous girl with a disability were instead kept in the treasury of the British Columbia government for almost three years THE CANADIAN PRESS / Chad Hipolito
The Ombudsman of British Columbia has published a report on what he calls a “disturbing” case in which federal aid intended for the family of a girl with an indigenous disability has instead been kept in the provincial treasury for almost three years.
A report from Jay Chalk’s office says the British Columbia Department of Children and Family has acted unfairly by delaying thousands of dollars in federal payments to caregivers whose young granddaughters have mental and physical problems.
Published on Tuesday, the report, entitled “A Brief Change,” said the girl’s grandparents became legal guardians in 2013, and the Canadian Revenue Agency confirmed that they were eligible for a disability tax credit and disability benefit. children with disabilities in June 2019, with retroactive effect until 2015.
It states that under federal law, the girl was considered “supported” by the provincial ministry, which sent the family a monthly parental allowance, thus allowing the ministry to deposit federal disability benefits in BC’s total income.
But the report says provincial payments were not linked to the girl’s injury, and the ministry did not find a way to pay family funding equivalent to federal benefits until February 2022, although it was aware of the problem.
Chalk says the ministry has since adopted recommendations from his office aimed at ensuring that caregivers of children eligible for federal disability benefits receive such money.
A letter to Chalk from Alison Bond, deputy minister for children and family development, said the lump sums had been paid to caregivers of children eligible for federal disability benefits, and in the future the sums will be added to the monthly payments of the province.
In the case of the girl, the report said her grandparents were eligible for more than $ 7,000 at a time when the ministry was unable to find a solution.
“Other families in the same situation have been deprived of funds specifically earmarked for basic care,” Chalk wrote in his preface to the report.
He called the case “disturbing on several levels.”
“Not only did (the family) not receive money that they could use for basic care for their granddaughter, the ministry knew there was a problem and it took too long to fix it. This investigation highlights the interaction between provincial and federal benefits and what can happen when those ties are severed. “
During the Ombudsman’s inquiry, the report said ministry officials “consistently acknowledge the injustice experienced by families” and are already looking for possible solutions to receive federal disability benefits for those who care for them.
This is encouraging, the report said, but “any further delay in implementing the decision risks continuing injustice to those who have claimed responsibility for raising a child who might otherwise be in the care of the ministry.”
In addition to ensuring that carers receive retrospective payments and future payments, Chalke’s office also recommended that the ministry report regularly to the ombudsman on its work to address inequalities in the way such funding is distributed. .
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