AUTHORITY

Income and Employment Supports Act, Section 14(2)

INTENT

Alberta Human Services recognizes that changes to a learner’s household situation may occur throughout the training period. A change in circumstance may affect the learner household’s monthly benefit entitlement (e.g., increase in income may reduce the entitlement, addition of a dependant may increase the entitlement). If a change that reduces the entitlement is not reported, an overpayment may result.

The Change in Circumstances form, including available schedules are available from:

• Training providers
• Alberta Service Centres 
• Contracted Assessment and Service Management Centres
• Human Services website

POLICY

Reason for Submitting a Change in Circumstances Form 

A learner must complete and submit a Change in Circumstances form to report changes to the following:

• name
• academic status (e.g., withdrawals, change from full-time to part-time status, early completion)
• marital status
• number of dependants
• change of address when the learner is changing housing type (i.e., moving from private housing to social housing)
• savings, assets or investments for the learner or any member of the household unit
• report variations in monthly income of more than $75
• request continuous or non-continuous supplementary benefits that were not included in the original assessment of the EMP 5569 Learner Income Support Application (Full Time Study) or EMP 5567 Apprentice Income Support Application (Full Time Study) – Technical Training

Exceptions

A Change in Circumstances form for Learners is NOT required in the following situations:

• For changes in the learners monthly employment earnings
  • Employment earnings of a learner are 100% exempt
    
• For emergencies/urgent situations
  • Learner or service manager informs the Student Funding Contact Centre (SFCC) via telephone and provides whatever necessary documentation is required at a later date.
    
• For changes in address when the housing type is unchanged.
  
  
  • Learners can update their addresses by contacting their:
    
    1. Training Provider or Service Manager
    2. SFCC
  • A Task MUST be sent to the Learner Income Support Office (LISO) Learner Benefit Coordinator Work Queue.
  • The Task triggers LISO to update the address on the Product Delivery Case Home Page.
  • Failure to generate a Task could result in the learner's funding payment being delayed.

Each section of the Change in Circumstances form that contains changed information must be completed

• If there is no section specifically relating to the change (e.g., change to tuition fees as a result of change in date of training program) learners are to use the Comments section.

All applicable documentation and receipts should be included with the application.

• Copies of receipts (rather than original documents) should be submitted whenever possible.

The learner, and their spouse/partner (if applicable), MUST sign and date the Change in Circumstances form.

The learner will receive a new Funding Assessment Decision letter providing the details of the new financial assessment after their Change in Circumstances form has been processed.

PROCEDURE

Processing Time

Depending on what time of year the Change in Circumstances form is sent to the LISO, processing is completed in approximately four to six weeks.

If a delay in processing creates an emergency situation for the learner that cannot be dealt with using alternate sources of funding, issuance on an Emergency Process may be considered.

APPROVAL

Learner Benefit Coordinator, LISO

FORMS

Document Title and Description	Form Number	Format
Change in Circumstances Form for Learners	EMP 5589
Change in Circumstances Form for Apprentices	EMP 5588