Wednesday June 29, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Hardship assistance is now available for Ukrainian citizens who arrive in BC under the federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET). It’s a support being provided by the BC Government.
Eligibility for hardship assistance is based on need and can be as much as $935 per month (single person), as much as $1,770 per month (family of four), as much as $1,358.50 per month (single person with a disability) and as much as $2,193.50 per month (family of four, one adult is a person with a disability).
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are expected to arrive in BC, it was stated today in a press conference with Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and Nathan Cullen, Minister of Municipal Affairs.
Housing is considered to be the greatest challenged for incoming displaced Ukrainians.
Fleeing invasion of homeland:
“British Columbia is helping Ukrainians arriving in our province who are fleeing the invasion of their homeland,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
We expect thousands of displaced Ukrainians to arrive over the next few months, and the changes announced today will help us address their critical needs as they adjust to their new surroundings,” said Simons.
“This assistance will also relieve some of the pressure that community organizations are facing as they help displaced Ukrainians find work and transition to life in our province,” he said today.
Initiative led by local Ukrainians:
“This has been led and pushed by Ukrainians British Columbians in particular,” said Nathan Cullen, Minister of Municipal Affairs, in a press conference today.
“We can all see the horrors on the news every night,” said Cullen, referring to the bombing of a shopping mall in Ukraine.
Ukrainians who arrive under CUAET can apply for up to six months of hardship assistance from the ministry after they have accessed the federal one-time temporary financial support, the Canada-Ukraine Transitional Assistance Initiative (CUTAI).
“This direct financial assistance will help displaced Ukrainians find their footing here in BC,” said Cullen.
“Access to funding when they arrive is crucial for people fleeing war and starting fresh in a new province thousands of kilometres from home. By easing access to this support, we are also unlocking supplementary benefits that newcomers may be eligible for – including the camp supplement, school startup supplement, security deposit supplement and health supplements.”
“Since the beginning of the brutal aggression against Ukraine, the B.C. government has been offering unwavering support for the Ukrainian people who are fleeing war and choose our province as their safe temporary home,” said Natalie Jatskevich, president, Ukrainian Canadian Congress – BC Provincial Council.
“The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, British Columbia Provincial Council welcomes the BC government’s decision to provide hardship assistance and supplementary benefits for newcomers who enter into B.C. under the Canada Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel. This important step guarantees that displaced Ukrainians will have their most immediate needs addressed while they are resettling in our province.”
Federal and provincial:
Without federal status as refugees, displaced Ukrainians have limited access to federal and provincial supports. The ministry has changed the BC Employment and Assistance Program requirements to allow Ukrainians who arrive in BC under the CUAET, and other people who arrive under similar circumstances, to receive temporary financial assistance as they work to settle into their new communities.
Along with providing crucial financial assistance, the Province says it is committed to working with its partners to support displaced Ukrainians with a range of important resources, such as self-serve WorkBC employment services, including resume preparation and job readiness workshops. To date, more than 185 displaced Ukrainians have accessed WorkBC employment services.
===== GOVERNMENT LINKS:
To learn more about applying for temporary financial assistance for as long as six months, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/ukrainefinancialsupport (https://www.gov.bc.ca/ukrainefinancialsupport)
To learn more about what supports are available to Ukrainians, or how to support Ukrainians arriving to B.C., visit the Welcoming Ukraine website: www.gov.bc.ca/welcomingukraine (https://www.gov.bc.ca/welcomingukraine)
Or call the Service BC toll-free phone line: 1 800 663-7867
===== RELATED:
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- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ukraine | G7 Leaders Statement (May 8, 2022)
- Langford achieves $50,000 fundraising goal for Ukraine (May 6, 2022)
- Support for Ukraine in Langford (April 5, 2022)
- Streamline and speed up handling of Ukraine refugees says federal NDP (February 25, 2022)