Social Assistance Resources: British Columbia

You are eligible to qualify if:
- You are a B.C. resident

You are eligible to qualify if:
- you are B.C. resident
- you have Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage, and
- you give PharmaCare permission to check their income with the Canada Revenue Agency. (Income is from two years prior)

To be eligible to qualify for assistance with accommodation costs, families must:
- be residents of B.C. and have medical insurance coverage under the Medical Services Plan of BC, and
- have a child who is receiving medical care at BC Children's Hospital or Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, including premature babies and newborns with other health concerns, and
- live outside Metro Vancouver

To be eligible to qualify, you must:
- Show that you meet financial eligibility to receive assistance
- Be at least 18 years old (you can start the application process when you are 17 ½)
- Have a severe physical or mental impairment that is expected to continue for more than two years
- Be significantly restricted in your ability to perform daily-living activities
- Require assistance with daily living activities from another person, an assistive device, or an assistance animal

You may be eligible to qualify if you:
- qualify for a federal student loan
- are enrolled in a full-time or part-time studies at a designated post-secondary institution
- have a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability as defined by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program
- have exceptional education related costs for services or equipment due to your disability

You may be eligible for assistive technology support through PPL if:
- you are a resident of BC,
- you are legally able to work in BC,
- you are enrolled in a public postsecondary institution, and
- you have a permanent disability (or a chronic medical condition that is expected to persist for more than two years and is the primary barrier to training or employment)

You may be eligible to qualify if:
- you are an adults aged 19 years and older who requires an AAC system due to a severe communication disability, i.e. speech that is not functional for daily communication
- you are an adult aged 19 years and older who is already using an AAC system, but require further training and resources to improve or maintain communicative function
- you are a student in the last year of their K-12 program who requires transition support for their AAC system as they move to adulthood

To be eligible for Assistive Technology Services, you must:
- be a resident of and be legally eligible to work in British Columbia and 16 years of age or older
- need assistive equipment, devices or disability supports to start work or to avoid losing your current work or self-employment or, volunteer work that is part of a longer term goal of employment

To be eligible for the AHP, a child or youth must be:
- 17 years or younger for AHP Medical Benefits
- 18 years or younger for Respite Benefits
- A resident of British Columbia
- Enrolled with the British Columbia Medical Services Plan
- Living at home with a parent or guardian or with an Extended Family Program caregiver
- Assessed as dependent in at least three of four functional activities of daily living (eating, dressing,
toileting and washing)

This program is not intended for children and youth who:
- Have acute or temporary equipment needs
- Long-term hospital admissions over 4 months
- Short-term visitors/tourists in BC
- In the care of the ministry

In-home respite care is provided for children who may:
- have a tracheostomy
- require supported ventilation (ventilator, BiPAP, CPAP)
- have a life-limiting/palliative diagnosis
- require peritoneal dialysis
- have other conditions that require the support of a registered nurse
Referrals to Nursing Support Services are made by a physician or nurse practitioner who is licensed to practice in British Columbia.

You are eligible to qualify if:
- you are a low-income adult
- you are homeless or at risk of homelessness
- you require supports to live independently
- you need support to maintain a successful tenancy

You may be eligible to qualify if:
- Some, or all, of your household income is from a job
- You have a total before-tax annual household income of $40,000 or less
- You have at least one or more dependent children. A dependent child is unmarried, a stepchild, adopted child or legal ward, mainly supported by you.
- Dependent children are: under 19 years of age, or under 25 years of age and are full-time students at a secondary school, university or vocational institute. Education providers must be a recognized place of study that grants diplomas, certificates or degrees, or of any age, because of a mental or physical disability as defined by Canada Revenue Agency.
- You have less than $100,000 in assets.
- You file an annual income tax return.
- More than 30 per cent of your household income goes towards household rent. Or, you pay pad rental for a manufactured home or trailer that you own and occupy.
- You lived in British Columbia for the full 12 months before the date of application.
- You meet the program residency requirements.

You may be eligible to qualify if:
- You are age 60 or older.
- You lived in BC the full, 12-month period before submitting your application.
- You, and your spouse you share a home with, meet Canadian citizenship requirements: Individuals with private sponsorship that has broken down, people who applied for refugee status, individuals legally in Canada as permanent residents, not under sponsorship, Canadian citizens not under sponsorship
- You pay more than 30% of your gross, before tax, monthly household income towards rent for your home. If you live in a trailer, this includes pad rental (manufactured home) that you own and live in.

You may be eligible to qualify if:
- you are the registered owner of the residence (or a spouse or relative of the deceased owner)
- You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
- You live in B.C.
- You occupy the residence as your principal residence

You may be eligible to qualify if:
- You, or a member of your household, has a disability or lasting ability loss.
- Your home adaptation request fits and relates to the disability or ability loss. Some requests need to be supported with an assessment from an Occupational Therapist (OT) or a Physical Therapist (PT).
- The homeowner(s) and the person(s) needing the adaptations must be one of the following: Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, refugee sponsored by the Government of Canada, people who have applied for *refugee status
(*Refugees under private sponsorship do not qualify unless BC Housing accepts private sponsorship has broken down)
- Total before-tax household income is less than 117,080.
- Household assets are less than $100,000 (does not include equity in home being adapted).
- The home being adapted is the primary residence of the homeowner and the person needing the adaptations.
- The BC Assessment value of the home is below Home Value Limits . Or the home value is below the average assessed value of homes in your area.
- The home needing adaptation qualifies for this program.

You’re eligible to claim the credit for the year if on the last day of the tax year you’re: 
- A resident of B.C., and
- A senior or a family member living with a senior, or
- A person with a disability or a family member living with a person with a disability (for 2016 and later tax years).

Please see the website for detailed eligibility requirements.

The CRA uses the information from your Canada child benefit registration to determine your eligibility for the B.C. family benefit (or the B.C. child opportunity benefit). 
If you’re eligible, the amount of the payments is calculated automatically by the CRA based on information from the personal tax returns you (and your spouse or common-law partner) have filed.

Parents must provide one of the following reasons for requiring child care:
- Working or self-employed
- Attending school
- Participating in an employment program
- Looking for work (only one parent or guardian)
- Living with a medical condition that interferes with your ability to care for your child
- Your child is attending licensed preschool
- You have been referred by a Ministry of Children and Family Development or Delegated Aboriginal Agency social worker.

A parent can qualify for this funding by applying for the Affordable Child Care Benefit. They must also:
- Be a resident of B.C.
- Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection
- Be under the age of 25
- Have a child that was born on or before the parent's 20th birthday
- Be participating in an education program for the purpose of completing Grade 12
- Have their child enrolled in a licensed child care facility that is operating an approved program