Poverty Advocacy Nanaimo

Crisis supplements are a valuable tool for people on Income Assistance and PWD (Provincial Disability).
It’s helpful to be aware of what you are eligible for.

Everyone’s experience is different.

I have had significant success applying regularly for crisis supplements through the Self Serve online portal (you can also apply over the phone or in the office). Usually a staff member will call me to discuss details, or to let me know if my request was approved. I have found that it is very helpful to be polite and friendly with the staff.

Here are some examples of requests that I have made that were successfully approved:

🟡Food crisis supplement:
I generally apply for this one 3 to 4 times a year when I have had an unexpected expense that has eaten into my grocery budget. If I can, I upload a pic of the receipt for the unexpected expense as part of my request.
Examples of recent expenses are:
*paying the rest of a dental bill that isn’t covered by ministry benefits.
*paying unexpected school fees for my child.

🟡Clothing crisis supplement:
Again, the key to success is to emphasize that this is an unexpected expense. I applied last fall for this when my son needed new winter boots. I wrote that I had planned on his old boots fitting him for one more year, but he had a massive growth spurt. I also shared that because he needs size 15 men’s boots, thrift stores were not an easily accessible option. I also uploaded a screen shot of the boots online that I hoped to order.

🟡Crisis Furniture:
I have a back condition, and my old mattress was making it worse. I completed a request online for a new mattress. They responded and asked me to supply quotes from three online suppliers. I uploaded screenshots online.
In my case, the ministry called back and said that since I already had a mattress, I didn’t qualify for a basic crisis furniture request.
However, if I obtained a doctor’s note, they could supply one as a medical equipment request.
So, I got a doctor’s note, made a new request, and they ordered a new mattress and boxspring from Sleep Country that was delivered within a couple of weeks.

🟡Crisis Shelter:
I secured a subsidized housing unit last year.
*Moving costs: I contacted the ministry to ask about help with moving costs and they said to obtain written quotes from three moving companies and upload them with a crisis shelter request for moving costs. The quotes had to be for a flat rate move covered by the ministry.
The ministry approved the request and issued a cheque to the cheapest quote that I picked up and took to the mover.
*Rental deposit: The ministry issued a cheque to me for the costs of the deposit on my new home. This isn’t a supplement, but a loan that I pay back every month with $20 off my monthly cheque.

To read more about ministry benefits:
https://pananaimo.ca/income-assistance/