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Under the ministry’s guidelines, it is supposed to respond with a needs assessment within 24 hours.

However, Shay never received a reply and even after appealing to others for help it took five weeks before he received the government assistance he was looking for.

Khan said Shay’s case was an extreme example in a system where the ministry routinely ignores its own rules.

“We pointed out in this case that the ministry’s policies are that people are supposed to get eligibility assessments within 24 hours,” she said. “Generally the waiting times are one to three weeks, whereas in Mr. Shay’s case the wait time was much longer than that. The wait time was exacerbated by his disability.”

Khan thanked the ministry for resolving Shay’s case, and for making changes that will help the disabled.

It was a rare win for the Advocacy Centre, which for more than a decade has complained about the lack of timely access for people needing income assistance. In 2005, after the new Liberal government began changing how it delivers social assistance, the centre filed a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsperson. It led to a 2009 report noting the ministry was failing to meet its mandate, with a promise from the government to do better.

However, problems remain. Last year, the centre filed another complaint with the ombudsperson, arguing a continuing systemic failure by the ministry to help people in a timely way. The ombudsperson declined to investigate the complaint, saying it was too broad, but encouraged individuals to file their own complaints. Khan said her office has now been assisting individuals in the complaint process.