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Welfare Advocacy What we do Advocacy Centre staff can give basic welfare information, help negotiate with the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance (MEIA) over most welfare issues and help with welfare appeals. We also try to provide enough information so people feel better equipped to solve problems next time. We also do as much systemic advocacy as we can, trying to persuade the government to change policy or law when a benefit is not available. The Law Foundation of BC funds our welfare advocacy program. Note: Due to limited staff hours, there are some limitations on the extent of service we can provide and how quickly we can respond. Who we serve Our service area includes clients covered by the Nelson MEIA office. Our ability to travel is limited, so we try to do as much as possible over the phone so people do not have to travel into Nelson too often. We anticipate establishing a satellite office in Castlegar one day a week starting in the spring of 2007. We also anticipate some additional funds for traveling, permitting us to more thoroughly serve people in the Slocan Valley, Nakusp, Kaslo and Salmo. Confidentiality Our services are confidential, with the exception of reports of abuse or neglect and threats of acts of violence (we can explain the limits of confidentiality). We are not required to report any information to welfare, but in the rare case where a false allegation of breaking welfare rules is made to us against someone who is a client of ours, we must inform that client. This means we can give advice if you have broken welfare rules and are deciding what to do. We can let you know what the rules are and, based on the information you give us, some indications on how MEIA will likely respond. However, we cannot be involved in lying to welfare, as this would compromise our ability to help people. Links Your Welfare Rights Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance PovNet |
© 2007 The Advocacy Centre unless otherwise noted.
