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Financial Assistance for Recreation

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1. Who is eligible to apply?

Coquitlam residents who:

• Are Canadian citizens and/or permanent residents currently living in the City of Coquitlam OR
• Are refugees who have settled within the City of Coquitlam OR
• Meet the income verification requirements and have all the required documents

2. Who is not eligible to apply?

• Temporary residents (visitors), including those on a study or work permit
• Immigrants classified as business class, an investor or entrepreneur

3. What do I receive?

50 free drop-ins plus a $225 credit for admissions, passes or programs will be allocated for 365 days 

4. What can I do with my 50 free drop-ins and $225 credit?

You can visit any Coquitlam recreation facility for: 

• Drop-in swims, skates, fitness centre, etc. 
• Drop-in can be shared with family or friends as long as the pass holder is present
• $225 credit cannot be shared between individuals

$225 credit may be used for:	Not Applicable:
Purchasing more admissions (single, monthly) for swimming, skating, fitness Skate Rentals Personal Training Private Lessons Registered Programs Manuals Exam Fees	Pro-Shop (goggles, swim caps etc.) Bus Trips at Glen Pine or Dogwood Pavilion Room Rentals Birthday Parties Meaningful Meals Monthly Continuous Pass

5. How do I use my Recreation Credit?

• Visit or phone a recreation facility to register for a program or to purchase a pass for swimming, skating, fitness classes and weight rooms. 
• As you register for programs or purchase passes, these costs will be deducted from your Recreation Credit balance. 
• You can apply for and receive Recreation Credit once per year.
• Recreation Credit has no cash value; refunds on purchases will be returned to your account as Recreation Credit. 

6. How long is the term for drop-ins and credit?

• 50 free drop-ins / $225 credit has a term of 365 days. You may renew a month in advance if eligibility criteria is met.
• Any unused credit will be removed from your account at the end of the 365-day term.

7. How can I register for a program using Recreation Credit?

• You can register online, in person at a recreation centre or by calling 604-927-4386.

8. Which drop-in programs require pre-registration?

• Pre-registration is recommended for some of our drop-in activities. If you have questions, call 604-927-4386.

9. How do I get my 50 free drop-ins pass?

• Go to any of our recreation facilities and have your picture taken to receive your pass.

10. What documents do you need to apply?

Address Verification

• Bills or government issue ID
  • Provide a copy/scan of a bill or government issue ID that matches your application’s address and is current within two months.
  • E.g. Bills: cable, gas, electricity, phone, internet, utility, rental agreement, bank statement, government documents
  • E.g. ID: BC driver’s licence, BC Services card, BC ID, passport, permanent resident card (must be current for primary applicant)
• An Adjudicator or referring Agency can also verify residency
• Bills and ID must be in the name of one adult in the family with same Coquitlam address as on application

Income Verification – The City uses the Low Income Cut-off (LICO) from Statistics Canada as a reference.

• Provide income verification from any of the following:
  1. Government assistance documentation OR
  2. Compass Card (red) Eligibility Documentation OR
  3. Agency verification complete on application (if applicable) OR
  4. Adjudicator verification completed on application (if applicable) OR
  5. Income statement (Option C print) from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Using family total income before taxes.
• Submit income statement for each person that contributes to the household income and expense.

11. What information should not be included in the application?

We require documents to verify address and income. For privacy reasons, you can:

• Keep your originals and submit photocopy/scans
• Black out or redact information that is not relevant to the application. For example, if you submit:
  • Driver License – black out driver license number
  • Income Statement – black out Social Insurance (SIN) number
  • Bank Statement – black out account number

12. What Government/Income Assistance documents can you submit?

Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

• Eligibility letter (receive in June each year) OR
• T4AOAS slip OR
• GIS confirmation from Service Canada account 

Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER)

• Benefits Eligibility letter

Compass Card (Red)

• Eligibility letter or verification information at My Self Serve (MySS)

Employment Insurance (EI)

• Approval letter OR
• EI confirmation from Service Canada account

Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) / Government-Assisted Refugees (GAR) 

• RAP/GAR documentation OR

Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (MSDPR) or Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance (MEIA)

• Notice of Deposit (Ministry cheque stub) OR
• Confirmation of Assistance statement from My Self Serve (MySS) OR
• T5007 or T5 Statement of Benefits tax slip from CRA if received social assistance  OR
• Validated Release of Personal Information (get in person from Ministry of Social Development Office)

13. What is an example of an Agency that could verify a Financial Assistance application?

• SHARE Family & Community Services Society 
• School District 43
• TriCities Mental Health
• Fraser Health Authority 
• Community Living BC
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
• Immigration Services Society of BC (ISS)
• Adjudicator/agency section can also verify income and residency

14. How do I apply without an Agency contact?

Coquitlam residents who are not eligible to receive government or income assistance and are not associated with an Agency who still face significant financial hardship, may apply for financial assistance for recreation by completing the application form in conjunction with: 

• An adjudicator OR
• By using Income Statement (Option C print) from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for each person of your family who contribute to the household income and expenses

15. What is an adjudicator?

An adjudicator is someone you have a professional relationship with; who must be familiar with your financial situation; and sign your application form to verify financial need using the LICO table as a guideline. 

An approved adjudicator is a(n): 

• Professional in social work or family services
• Financial case worker
• School principal or teacher
• Daycare provider
• Counsellor
• Church clergy/pastor/minister, etc.
• Accountant (stamp required/business card or letterhead)
• Family doctor or dentist—if aware of financial situation (doctor/dentist stamp is required)
  •  Adjudicator can also verify Coquitlam residency
  • The application form will be returned to the applicant if any adjudicator other than those listed above are used

16. How do you use the Low Income Cut-off table (LICO) if you are not receiving government assistance?

• Your total income before tax (gross income) must fall within the LICO guidelines.

17. What is Total Family Income?

• Total Family Income means total combined income, before taxes, by all family members in Canada and abroad who contribute to the household income and expenses. 
• This includes income from: employment of all types, all investments, pensions, child support payments, foster child support payments, rental revenues, funds in trust, disability benefits, worker’s compensation, foreign investments, and income and benefits or pension and other financial sources.

18. How do I use Income Statement for proof of income?

Use the Low Income Cut-offs table to determine if you qualify. 

If you do, then you can get proof of income several ways:

• Online: Get a proof of income statement right away from the Canada Revenue Services Agency website:
  • Sign into your CRA My Account online
  • Under Related Services, click on Proof of Income Statement (option 'C' print)
• Order through MyCRA web app
• By mail: Phone 1-800-267-6999
  • Automated line is always open and a statement will be mailed
  • To verify your identity before you call you’ll need:
    • Social Insurance Number
    • Full name and date of birth
    • Your complete address
    • Line 15000 from your most recent tax assessment
    • This method may take up to 10 days to receive by mail
    • Notice of assessment (NOA), T1 General or T4 statement CANNOT be used to replace this document.
  • You need to submit Income Statements for all adult members of the family who contribute to the household.

Qualifying Income Levels

Low Income Cut-offs (LICO) 2021
Family Size	Family Income
1 Person	$23,696
2 Persons	$29,498
3 Persons	$36,265
4 Persons	$44,031
5 Persons	$49,938
6 Persons	$56,323
7+ Persons	$62,707

Family: One or two adult(s) married or common-law partners and their legal dependents aged 18 and younger

Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0241-01 Low Income Cut-offs (LICOs) before tax by community size (100,000 to 499,999) and family size, in current dollars.

19. If I receive Old Age Security (OAS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP), or Long Term Disability (LTD) benefits, what do I submit?

• Complete Adjudicator/Agency Details section of the application form (adjudicator signature) OR 
• Submit copy of Income statement (Option C print) OR
• Submit copy of Compass Card (Red) eligibility

20. Do you allow program withdrawal and do they get their credit refunded?

• Withdrawals: withdraw from most programs up to 5 days (10 for camps) before the first class

Time Period of Withdrawal	Refund Issued*
Five (10 for camps) or more days before first class	Full refund of fee paid
Between four to one (eight to one for camps) days before the first class	Fee paid less $5 service fee
Day of first class to the day before second class	Fee paid less value of first class and $5 service fee
Day of second class to the day before third class	Fee paid less value of two classes and $5 service fee
Day of third class or later	No refund

* Does not apply to programs that are designates as non-refundable

21. Is there a withdrawal fee of $5 for registered programs using the $225 credit?

• Yes – NEW (see above)

22. If I withdraw from a program, where does the credit go?

• The credit automatically goes back to your subsidy account in Sign Me Up, your online recreation registration account. We follow the City’s withdrawal policy. 

23. What happens if I don’t have enough credit left to pay for a program?

• Credit is meant to help towards the cost of some of your recreation activities; you are responsible for payment of any remaining balance.

24. How soon will my/our application(s) be approved?

• If all required information is received and correct, we strive to process applications within one  week. A letter will be sent directly by mail or by email. 
• Applicants can also check the status of their application in Sign Me Up, the recreation registration system.
• It’s the responsibility of the applicant to provide all documents. Follow up information may be requested.

25. How can I check to see the status of my application?

• Email Community Services
• Call 604-927-4386 or 604-927-6076 
• In person at any recreation facility front desk  
• Log on to your Sign Me Up recreation registration account

26. How do I view how much subsidy I have remaining?

1. Log into your online recreation registration account.

2. Go to My Info and down to Subsidy Allocations.

3. View Amount Remaining and/or Utilized Amount.

27. How do I submit my application?

• Online submission: coquitlam.ca/financialassistancerec
• Mail: Financial Assistance for Recreation, 3000 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, BC V3B 7N2 
• Email Community Services
• In Person: at one of our recreation facilities 
  • City Centre Aquatic Complex 

    1210 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC V3B 7T8

  • Dogwood Pavilion 
    1655 Winslow Avenue, Coquitlam, BC V3J 0E7 

  • Glen Pine Pavilion 
    1200 Glen Pine Court, Coquitlam, BC V3B 2P7 

  • Maillardville Community Centre
    1200 Cartier Ave, Coquitlam, BC  V3K 2C3

  • Pinetree Community Centre 
    1260 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC V3B 7Z4

  • Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex 
    633 Poirier Street, Coquitlam, BC V3J 6A9

If submitting in person, application form and photocopies of supporting documents should be in a sealed envelope labeled "Financial Assistance for Recreation Application". 

28. How do I contact Community Services staff if I have any questions?

• Email Community Services 
• Call 604-927-6076