The ISCC is a province wide service that provides information and emergency services to Albertans with low income, Income Support (IS), Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) clients and Community and Social Services staff.

Alberta Works Income Support Contact Centre
Phone: 1-866-644-5135 (toll free) or
780-644-5135 (Edmonton area)
Email

During business hours, ISCC Advisors provide:

• General information about IS programs and services.
• Referrals to community agencies and other government departments.
• Verification of Canada Child Benefit eligibility for IS program applicants/recipients.
• Client verifications from other provinces regarding IS applications from outside of Alberta.
• General information on the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program.

The ISCC provides emergency and essential IS services by telephone only to clients outside of normal operating hours; after 4:30 p.m. and before 8:15 a.m. Monday through Friday, weekends and holidays.

Note
The ISCC also provides after hours services to active AISH clients and can issue emergency benefits under the AISH program.

People requiring services outside of normal operating hours are provided benefits only if the circumstances:

• Are beyond the client’s control, and
• Create serious health risk, and
• Cannot wait until the next working day.

Benefits are intended to meet the needs of that person only until the next working day and are limited to:

• Emergent core essentials
• Temporary shelter
• Transportation
• Emergency medical needs

Benefits beyond those listed above require approval from an Income Support Supervisor or manager.

Centrally Delivered Services has authority to approve emergency payments issued by ISCC staff to income support clients.

PROCEDURE

In all situations, if the system(s) is down at the time of registration, enter the information as soon as the system(s) is available.

Inactive Clients

If the applicant is eligible for a one-time issue, the advisor will:

1. Search on CCD for any record of client.
2. Request specific identifying information (i.e., SIN, Alberta Health Care or Driver’s License Number).
3. Record these numbers on the EMP 3560 After Hours Eligibility Form.
4. Issue benefits by a manual voucher.
5. Manually complete the EMP 2004 Notice of Eligibility.
6. Read the declaration to the applicant, initial each statement read and sign the front on behalf of the applicant with a note confirming the client’s understanding of the declaration.
7. Key data into LISA as required.

If eligible and the applicant has a file closed within the last two years, the advisor will:

1. Request the electronic file from LISA by phone, or from CCD by using Request for File Download function 20.
   
   Note
   Requests for electronic files from LISA usually occur the next working day during regular office hours.

    

2. Issue appropriate benefits.
3. Ensure all payments are entered in the system.
4. Record in Compass Comments and on the EMP 3560 After Hours Eligibility Form the type of benefit issued and the circumstances.
5. Record the HRE 0018 Voucher and HRE 1976 Drug Authorization on the EMP 2211 Voucher Control Log.
6. Use Transfer Client function 14 to transfer the electronic file to the office with the closed paper file.
7. Forward all documents to the district office with the closed paper file.

If eligible and the applicant has a pending file on LISA, a non-service file on CCD, no previous file or their file closed more than two years, the advisor will:

1. Request the electronic file from LISA by phone, or from CCD by using Request for File Download function 20.
2. Issue the appropriate benefits.
3. Ensure the client is registered on CCD if no previous file exists.
4. Ensure all payments are entered in the system.
5. Record in Compass Comments or on the EMP 3560 After Hours Eligibility Form that the benefits are a one-time issue from ISCC.
6. Retain all documentation at the ISCC unit.
   
   Note
   If the client contacts a Service Centre for ongoing benefits, the Service Centre will request the electronic file from the ISCC (if the office code is 353) by contacting 780-644-1355 .

When an applicant with a closed file is denied benefits, the advisor will:

1. Enter into Compass Comments the following:

    

   • The benefit was denied,
   • The reason why, and
   • That the client was advised of their right to appeal, or
   • That the client was advised of their right to request a review by the Health Benefits Exception Committee if the denied benefit is a health benefit.

    

2. Print the information recorded in Eligibility Determination function 1.
3. Forward all documents to the district office where a closed paper file exists, or
4. Retain the documents at the Alberta Works ISCC if the applicant has no file or their file has been closed longer than two years.
   
   Note
   The ISCC will retain these documents for 12 months before they are sent for disposal as outlined in Records Services policy.

Active Clients

The advisor will:

1. Determine eligibility.
2. Access the file by function 67 – Issue to Active in Other Office.
3. Key in mandatory fields in the Client Details screen.
4. Key in details of the voucher and enters details in Compass Comments.
5. Issue benefits by manual voucher(s).
6. Forward the "client file" copy of the voucher(s) and any supporting documentation to the owning Service Centre for filing once the ISCC Expenditure Officer has approved the payment.
   
   Note
   For case management purposes, the assigned worker at the owning Service Centre will receive a LISA generated report the next working day identifying the benefits issued and the amount.

When a benefit is denied, the advisor will:

1. Enter into Compass Comments the following:

    

   • The benefit was denied,
   • The reason why, and
   • That the client was advised of their right to appeal, or
   • That the client was advised of their right to request a review by the Health Benefits Exception Committee if the denied benefit is a health benefit.

Active AISH Clients

When an active AISH client contacts the ISCC to request an emergency or supplementary benefit, the advisor will:

1. Refer the client to their AISH worker, if the request is made during regular business hours, or
2. Issue any benefits the client may be eligible for under the AISH program, if after hours.