AUTHORITY
Income and Employment Supports Act, Schedule, section 8 and Tables 2 and 3
Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, sections 1(2)(a.1), 1(2)(c), 1(2)(f), 2(1), 2(2) and 2(4)

INTENT

To describe the Core Shelter benefits available to individuals in living arrangements other than private housing or social housing.

POLICY 

Applicants or recipients residing in living arrangements other than private housing or social housing receive the Core Shelter amount outlined in this section.

Types of Shelter Variation

• Approved Homes
  An approved home is a home where residential support services are provided for adults with mental illnesses pursuant to an agreement with the Minister of Health and the provider. In the case of an approved home, the Core Shelter covers rent, heating fuel, utilities and food.
  
  Need Code 1112 Mental Health Approved Home
  Living Arrangement 4 Approved Home/Group Home
  Rate $511 per month per adult

   

• Comforts Allowance
  Applicants and recipients who are residing in nursing homes, auxiliary hospitals, McCullough Centre receive this benefit.
  
  Need Code 1405 Comforts/Residence/Core Essential
  Rate $322 per month

   

• Group Homes
  A group home is a home where residential support services are provided to adults with physical or mental disabilities or illnesses pursuant to an agreement with the group home and the Government. This includes group homes operated under contract by non-profit agencies such as Catholic Social Services. In the case of a group home, the Core Shelter covers rent, heating fuel, utilities and food.
  
  Need Code 1111 Government Funded Group
  Living Arrangement 4 Approved Home/Group Home
  Rate $435 per month per adult

   

• Living with Family
  A set Core Shelter amount is provided when the household unit resides with a parent, step-parent, adoptive parent, grandparent, adult child or adult grandchild, of one of the adults in the household unit. The relationship can be established through marriage or a relationship of interdependence.
  
  If the household unit is on a tenancy agreement or a joint owner with one of the relatives described above, or has a self-contained suite in the home of their relative, the full Core Shelter as outlined in the Private Housing policy is provided to each eligible applicant or recipient.
  
  Need Code 1134 Shelter Living with Family
  Living Arrangement 2 Living with Family
  Rate $103 per household unit

   

• Nursing Homes and Auxiliary Hospitals
  A nursing home is a home under the Nursing Homes Act.
  An auxiliary hospital is defined under the Hospitals Act.
  
  The maximum shelter allowance for an applicant or recipient residing in a nursing home or auxiliary hospital is the accommodation charge established under the Nursing Homes Act or the Hospitals Act, as the case may be. The accommodation charge is established by Alberta Health and can be found at Long Term Care Accommodation Fees.
  
  These rates also apply to recipients who do not meet Alberta Health residency requirements (e.g., ten years of residency in Canada with one year in Alberta immediately preceding the claim for benefits or three years of consecutive residence in Alberta).
  
  When a physician or nurse practitioner confirms the need in writing for a private room, the maximum rate paid, in accordance with the Nursing Homes Regulations, is the semi-private room rate.
  
  Clients who were approved for a medically necessary private room before January 1, 2004 will continue to receive the private room per diem rate. This rate will be retained only for these individuals until they no longer require a private room.
  
  Accommodation Charge is not paid to Provincial Mental Health Hospitals (Alberta Hospital Edmonton or The Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury) and Claresholm Centre for Mental Health and Addictions Hospitals
  
  Need Code 1105 Accommodation Charge
  Living Arrangement 5 Designated Facility

PROCEDURES

1. The worker must manually enter the Need Code identified in this section.

    

2. LISA will default Core Shelter of $103 when the worker presses the Enter key in Preliminary Budget in Eligibility Determination and PF10 key in Client Budget for all household types except One-Time Issues when the Living Arrangement is ‘2’ Living with Family.

    

3. To ensure LISA defaults the right Core Shelter, the worker must ensure the Living Arrangement field displayed in Client Budget is correct and that household composition and client type are correct in Client File. Workers can change Living Arrangement in Client Budget.

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