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Volume 60, No. 5

118/2017

The British Columbia Gazette,

Part II

March 28, 2017

B.C. Reg. 118/2017 , deposited March 28, 2017, under the EMPLOYMENT AND ASSISTANCE ACT [section 35] and the EMPLOYMENT AND ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT [section 26]. Order in Council 168/2017, approved and ordered March 27, 2017.

On the recommendation of the undersigned, the Lieutenant Governor, by and with

the advice and consent of the Executive Council, orders that, effective April 1, 2017,

(

a) the Employment and Assistance Regulation, B.C. Reg. 263/2002, is amended as

set out in the attached Appendix 1, and

(

b) the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation, B.C. Reg. 265/2002,

is amended as set out in the attached Appendix 2.

— M. STILWELL, Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation ; A. VIRK, Presiding Member of the Executive Council .

Appendix 1

1 The Employment and Assistance Regulation, B.C. Reg. 263/2002, is amended by adding

the following

section to Division 5 of

Part 5:

Alternative hearing assistance supplement

77.02 The minister may provide a health supplement set out in

section 11 of

Schedule C

to or for

(

a) a family unit in receipt of income assistance, if

(

i) the family unit includes a qualifying person, or

(ii) the health supplement is provided to or for a person in the family unit who

is a dependent child,

(

b) a family unit in receipt of hardship assistance, if the health supplement

is provided to or for a person in the family unit who is a dependent child, or

(

c) a family unit, if the health supplement is provided to or for a person in

the family unit who is

(

i) a main continued person under

section 66.3 (1),

(ii) a dependent continued person under

section 66.3 (2),

(iii) a main continued person under

section 66.4 (1) and was, on the person’s

continuation date, a qualifying person, or part of a family unit that included a qualifying

person, on that date, or

(iv) a dependent continued person under

section 66.4 (2).

Section 3.11 of

Schedule C is amended

(

a) by renumbering the

section as

section 3.11 (1), and

(

b) by adding the following subsection:

(2) The minister may provide a hearing instrument to or for a family unit under

this

section only if the person is not receiving a hearing assistance supplement under

section 77.02 of this regulation.

3 The following

section is added to

Schedule C:

Alternative hearing assistance supplement

(1) In this section, “profound hearing loss” means a hearing loss of 91 decibels

or greater across all frequencies tested in an audiological assessment.

(2) The amount of a hearing supplement that may be provided under

section 77.02

of this regulation is $100 per calendar month to or for each person in a family unit

to whom subsection (3) of this

section applies.

(3) The hearing supplement under subsection (2) may be provided by the minister

only if

(

a) the minister is satisfied that the person

(

i) has permanent profound hearing loss in both ears, and

(ii) cannot benefit significantly, in respect of speech comprehension, from a

hearing instrument, and

(

b) an audiologist or hearing instrument practitioner, within the previous 12

months, has

(

i) performed an assessment that confirms the permanent profound hearing loss

in both ears, and

(ii) provided an opinion that the person cannot benefit significantly, in respect

of speech comprehension, from a hearing instrument.

(4) The hearing supplement under subsection (2) may not be provided if a person

received a hearing instrument under

section 3.11 of this Schedule, or from another

source, in the previous 36 months.

(5) Despite subsection (4), the hearing supplement under subsection (2) may be

provided to or for a person who received a hearing instrument in the previous 36 months

if the person did not meet the requirements set out in subsection (3) on the date

the person received the hearing instrument but subsequently meets those requirements.

Appendix 2

1 The Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Regulation, B.C.

Reg. 265/2002, is amended by adding the following

section to Division 4 of

Part 5:

Alternative hearing assistance supplement

70.02 The minister may provide a health supplement set out in

section 11 of

Schedule C

to or for

(

a) a family unit in receipt of disability assistance,

(

b) a family unit in receipt of hardship assistance, if the health supplement

is provided to or for a person in the family unit who is a dependent child, or

(

c) a family unit, if the health supplement is provided to or for a person in

the family unit who is a continued person.

Section 3.11 of

Schedule C is amended

(

a) by renumbering the

section as

section 3.11 (1), and

(

b) by adding the following subsection:

(2) The minister may provide a hearing instrument under this

section only if the

person is not receiving a hearing assistance supplement under

section 70.02 of this

regulation.

3 The following

section is added to

Schedule C:

Alternative hearing assistance supplement

(1) In this section, “profound hearing loss” means a hearing loss of 91 decibels

or greater across all frequencies tested in an audiological assessment.

(2) The amount of a hearing supplement that may be provided under

section 70.02

of this regulation is $100 per calendar month to or for each person in a family unit

to whom subsection (3) of this

section applies.

(3) The hearing supplement under subsection (2) may be provided by the minister

only if

(

a) the minister is satisfied that the person

(

i) has permanent profound hearing loss in both ears, and

(ii) cannot benefit significantly, in respect of speech comprehension, from a

hearing instrument, and

(

b) an audiologist or hearing instrument practitioner, within the previous 12 months,

has

(

i) performed an assessment that confirms the permanent profound hearing loss

in both ears, and

(ii) provided an opinion that the person cannot benefit significantly, in respect

of speech comprehension, from a hearing instrument.

(4) The hearing supplement under subsection (2) may not be provided if a person

received a hearing instrument under

section 3.11 of this Schedule, or from another

source, in the previous 36 months.

(5) Despite subsection (4), the hearing supplement under subsection (2) may be

provided to or for a person who received a hearing instrument in the previous 36 months

if the person did not meet the requirements set out in subsection (3) on the date

the person received the hearing instrument but subsequently meets the requirements

in subsection (3).

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