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Part of Income Support

Income and employment supports – Appeal a decision

Know how to appeal a decision about your income, employment and training support benefits and take part in a hearing.

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Appeal a decision

Overview

What is an appeal

An appeal is when you ask an appeal panel to review a decision the Income and Employment Support (IES) program has made about eligibility. The appeal panel:

  • is made up of private citizens who are not Government of Alberta employees
  • has the authority and training to hear your appeal
  • can agree with, reverse or change the IES program’s decision

Who can appeal

You can appeal if you were directly affected by a decision the IES program made, including if you:

  • applied for benefits and were not approved
  • get benefits and they have changed or stopped
  • are authorized to appeal by a person who has applied for, or has been getting benefits – this means you will act on their behalf through the appeal process by providing an Authorization form

If you are unsure whether you are a person who can appeal, contact the Appeals Secretariat.

What can be appealed

Under the Income and Employment Supports Act and the Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, you have the right to appeal most decisions the IES program makes. These are general guidelines about decisions the appeal panel can and cannot review:

The appeal panel can review decisions about:

  • your eligibility for income support benefits, health benefits, and employment and training benefits
  • the amount or value of income support and health benefits you may receive
  • changing, stopping or not approving income support or health benefits
  • whether you have an overpayment – this is money you owe the IES program because you received a benefit you were not eligible for, or used a benefit for a different purpose than you were supposed to
  • whether you have to repay a benefit you got but were not eligible to get or you used for a different purpose than you were supposed to because it would be unfair to make you repay it
  • whether you have an underpayment – this is a benefit you did not get, but were eligible for
  • if you are a training provider, whether you should be given an administrative penalty amount or owe the Government money
  • if you are a sponsor, whether you owe the Government money under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

The appeal panel cannot review decisions about:

  • the date income support and employment and training benefits will start or end
  • the type and amount or value of employment and training benefits
  • whether training is considered full- or part-time
  • alimony or support payments for dependent children and adults
  • health benefits that are not covered by a health benefit card
  • the amount you will be paid for an underpayment when it is proven to have happened
  • whether you may have more time to file your appeal

For more detailed information, review the Income and Employment Supports Act and the Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, or contact the Appeals Secretariat.

Income and employment supports – How to appeal

Contact

Appeals Secretariat offices

Related

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