Definitions

1   In this Act:

"eligibility committee" means the committee established under section 2;

"residence" means,

(a) if an applicant leases a building, that building,

(b) if an applicant leases a separate portion of a building, that separate portion, or

(c) if an applicant leases a manufactured home site as defined in the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, that manufactured home site

that is located in British Columbia and is rented by the applicant as a separate household unit for the purpose of providing the applicant's ordinary residence;

"shelter aid" means financial assistance under this Act toward the payment of rental costs in an amount calculated in the prescribed manner.

Committee

2   (1) The minister must establish and appoint an eligibility committee comprising 3 persons.

(2) A person may make an application to the eligibility committee in a form and manner acceptable to the committee if he or she

(a) is at least 60 years of age at the time the application is made, and

(b) is a tenant of a residence.

(3) Subject to this Act and the regulations, the eligibility committee must determine

(a) whether or not an applicant is entitled to receive shelter aid, and

(b) the amount of the shelter aid the applicant is entitled to receive.

(4) The eligibility committee may refer a question of eligibility for shelter aid to the minister and the decision of the minister is final.

(5) The eligibility committee may delegate its powers, duties and functions to persons who are appointed to administer this Act.

Payment of shelter aid

3   Subject to this Act and the regulations, if the eligibility committee has determined

(a) that a person is eligible to receive shelter aid, and

(b) the amount of shelter aid to which that person is entitled,

the Minister of Finance must pay to that person the amount of shelter aid so determined.

Agreements with Canada

4   The Lieutenant Governor in Council may enter into agreements with Canada or its departments or agencies for the purpose of

(a) providing shelter aid under this Act, or

(b) cooperating in the administration of this Act.

Employees

5   The employees required for the administration of this Act may be appointed.

Confidentiality of information

6   (1) Except as provided by the regulations, a person must not disclose to a person not legally entitled to it information obtained in the administration of this Act.

(2) A person must not be required to give evidence in court about information obtained in the administration of this Act, except

(a) in a prosecution for contravention of this Act or the regulations, or

(b) with the consent of the person about whom the information was obtained.

Offences and penalty

7   A person commits an offence who

(a) by fraud, obtains shelter aid to which the person is not entitled under this Act, or

(b) makes a false or misleading statement or fails to disclose a material fact in an appropriation under this Act.

Reduction or deduction of shelter aid

8   If, due to nondisclosure of facts, false representation, error or any other cause, a person has received an amount of shelter aid to which the person is not entitled, the amount received may be

(a) recovered from that person in court as a debt due to the government, or

(b) deducted from subsequent payments of shelter aid to which the person is entitled.

Power to make regulations

9   (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations referred to in section 41 of the Interpretation Act.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations respecting appeals from decisions of the eligibility committee.