PDD Funding Appeals (April 19)
Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 18 we asked a question to the minister of seniors regarding disabled Albertans’ rights to appeal PDD funding decisions.
An answer was not provided. Calgary area PDD service providers need clarification about their own liabilities because of the cuts that they’ve had to deal with. To the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports: will the minister confirm that under regulation 181/2006 it’s true that PDD-funded individuals have no right to appeal to the minister if their supports are cut due to their service provider’s budget being cut?
Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, I want to make it very clear that PDD clients do have the ability to appeal any decision of the community board that affects their levels of services, including the hours of service and the level of service itself. The PDD Community Governance Act makes this very clear. To be clear, if any client is notified about a reduction in services arising from a decision of the community board, they can appeal that decision.
Ms Pastoor: Thank you to the minister for that. But there is confusion between the PDD Community Governance Act and section 2(c) of the regulations. Will the minister provide clarification as to the legal liabilities of PDD service providers if they cut their individual supports because of the changes to their budgets?
Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, I’m not exactly clear on the regulations that the hon. member has cited, so I will check into that, and I will provide an answer to her for that question.
However, a service provider, once they’ve signed a contract with the community board, cannot appeal the contract itself, but they do have a very clear dispute resolution mechanism to turn to.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Ms Pastoor: Thank you. I hope that this isn’t the government’s way to quietly cut PDD numbers and leave vulnerable Albertans with no right to appeal, which is, in my mind, a basic principle that anyone should have.
Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, I would agree with that. But I would make it clear again that our PDD clients have the ability to appeal any changes to their levels of service or the hours of service that they have been granted as long as they’re eligible for PDD.
Alberta Hansard, April 19, 2010