INTENT

The Alberta government believes in supporting and encouraging youth to maximize their potential and complete their high school education. Allowing 18 and 19 year old students to remain as dependants on a household’s file provides stability to the household to help ensure these dependants can be successful in completing high school.

POLICY

The definition of dependent child under the Income Support (IS) program includes a person:

• who is living with and dependent for support on an adult member of the household unit, and;
• who is under the age of 18 or, if attending an education program under the Education Act, under the age of 20.
  
  

18 and 19 year old dependants of IS applicants or recipients:

• who attend school or plan to return to the regular school system after a scheduled school break are eligible to remain as dependants on the IS file until they leave school or turn 20 years old;
  
• can attend school full-time or part-time as long as they are progressing in completing the high school program (18-19 year olds may be attending school part-time to complete courses required to graduate);
• can participate in an academic upgrading program at an Alberta high school or online through an Alberta school authority (18-19 year olds may be participating in the high school program full-time or part-time to upgrade or to take a course(s) required to enter a post-secondary institution); 
  
• do not apply for Foundational Learning Assistance under the Student Financial Assistance Act (SFAA) instead of IS funding; and
  
• are referred to Child Support Services, if one of their parents is not part of the household unit.
  
  
  

Income and Assets of Dependants
Employment income of dependants, including 18 and 19 year olds, who are attending or planning to return to school is 100% exempt.

Assets of all dependants are exempt.

18 and 19 Year Old Dependants Who Leave School
If the 18-19 year old leaves school, they are no longer eligible to remain as a dependant on the IS file. They are deleted from the file at the beginning of the month following the student leaving school. 18 and 19 year olds who leave school should access other resources such as employment to meet their needs. If they have no other resources to support themselves, they may apply for IS. They must meet program eligibility criteria and expectations.

Periods of Non-Attendance
18 and 19 year old students should be actively seeking employment during school breaks. This experience helps them develop skills and knowledge, which will help them find and maintain employment in the future.

18 and 19 Year Old Dependants Who Are Upgrading
18 and 19 year old students who have completed high school, but are upgrading or taking a course(s) required to enter a post-secondary institution may be eligible to remain as a dependant on the IS file. In these circumstances, the student is required to be enrolled full-time or part-time at an Alberta high school or taking the course(s) through online options offered by an Alberta school authority.

Notes:

• Some Alberta high schools/school authorities may not provide academic upgrading programs under the Education Act to students who are older than 19 years of age on September 1st. For children who turn 19 on or after September 1st, IS program staff should validate that the program is under the Education Act.
• 18 and 19 year old students who are upgrading at a post-secondary institution do not meet the definition of a dependent child as these programs are not under the Education Act.
  

18 and 19 Year Dependants of IS Leavers Eligible for AAHB
18 and 19 year old dependants living at home and attending high school may receive health benefits coverage under their parent/guardian’s Alberta Adult Health Benefit (AAHB) file regardless of the AAHB Client Type.

The dependant and their parent/guardian(s) must complete and sign the AEHB 3654 Declaration of 18-19 Year Old Dependant form.

Benefits
18 and 19 year olds are counted as dependants when determining the amount of Core Shelter and Core Essential for the household unit sub-type.

The household receives additional benefits for 18 and 19 year old dependants, as follows:

• A Child Supplement Allowance of $228 per month is automatically added to the budget for 18 and 19 year old dependants as part of the Core Essential.
  
• Health Benefits Coverage (same as any other dependant) and
  
• Continuous Supplementary Benefits and Non-Continuous Supplementary Benefits based on the eligibility criteria, if required and
  
• School Expense Allowance of $199 per year.

Substantiation
Applicants verbally confirm their 18-19 year dependant is attending the regular high school system, supported by the:

• EMP 3428 Income Support Application; and
• Schedule C Declaration of 18 and 19 Year Old Dependant

Recipients verbally confirm their 18-19 year dependant is attending the regular high school system, supported by the:

• Automated Reporting for Clients (ARC); and
• Schedule C Declaration of 18 and 19 Year Old Dependant

PROCEDURES

Applicants
The worker:

1. Informs the applicant the 18-19 year old dependant is considered as part of their household unit and is eligible for benefits on their file as long as they are residing in the household unit and actively attending and progressing in the regular school system. For example: if a client applies for IS in July and their 18 year old plans to attend regular school in September, the 18 year old dependant may be added to the client’s file at the time of the application.
   
2. If the dependant is experiencing educational difficulties, reinforces the availability of educational supports within the school system to help them be successful.
   
3. Advises the applicant they must advise their worker as soon as possible if the dependant no longer resides with them or is no longer in school and that the dependant will be deleted from their file at the beginning of the following month.
   
4. Ensure Schedule C Declaration of 18 and 19 Year Old Dependant is signed and included with the EMP 3428 Income Support Application.

Recipients
17 Year Old Dependants Turning 18
LISA generates a monthly report MRR21 Dependant Child Approaching 18^th Birthday Within 4 Months by office, unit and caseload identifying dependants turning 18 years old.

The worker sends out the EMP 2474 Child Turning 18 and a Schedule C Declaration of 18 and 19 Year Old Dependant to the client advising them the 18 year old may still be eligible as a dependant if they are in school or planning to return to school after a regularly scheduled school break.

During the rollover process, LISA will automatically add a delete date for a dependant for the end of the month in which the dependant turns 18. If the dependant is still in school, the worker:

1. Removes the deletion date by selecting the dependant with “R” to restore the dependant to the file.
   
2. Continues to issue benefits to the 18 and 19 year old as long as they are attending the regular school system.

If the worker becomes aware that the dependant no longer resides with them or is no longer attending school, advises the client that the dependant will be deleted off the following month’s benefits.

19 Year Old Dependants Turning 20
LISA generates a report Dependant Child Approaching 20th Birthday Within 4 Months by unit and caseload identifying dependants turning 20 years old.

The worker sends out EMP 3478 Child Turning 20 to the recipient and the EMP 3478A Notification to Dependant Turning 20 (Letter to Child) advising the dependant will be deleted from their file at the beginning of the month following their 20th birthday. These individuals are expected to access family, friends, and/or secure part-time employment if they still require funds to complete their high school education.