The objective of the Pregnant Minors Financial Assistance Program is to provide financial support to pregnant minors without the financial resources to meet their needs.
1. Objectives of the program
1.1 The objectives of the Pregnant Minors Financial Assistance Program are to:
- provide temporary financial assistance, starting in the month following the 20th week of pregnancy and running until the birth of the baby. This assistance is based on the risk for the health and physical integrity of the mother and the unborn child;
- ensure active assistance where financial support is accompanied by other forms of support and guidance.
2. Eligibility rules
2.1 To be eligible for the program, the person must meet the general eligibility conditions set out in the First Nations of Quebec Income Security Policy Framework, subject to the following particular conditions:
- must be of minor age and must have reached the 20th week of pregnancy;
- must be admitted to the Support for Young Parents component or have agreed to participate in the OLO program of the health and social services centre;
- must have been referred to Income Security by the health and social services centre or by a local community service centre (CLSC) or by a facility of the health and social services network having the mission of a CLSC;
- must not be living with her father or mother, nor with the person who has custody for her under a legal order or who has signed an undertaking to assist her under the Act respecting immigration to Québec (R.S.Q., c. I-0.2);
- must not be staying at a resource offering lodging, as identified by the Act respecting health services and social services (rehabilitation centre, group home of a youth centre, intermediate resources, foster families, etc.);
- must not be admitted to or eligible for last resort income security assistance programs as an independent adult or member of a family (e.g.: emancipated minor, woman with a dependent child, married);
- must not be eligible for the educational services of the Band Council, in the case where the minor pregnant woman attends a secondary school for vocational training or a post-secondary institution under the meaning of the First Nations of Quebec Income Security Policy Framework;
- must not have more than $1,500 in liquid assets on the date of the application or while participating in the program (bank account, cash in hand, or short-term marketable assets).
2.2 Establishing the amount of financial assistance
- The amount of financial assistance granted to a minor eligible for the program is established in taking account of the basic benefit applicable to this person according to her situation. Then, all income, after the exclusion of work income of the amount of $200 per month, is deducted from the basic benefit to determine the amount to be paid.
However, the following forms of income, gains or benefits are excluded for purposes of calculating the financial assistance:
- interest income and dividend income, excluding that paid as remuneration;
- amounts received as a tax reimbursement or credit, including in particular the Work Premium;
- amounts paid by the Band Council as additional costs related to participation in a specific program;
- amounts paid by the Band Council as additional costs related to participation in an employment assistance program or measure;
- amounts received under a health and social services program to receive home assistance and home care services;
- income from an estate, a trust or an open donation for the minor’s benefit before she had the capacity to use it for her maintenance;
- any premium that an institution operating a rehabilitation centre pays to facilitate attendance of that centre or that an institution operating a residential and long-term care centre or a hospital centre pays to the minor so that she can be treated there by a therapeutic program.
- Assistance during the month that the application is made is granted for the entire month regardless of the date the application was submitted. Income to be considered for determining eligibility is income which was received during the month of the application and which was due for that month (e.g., work income, orphan’s pension from the Régie des rentes).
- For the following months, financial assistance is established for each month by considering the situation on the last day of the preceding month. It is equal to the shortfall of resources of the preceding month, based on the needs.
2.3 Submission of the application
The application for program eligibility may be submitted beginning on January 1, 2016.
2.4 Eligibility period
The minor may receive financial assistance beginning in the month following the 20th week of pregnancy. This assistance ends beginning in the month following the month in which she no longer meets one or more of the program’s eligibility conditions.
3. Payment conditions
3.1 The financial assistance to be paid in 2020 is established at:
- $260 per month for a minor whose board and lodging is provided by a non-profit organization which is not among the housing resources coming under the institutions mentioned in the Act respecting Health services and social services (sheltered adult).
- $883 in other cases, which corresponds to the basic allowance + the temporary employment-related constraint + the special allowance for pregnancy.
3.2 Payment of the financial assistance
The financial assistance is paid monthly, that is, at the start of each month, except in exceptional circumstances.
4. Reciprocal rights and obligations
- The rights and obligations set out in chapter 13 of the First Nations of Quebec Income Security Policy Framework apply to this program.
- In addition, the minor must exercise her rights or apply for the benefits she may be able to receive under another legislative act or program, when making use of such rights and benefits may affect her eligibility for the program or reduce the amount of financial assistance.
Failure to comply with one or more of the stipulated obligations may lead to refusal of the application, reduction of the amount of financial assistance, or the termination of eligibility for the program.
5. Recovery
The rules for recovery set out in chapter 15 of the Income Security Policy Framework apply to this program, excluding those which are specifically intended for the last-resort financial assistance programs.
6. Recourse
6.1 Review process (Reviewable decisions, sect. 14.2)
- Any person who is the object of a decision by Income Security, excluding a decision concerning a claim, made under the program, may request in writing, and within 90 days of receiving the decision, a review of the decision.
- The request for a review is handled with diligence and the decision is to be made within 30 days following receipt of the request. If the person requests more time to present her observations or produce a document, the decision must be delivered within the 30 days following presentation of her observations or the production of this document. This decision is final and not subject to appeal.
6.2 Right to review and appeal for persons who are the object of a decision concerning a claim
The rules set out in chapter 15 of the First Nations of Quebec Income Security Policy Framework apply to claims established under this program.
7. Agreements, verifications
The rules set out in sections 1.3 et seq. of the First Nations of Quebec Income Security Policy Framework apply to this local measure.
8. Other rules for application
8.1 Special aspects
- The value of property is not taken into consideration, but income created by this property may influence the amount of financial assistance.
- No supplementary amount further to the financial assistance stipulated by section 3.1 is allocated.
- Income Security does not allocate special benefits. Coverage of health needs comes under the responsibility of the health and social services centre.
- To be eligible for the program, the minor must provide Income Security and the health and social services centre authorization in writing to allow them to share personal information on her for purposes of the application of the programs mentioned in this normative framework.
8.2 Indexation
The financial assistance is adjusted, in whole or in part, at the same time and at the same rate as the rate applicable to last-resort financial assistance programs under the First Nations of Quebec Income Security Policy Framework.
8.3 Rule of transfer and seizure
The entire amount of financial assistance that is paid is non-transferable and non-seizable.
8.4 Effective date
The program comes into effect on January 1, 2016.
8.5 Management of and follow-up concerning the program
The Income Security management unit is responsible for the implementation and administration of this local measure.