7A.8. Guide Dog Benefit

POLICY  

Authority OW Act: Sec. 2, 5 and 10 & OW Directives: Dir. 7.7 

Guide Dog Benefit 

The Guide Dog Benefit is a mandatory benefit provided for the routine care and feeding of a guide dog. Each member of the benefit unit who, due to a disability, has a specially trained dog certified for use as a guide, hearing or service dog by an accredited training facility is eligible for an amount of $75 per month. 

Specially trained guide dogs include: 

• guide dogs for the visually impaired trained at one of the schools listed in Section 1 of Regulation 58 under the Blind Persons' Rights Act;
• guide dogs for the hearing impaired trained by Hearing Ear Dogs of Canada or another hearing ear guide dog school which provides an identification or certification card; and
• recognized service guide dogs (for individuals with medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, acquired brain injury) trained by the Special Skills Dogs of Canada.

Verification that the dog has been specially trained is required to receive the guide dog benefit. This can be either a certificate from the training school, or an identification card from the Ministry of the Attorney General in the case of a guide dog for the visually impaired.
 

PROCEDURE

An amount of $75 per month will be paid to the participant. No receipts are required. The worker will verify at each annual update that the guide dog is still with the applicant/participant before continuing the benefit. 

The item is paid on the Social Assistance Computer System Additional Details page/special items.