Personal Credits Acknowledgement Forms WEBINAR Part 2 Sept 25, 2014 Personal Credits for Personal or Group Education Services 1
Roles and Responsibilities Role of AFN Assembly of First Nations (AFN) This is not the AFN s process AFN provides four regional Liaison Staff to assist CEP Recipients and community organizations to understand the process and how to fill out the forms (call 866-869-6789) Sharon Slippery BC Curtis Mallett SK, MB Larry Whiteduck ON, QC, Atlantic Shannon Payne AB, YT, NT Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) is the Trustee for the Personal Credits They are responsible for the Terms & Conditions and payments 2 Crawford Class Action Services is the Administrator for the Personal Credits, as an Agent of the Trustee They are responsible for administering the forms
How to Access Your Acknowledgment Form: By Phone: 1-866-343-1858 By Email: IRSPersonalCredits@crawco.ca By Fax: Fax: 1-888-842-1332 Please provide: Name, Birthdate, Address, Phone Number 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM - at a glance Required to APPLY for the Personal Credits: Personal information Transfers to family members (if applicable) Identification of the Education Entity or Group Educational Service Sign Declaration and check Privacy box Mail/fax/email form to the Personal Credits Administrator before October 31, 2014. Usually involves pages 1,4, 7 or pages 1,5,7 4
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 1 Page 1 Section A Recipient Information Make sure all boxes are filled in Section B Personal Representative Only for use for recipient who is deceased, a minor, or incompetent The trustee or executor must fill this out Supporting documentation is required If no legal documentation, a letter from Chief and Council on letterhead is recommended Section C Helper Information To be filled out if someone is writing all of the information for the recipient 5
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 2/3 Page 2 and 3 OMIT THESE PAGES! This section provides a guideline for which sections to use. NOTE: AANDC has indicated that the boxes no longer have to be ticked as long as the correct information is filled out in Parts 1-6 as applicable, according to the wishes of the recipient. Of course this section can be completed if the recipient wishes. 6
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 4 7 Page 4 Section 1 and 2 Family Member To be used if personal credits are being transferred to family members - typically (but not always) for formal education Can transfer up to 2 family members Minimum allowable transfer is $1,000; maximum $3,000 Family members are defined as: Children (including custom adoption) Grandchildren Parents Grandparents Siblings Spouses Note: If the recipient is using the credits for language and culture through group services, it s faster and easier to NOT transfer to family members and just keep it in the recipient s name unless the recipient is absolutely not participating.
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 4 con t Page 4 Section 3 and 4 Education Entity To be used for formal, public education ie) college, university, special training, etc. If recipient is taking a class or course, it is important to work with the institution to let them know about the personal credits so that the redemption process will proceed smoothly. Can also be used for alternative types of education such as academic tutoring, sports schools, driver s education, safety tickets, rodeo school, etc. 8
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 5/6 9 Page 5 Part 5 - Group Educational Service # 1 *Use this for pooling credits for Language and Culture Programs This includes group education activities, culture camps, onthe-land activities, culture, healing, ceremonies, etc. Fill out all of the boxes in the first section, including: Who is attending group educational service# 1 Generally recipients will tick the myself box even if family members are also attending. Only tick ONE box. Name of Group Educational Service This is the name of the organization providing the service and administering the personal credits. In many communities there is no formal educational organization and therefore the First Nation can administer the program. Make sure this has been discussed with the First Nation or organization and they are aware of the administrative requirements.
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 5/6 (con t) In the table in the bottom section of the form, fill out the program information, including: How the Personal Credits will be used This identifies the cultural program being organized or offered. To streamline the process, First Nations can create a general cultural program that funds can be funneled into. For example Blue River First Nation Cultural Program. All recipients interested in pooling credits towards various camps and workshops can use this general category. Program Date If the First Nation is creating a general cultural program for the community, the date can span a range of time. For example August 1 st, 2014 March 31, 2014. Ensure the dates allow sufficient time to offer a broad range of programming for the community. The program end date should be no later than April 30, 2015. 10 (Note: the Redemption Forms and process will need to outline the budget requirements for the various camps and activities but you don t need this yet.)
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 5/6 (con t) *Additional Supporting Documentation In the case where the First Nation is administering the cultural program, the First Nation should work with the recipients to identify the cultural programs and activities and write up a short description that can be printed out and attached to every recipient s form. (See example below*) For Example: The Blue River First Nation Cultural Program will be offering a series of cultural programs and activities from August 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015. Programming will consist of a variety of culture camps, workshops, and community and family gatherings focused on the traditional activities of the Blue River people. This will include caribou and fish camps to learn to prepare dry meat and dry fish, moose hide tanning camps, trapping camps for muskrat and beaver, drumming workshops, regalia making workshops, and traditional dance and ceremony. These cultural educational programs will encourage the sharing of traditional knowledge amongst community members, especially Elders and youth. 11
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 6 Page 6 Part 6 generally this part will not be used unless a recipient is splitting up their personal credits and using two different group educational services. If they are planning to pool credits with two different organizations, then they would use this form too. 12
Acknowledgment Form PAGE 7 Page 7 Section E Declaration and Signature Tick the Box!!!! Make sure the box authorizing the sharing of personal information is ticked! Recipients can choose yes or no. (4 th paragraph.) Ticking yes can speed the process up if there are questions with the application, but it is the recipient s choice. Make sure the declaration is printed, signed and dated. Section E Signature with a Mark Only use this section if the recipient is not literate and cannot sign. 13
Questions: 14 Can I use this for my camp? Yes. Personal Credits can be used for community and family camps as long as it is for cultural education purposes. The expenses that are eligible under this option are very inclusive and flexible. Do I need a budget done before I fill out the Acknowledgement Form? No, not yet. But you should work with the organization that is administering your credits to ensure that the programming and budget fits everyone s expectations. A budget will be required for the Redemption Form phase of this process. Do I have to write a proposal? We are recommending that organizations include a short description of the programming being offered that can be photocopied and given to recipients to include with their forms. Should I mail my form? At this stage, it s best to fax or email the form. See the slide following for contact information. Should I keep my own copy? Yes. That s a wise move.
Where to Submit Your Forms: By Mail: Crawford Class Action Personal Credits Administrator Suite 3 505, 133 Weber Street North Waterloo, ON N2J 3G9 By Fax: Fax: 1-888-842-1332 By Email: IRSPersonalCredits@crawco.ca 15
Deadline Reminder Application Personalized Personal Credits Acknowledgement forms were mailed out January 2014 Deadlines October 31, 2014 (midnight) Deadline for CEP Recipient to submit Personal Acknowledgement Form December 1, 2014 (midnight) Deadline for Education Entity or Group to submit Redemption Form April 30, 2015 Deadline to SPEND the personal credits 16 Right to Appeal One month to appeal decision