|
|
|
Last-resort financial assistance
|
|
Rights and obligations
The Department’s obligations
Under the Individual and Family Assistance Act , the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale has certain obligations towards you:
- Provide you with assistance, if you ask for it, to help you understand and, where applicable, access the various financial assistance programs. It must also assist you in applying for a benefit.
- Study your application promptly and make a decision as soon as possible.
- Not refuse your application on the grounds that it has been incorrectly completed or that a standard procedure has not been followed.
- Provide you with assistance, if you ask for it, to apply for a review, give you the opportunity to comment and make observations, and help you produce documents to complete your file.
- Inform you as extensively as possible of your rights and obligations under the Act and of the measures, programs and services available.
- Inform you of the existence of Régie des rentes du Québec (RRQ) Child Assistance, Canada Revenue Agency’s National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS), the Shelter Allowance Program administered by the Ministère du Revenu du Québec (MRQ), and the specific services the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) offers persons who are eligible for last-resort financial assistance programs and, where applicable, how to access them.
- Give you 10 days’ written notice before reducing a benefit or ceasing payment because you failed to declare your real situation. Before this 10-day period expires, you may submit your comments and, where applicable, produce documents to complete your file.
Your rights
The Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale recognizes that last-resort financial assistance recipients and applicants have certain rights stemming from its obligation to provide them with services. In addition to these rights, you have a number of obligations.
You have the right:
- to receive complete, easy-to-understand information
- to consult your file
- to be accompanied by a person of your choice throughout the process
- to confidential treatment of the information in your file
- to apply for the review of a decision, and to appeal to the Tribunal administrative du Québec once the review process is completed.
Your obligations
Recipients of last-resort financial assistance benefits have certain obligations. You must:
- Submit a written application for benefits using the forms available for this purpose.
- Accurately describe your situation.
- Provide all information and documents required to determine your eligibility and, where applicable, that of your family, exercise your rights and use the benefits available under other legislation, e.g. those that may be obtained through the Régie des rentes du Québec (RRQ), the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST), support payments, etc.
- Inform the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale as soon as possible of any change in your family, financial or other situation that could modify your benefit, by completing and returning the monthly statement provided for this purpose.
- When the situation so requires, produce a medical report on the form provided by the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and, where applicable, undergo another medical check-up.
- Produce a full statement when the Department deems it necessary, without exceeding one full statement every 12 months, in order to verify your or your family’s eligibility or to determine the amount to be granted.
- Repay any amount claimed from you under the terms and conditions stipulated in the Regulation.
- Not relinquish a right or dispose of property or money (liquid asset) without due consideration.
Should you, without good reason, fail to comply with your obligations under the Social Assistance Program or the Social Solidarity Program, your monthly benefit may be reduced or cancelled.
|
