Income and Employment Supports Act, Schedule, sections 5(1)(a), 4(a) and 6 and Table 1
Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, sections 2(1), 2(2) and 2(3) 
Ministerial Order No 2018-19, Appendix A: Core Essential Payment Rates

INTENT

The intent of the Core Essential benefit is to provide for monthly needs (listed below). Amounts are based on household composition, household type, and the ages of children.

POLICY

Core Essential covers the following items:

• Food (except for a household unit living in an approved home, a group home, a hospital, or a nursing home)  
• Clothing, including diapers
• Household needs
• Personal needs
• Use of a telephone
• Laundry
• Basic transportation, including vehicle registration

The standard Core Essential is provided to all clients who reside in private housing, social housing or with family. It can also be provided to individuals who have no shelter costs.  See the Individuals Experiencing Homelessness policy for further information.

No additional allowance may be issued for an item covered by Core Essential, unless a specific provision has been made elsewhere. For other provisions, please see the Supplementary Benefits policy.

See Core Essential Rate Adjustment policy for information about adjusting Core Essential benefits.

Maximum (Standard) Monthly Core Essential Payment Table

Need Code 1430 Core Essential
Need Code 1839 Core Essential/One-Time Issue

Variations to Maximum Core Essential
When the household is not eligible for the standard Core Essential amount, a variation rate can be provided as specified below for the particular situation.

See Core Essential Rate Adjustment policy for information about adjusting Core Essential benefits. 

• Individuals in a Family Violence Shelter
  The Core Essential amount prescribed in the above Core Essential Payment Table is not provided to individuals while residing in a recognized emergency shelter for persons escaping abuse. Family Violence Shelter residents have the majority of their needs met by the shelter and receive basic needs in the form of a Personal Benefit – Family Violence Shelter only. IESA Schedule, section 6(a)(iii)(C) and 6(b)(iii)(C). Instead, these individuals receive a modified rate.
  Rate
  $357.00 per month per adult 
  
• The McCullough Centre, Nursing Homes, Auxiliary Hospitals and Active Treatment Hospital
  The Core Essential amount prescribed in the above Core Essential Payment Table is not provided to adults permanently residing in these designated facilities. Clients have the majority of their needs met by the facility and receive basic needs in the form of a Comforts Allowance only. IESA Schedule, section 6(a)(iii) and 6(b)(iii) . Instead, these individuals receive a modified rate.
  Rate
  Same as above for Individuals in a Family Violence Shelter
  
  Clients temporarily admitted to Acute Care/Active Treatment hospitals or residential addiction treatment facilities who plan to return to the community may be eligible for Core Benefits (Core Essential and Core Shelter) as outlined in the Limited/Ineligible Groups  - Health and Treatment Facilities policy. 
  
• Group Homes and Approved Homes
  The Core Essential amount prescribed in the above Core Essential Payment Table is not provided to an adult residing in a group home or a mental health approved home. The amount provided is based on the person's client type.
  Rate
  $316.00 per month per adult in the ETW client type
  $451.00 per month per adult in the BFE client type  
  
• Food Only
  The Core Essential amount prescribed in the above Core Essential Payment Table is not provided when the household does not require the full amount. Where the Core Essential amount is for food only, a “food only” amount may be provided. It can be provided either for the full month or for a portion of the month required as follows:
  Rate
  $163.00 for an adult in a one adult household unit
  $156.00 for each adult in a two adult household unit
  $95.00 for each dependent child in the household unit    
  
  This may apply for One-Time Issues, particularly client type 81 Transient.
  

One-Time Issues
When Emergency Allowance benefits are not appropriate to meet the need, clients in client type 81 or 82 are issued the Core Essential amount prescribed in the standard Core Essential Payment Table for the actual need for that one month.

Parenting Agreement/Order
See Core Essential Rate Adjustment.

Foster or Adopted Children
See Children Involved with/or Supported by Children and Family Services (CFS), Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) and/or Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) policy.

See Core Essential Rate Adjustment policy for information about adjusting Core Essential benefits. 

PROCEDURES

Standard Core Essential

Budget Status 1

On LISA the Budget Status must be ‘1’ when the Core Essential is pro-rated.

LISA will default to the standard Core Essential rate when the worker uses the PF10 key in Client Budget for all household types, except One-Time Issues, for the following Living Arrangements:

1 Private Housing,
2 Living with Family,
6 Social Housing, or
7 No Shelter

Only these Living Arrangements are Eligible for Standard Core Essential. To ensure LISA defaults the right Core Essential rate, the worker must ensure the Living Arrangement fields displayed in Client Budget are correct and that Budget Status ‘1’ is entered. Workers can change Living Arrangement in Client Budget.

In a household unit with 18 and 19 year old dependants, the LISA system will automatically issue a Child Supplement Allowance as part of the Core Essential.

Variations to Maximum (Standard) Core Essential

Budget Status 2

For Family Violence Shelters

In Client File, the worker enters:
Living Arrangement ‘7’
The appropriate Designated Facility which is 33333

In Client Budget, the worker enters:
Living Arrangement
7   No Shelter
Budget Status
2   Other than Maximum Core Essential
Need Code
1407 Personal Benefit – Family Violence Shelter

For The McCullough Centre, Nursing Homes, Active Treatment and Auxiliary Hospitals

In Client File, the worker enters:
Living Arrangement ‘5’
The appropriate Designated Facility

In Client Budget, the worker enters:
Need Code
1405 Comforts/Residence/Core Essential
Budget Status
2   Other than Maximum Core Essential

For Group Homes and Approved Homes

In Client File, the worker enters:
Living Arrangement ‘4’
The appropriate Designated Facility which is 33333

In Client Budget, the worker enters:
Living Arrangement
4   Approved Home/Group Home
Budget Status
1   Maximum Core Essential
Presses the PF10 key to default the client’s budget
Need Code
1430 Core Essential

HT has no bearing on the Core Essential amount provided to clients in designated facilities or approved homes and group homes. These clients have their Core Essential determined by their Living Arrangement.