XPost: can.politics, alt.support.single-parents, alt.politics.terrorism
XPost: sac.politics
Brennan Smith never knew his father because Tyler Smith was
killed in a logging accident before he was born.
Under WorkSafe BC rules Brennan is supposed to receive a $282.00
orphan benefit until the age 19 or even later if he attends post-
secondary school, however the young boy and his single mom
Haylie Little have never received one cent of it.
�I don�t think it�s fair at all and I think something needs to
be done about it� Little told CHEK News.
�This I think would be the least thing I would expect to happen
was for that money to be taken away from Brennan� she added.
The benefit is being clawed back by the Province because Haylie
is on social assistance leaving her just $642.00 a month to live
on.
She recently went to her NDP MLA, Leonard Krog for help.
�This is an incredible situation where the BC Liberals are
denying a payment to a four year-old little boy whose father was
tragically killed on the job� said Krog in Victoria before
bringing up the issue in Question Period.
Last year the Liberals agreed to stop clawing back benefits if a
child was getting support payments from a parent who is alive.
�Those children at least have the advantage of a father or
mother alive to make the payments and the parenting. This child
has no father and gets no money� added Krog.
�Is that the policy of the BC Liberals to take money from
children whose parents have been killed on the job� asked Krog
in Question Period.
�Madam Speaker our government wants to ensure that people have
meaningful jobs helping make meaningful contributions so that
families can have access to the supports they need. Families
having a child have access to additional supports through the
increase in shelter and support rates through the provincial and
federal tax credits� responded Minister of Social Development
and Social Innovation Michelle Stilwell.
Over $13500.00 in orphan benefits have been clawed back since
Brennan was born.
Haylie Little has been accepted into a full-time program at VIU
in the fall where she hopes to become a child and youth worker.
http://www.cheknews.ca/nanaimo-mother-wants-benefit-clawback-to-
end-152506/
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