Category: Great News!

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Update on shelter rate increase for supported individuals in CLBC home sharing or staffed homes
Further to the July 7, 2023 Info Bulletin on the CLBC Individual Financial Contribution Policy and the government’s shelter rate increase, we are writing to provide an update on the upcoming increases.

The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR) is now implementing the shelter rate increases. To make sure all home sharing and staffed home providers can access the government’s $125 increase to the maximum shelter allowance rates for individuals on disability assistance, effective August 2023:CLBC’s standardized individual financial contribution rate for people who are under 65 and receive PWD will increase from $716.13 to $841.13.
 CLBC will provide an equivalent increase in payments to home sharing providers for people who are age 65+ and receive OAS/GIS.
CLBC has worked with the Ministry to have increases for individuals under 65 flow through to home sharing and staffed home providers. If supported individuals do not have the right information in their Shelter Information Forms, additional steps may be required. CLBC has notified agencies about these individuals and the steps required to update Shelter Information Forms.

The Ministry is recommending that individuals who need to submit an updated Shelter Information Form do so as soon as possible. SDPR has indicated that, even though the change may not be reflected in the July 19th, 2023 (August benefit month) cheque, the payment amount will be adjusted as per the start date reflected in the Shelter Information Form (eg. August 1, 2023).

As noted above, CLBC will be providing increases to service provider Home Sharing contracts to match individual contribution rate increases for people age 65+ who receive OAS/GIS (i.e. $125/month increase for individuals on OAS/GIS effective August 1, 2023). The process for updating contracts takes some time and may differ among agencies. Increases will be retroactive. If you have questions regarding the timing and process for receiving this increase, please speak to your coordinating agency.

Questions about the maximum shelter rate increase or how to update a shelter information form can be directed to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction through My Self Serve or by phone at 1-866-866-0800.
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PWD Shelter Rate Increases

Important information on upcoming
PWD shelter rate increases
Hello Service Provider Colleagues,

I am writing to you because your agency coordinates home sharing resources and/or staffed living services through contracts with CLBC.

As I believe you are aware, Community Living BC has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MSDPR) to confirm under what circumstances individuals on disability assistance who reside in home sharing and staffed living services will automatically receive the $125 shelter rate increase. The increase was announced in the B.C. Government’s budget in February 2023 and goes into effect on August 1, 2023. Under CLBC policy, the shelter increase will be passed on to the individual’s home sharing or staffed living provider.

MSDPR will be providing a message to all individuals on disability assistance in early July via My Self Serve or mail. The letter will include the following statement:

“Clients who reside in Community Living British Columbia (CLBC) contracted residential facilities will have their CLBC standardized rate automatically updated to include the increase and no action is required.”
 
This means that if the individual has the standardized rate of $716 or $716.13 registered as their current rental expense, they will see that amount automatically increase to $841 or $841.13. If an individual does not receive the current standardized rate of $716 or $716.13 from the Ministry, they may need to update their information by completing a Shelter Information Form (HR3037) and submitting it through MSDPR’s My Self Serve system at Myselfserve.gov.bc.ca, or in an MSDPR office.  If an individual is not sure what their current shelter allowance is, they can check My Self Serve, review their last direct deposit cheque statement or review their cheque stub if they receive a paper cheque from the Ministry. When completing the Shelter Information form (HR3037), in the section titled “Type of Rental Accommodation”, they should check “D. Other” and please specify “CLBC Home Share Provider”.  In the section titled “Accommodation Information”, they should include the new Total Rent of the Unit (i.e., $841.13).

In the first couple of weeks of July, CLBC will be sending you a list from MSDPR of individuals who are receiving home support services through your agency and who do not have the standardized rates registered with MSDPR. Because of the tight turnaround time before disability assistance is disbursed, we recommend that if individuals know they have non-standardized rates, they update their shelter information with MSDPR by July 10 or sooner. If an individual is unable to make that timeframe, the Ministry can process their shelter information form anytime and issue a separate payment for the August benefit month based on the individual’s form confirming the change happened for August 1, 2023. 

Thanks in advance for your assistance in communicating with individuals, their families and their home support providers to ensure they are fully aware of these changes to their shelter rate and what steps they may need to take to receive it.

Individuals with questions about the shelter increases should be directed to MSDPR through My Self Serve or, where the individual is not registered for My Self Serve, by contacting the Ministry at 1-866-866-0800.

Sincerely,
 
John Stinson
VP, Service Delivery and Innovation
Community Living BC
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We Day! Wow!!!

Hey everyone

We Day 2022 was a smashing success. Thanks to everyone who came out to join us. Brian managed to take a bunch of pictures and will post more as we get permission. What a crew! Thanks to Vivienne, Anshulee, Jane and Don for making it such a great day!

Jackie and Brian

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A Prescription for Nature!

Hey everyone, some great news — physicians can write prescriptions for a year-long pass to Canada’s national parks! It’s called A Prescription for Nature, and the program is being introduced in BC. Check it out here! This program is one part of a plan to get people out into nature regularly to support health and wellbeing — another key part is reducing barriers to transportation.

How often do you get out into nature? Leave us a comment!

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ODE TO A CAREGIVER

This poem was written by the mother of a person receiving home share services. Thank you for sharing these inspirational words with us, and for allowing us to share your words with others!

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More approved vaccines!

Great news from the Government of Canada — there are more safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada! Approved vaccines include:

  • The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The Verify Pharmaceuticals/Serum Institute of India version of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
  • The Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

More information here.

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