Thursday, December 22, 2016

Every family deserves fair treatment

Over the last few weeks, you may have read and heard a number of things about the new supplement for handicapped children with exceptional care needs. Today I would like to clarify the supplement in order to answer the questions that many parents have been asking.

First, the government created this measure to help families facing exceptionally difficult life situations. The eligibility requirements are complex and precise. A key requirement is that the child must have an absolute limitation in carrying out a specific number of life habits. Eligibility is not assessed on the basis of a diagnosis, but rather according to the severity of the child’s limitations.

Another point to mention is that the eligibility requirements announced during the development of the measure in June 2016 have not changed and apply to everyone. In this regard, the Information Bulletin that the Ministère des Finances published in September 2016 addressed a very specific requirement affecting only a very few children.

 In addition, although the news that 1 000 families could be eligible circulated widely, it is important to point out that this number was an estimate, not a target to meet or exceed. The estimate also takes into account the fact that the supplement is exceptional assistance for exceptional situations. Retraite Québec will therefore pay the assistance for all eligible children.

An experienced medical team carefully analyzes applications for the supplement. Retraite Québec reviews each child’s medical file, which it receives directly from the parents or from the health or education sectors. The decision is therefore based on documented facts. Retraite Québec is committed to ensuring that every family’s application is processed fairly.

Retraite Québec also wishes to inform parents who are still waiting for a decision that we are doing our utmost to obtain all the information we need to render a fair decision. And, despite the many steps involved, we are striving to provide that decision as soon as possible.

In an effort to facilitate the process for parents, we made sure to obtain their consent so that we could get the necessary information directly from the health and education sectors. Here we would like to single out the wholehearted cooperation of our partners.

Lastly, we wish to remind parents that if their application is rejected, Retraite Québec will carry out a second evaluation if it receives additional medical information. The letters of refusal clearly state that parents can send Retraite Québec new documents on the child’s situation at any time. Furthermore, parents who are dissatisfied with any decision can always file an application for review of the decision within 90 days.

The supplement for handicapped children with exceptional care needs is a special measure for families dealing with a child’s exceptional health challenges. This measure goes to the very heart of what it means to be a caring society, and Retraite Québec will ensure that it is applied fairly and consistently.