Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, Schedule 2, section 1(1)v
Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, section 99(d)(i)
Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, Schedule 4, section 23
Full Time Learners:  Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Advanced Education)
Full Time Learners:  Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Labour and Immigration)

INTENT

To assist learner households with the connection, re-connection or deposit of specific utilities needed to establish and maintain a household.

POLICY

The Government of Alberta may pay an allowance to obtain water, power and heat services as follows:

• Utility connection

   

  • actual costs may be issued to a learner household if connection charges are required to secure water, power and heat service

   

• Utility reconnection

   

  • actual costs may be issued to learner household for utility reconnection when disconnection was due to late payment or arrears
  • issued on a repayment basis

   

• Utility deposits

   

  • actual costs may be issued to a learner household if a deposit is required to secure water, power and/or heat service
  • a learner household is eligible to receive a deposit once for each utility

     

    • first deposit for each utility is not recovered
    • subsequent utility deposits are issued on a repayment basis

This benefit:

• is only issued when no other options are available (e.g., paying installments to the utility company)

   

• must not have been paid previously through Income Support as an Expected to Work (ETW) / Barriers to Full Employment (BFE)

   

• does not cover utility arrears, which are issued as an emergency benefit

PROCEDURE

Learners must complete a Change in Circumstances form this benefit.

Substantiation

Substantiated by providing:

• a utility bill, or
• a statement from the utility company

APPROVAL

Learner Benefit Coordinator, Learner Income Support Office (LISO)