Pubdate: Sat, 17 Apr 2004 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Jim Beatty, Vancouver Sun NEW RULES COMING FOR THOSE AT RISK Welfare - Addicts and the Mentally Ill Will Have to Draft 'Employment Plans' VICTORIA - Thousands of British Columbians suffering from mental illness, alcoholism or drug addiction will soon be forced to draft "employment plans" in order to continue receiving welfare. Changes approved by cabinet, revealed Friday, will impose new regulations on a thousands of vulnerable provincial residents in what the government calls a continued effort to make income recipients more self-reliant. "We don't want to give up on people simply because they've got some barriers to employment," said government spokesman Richard Chambers. Although the government did not announce the changes, cabinet has agreed to a series of reforms which will affect nearly 20,000 residents. Under the new rules people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness or temporary medical conditions such as broken bones must draft and follow employment plans in order to collect welfare. They won't be forced into the workplace, but they must follow the individual plans. "As part of their employment plan, they could be working on their resume, developing contacts, networking on the telephone. These could be called employment-related obligations that they could be doing while they are recovering from their medical condition." Those people continue to be exempt from the two-year time limit on welfare. "But we expect them to do some employment-related obligations. That does not mean finding a job by knocking on doors. It means doing job preparatory work, job research." In addition, the government has changed the rules facing refugees, people who have no identification, and those who have no income but may own homes or vehicles. At present, those people receive income assistance that is known as hardship allowances. The government is now going to impose a three-month cutoff period on them. That means more than 5,800 British Columbians will be forced to sell their assets, produce identification, receive landed immigrant status, or face the prospect that their welfare may be cut off. At present, there is no cutoff period for those receiving hardship benefits. The Sun was unable to reach anti-poverty advocates Friday to discuss the changes. The changes come as hundreds of other welfare recipients are about to learn they have been cut off. Next Wednesday more than 300 British Columbians who have collected income assistance for two years won't be receiving their normal cheque. The B.C. government adopted a plan which limits welfare benefits to able-bodied British Columbians to 24 consecutive months. Earlier this year, when it was thought that tens of thousands of British Columbians would lose their benefits, the province adopted a sweeping exemption and announced that only 339 people were expected to lose all or part of their benefits. The time-limit rule became effective April 1. That means Wednesday will be the first day cheques won't be available for those 339 British Columbians who have collected welfare for two years but have failed to seek employment. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake