Hardship Assistance
- Hardship assistance is available to BC Employment and Assistance applicants who are not eligible for income assistance due to a variety of circumstances and who have proven that all other funding sources have been exhausted.
- Hardship assistance is time limited for the following categories:
- Income in Excess
- Assets in Excess
- Awaiting Other Income
- Identity Not Established
- Social Insurance Number (SIN) Required
- Immediate Needs – Work Search Required
- To be eligible for hardship assistance, a client or applicant must enter into an Employment Plan when requested.
- Hardship assistance continues to be issued for only one month at a time and eligibility must be re-established every month.
| Hardship Category |
Situation |
Repayable to the Ministry |
Time Limit |
| Awaiting employment insurance (EI) benefits |
Persons waiting for EI benefits, including those in the two-week waiting period. |
Yes |
No |
| Strikes or lockouts |
Persons involved in labour disputes. |
Yes |
No |
| Income in excess |
Families with dependent children who have received income in excess of income assistance rates, where the excess income could not have reasonably been expected to meet basic needs. |
Yes |
Three months |
| Assets in excess |
Families with dependent children, applicants over 65 and persons with disabilities who have assets in excess of specified exemption levels. |
Yes |
Three months |
| Awaiting other income |
Persons awaiting other income including retroactive benefits from CPP, OAS, DVA, WCB. |
Assignment or repayment depending on source of income |
Three months |
| Immediate Needs – Work Search Required |
Persons who have an immediate need for food, shelter or urgent medical assistance and haven’t satisfied the work search requirements. |
No |
Three months |
| Identity not established |
Persons who are awaiting identification. |
No |
Six months |
| Citizenship requirements not met |
Persons ineligible for income assistance because citizenship requirements are not met. |
No |
No |
| Social Insurance Number (SIN) required |
While an applicant and/or adult dependent is awaiting a SIN card. |
No |
Six months |
| Sponsorship Default |
Persons awaiting verification of a sponsorship default. |
No |
No |
For more information:
Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation Info Line
1 866 866-0800
