Income and Benefits
The Office of the Ombudsperson receives complaints about the public’s access to public funding and benefits, typically income and disability assistance.
Related resources – including those concerning access to housing and healthcare - are cross-referenced and may be accessible under Income and Benefits.
If you have been treated unfairly by the provincial government, a local government, or any other public body, the B.C. Ombudsperson is here to help. Information on our convenient and confidential contact options here.
Harold’s disabilities restricted his ability to see and to get around. Disability assistance helped provide for his family of six. When they moved to a new home, Harold...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2015/2016
Location: The Lower Mainland
Pierre believed that an employment assistance worker from the office he used to attend was interfering with his employment, housing and income assistance matters.
He called...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2015/2016
Location: The Lower Mainland
Cecil was released from hospital after several trying weeks of cancer treatment. Finally home, a new set of stresses emerged: between the new medical supplies and regular...
Category: Health, Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2015/2016
Location: The North
Tanis left the province to flee an abusive relationship. While away, she called the ministry to ensure she would remain eligible for income assistance – she would return as...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2015/2016
Location: The Lower Mainland
Money was tight. Giselle had been assured by the ministry that the amount of income assistance she was receiving would be increased to reflect that her 15 year-old son was...
Category: Children and Youth, Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2015/2016
Location: The Lower Mainland
Alexis stopped by her daughter’s house to run a load of laundry. When she returned to pick up her laundry, Alexis was surprised to find her daughter had just been evicted and...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2015/2016
Location: The Lower Mainland
Mabel called our office because she was worried that the ministry had lost her application for designation as a person with disabilities. She told us that she had dropped the...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2014/2015
Location: The Lower Mainland
Cory had recently separated from his spouse. Now a single father on a limited income, he was unable to pay for Medical Service Plan premiums. Cory applied for premium...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2014/2015
Location: Vancouver Island / Sunshine Coast
Gail was five months pregnant and cared for her seven-year-old child in a shared apartment. She had just received an eviction notice for failing to pay rent. The notice told...
Category: Housing and Property, Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2014/2015
Location: The North
Tom had been receiving disability assistance for many years. Following policy, the ministry had been deducting child support payments received by Tom from his disability...
Category: Income and Benefits
Type: Case Summary
Fiscal Year: 2014/2015
Location: The Lower Mainland