Arrears - Shelter/Utilities

6-13 Arrears - Shelter/Utilities


PURPOSE



1. To prevent loss of shelter or utilities.



PRINCIPLE



2. The accumulation of arrears may constitute extreme hardship if loss of shelter or necessary utility is imminent.



3. Some persons, due to financial circumstance, could have qualified for assistance earlier than their actual date of application.



POLICY



4. A maximum of two months’ shelter or utility arrears may be paid without recovery where accrued prior to application for assistance.



5. Such arrears may be paid only if the health and safety of the applicant or his/her dependants are endangered, and only if his/her failure to pay them previously was because of a lack of financial resources.



6. Payment of shelter or utility arrears accrued while in receipt of assistance constitutes an "advance" to the applicant and shall be recovered as an "overpayment" from future assistance. Payments of this nature are also limited to two months’ arrears. Decision to "advance" assistance for arrears payments must be made in the context of Instruction 7-1.



PROCEDURE



7. Advance payments to cover accumulated arrears (Paragraph 6) are considered receivables and collected as an overpayment.



8. All such payments are to be made in the form of third-party payments.