Social Assistance Lawyer

You are a social assistance recipient and you have received a claim from the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MTESS) for marital life, misrepresentation or fraud? Are you the subject of a welfare survey ?

Former lawyer of the Ministry for the Defence of Your Rights

Our law firm in Montreal practices mainly in administrative law, particularly in many social assistance cases.

Mr. Lambert, the firm’s founder, has extensive experience in challenging welfare decisions. He is very familiar with both the internal and external workings of the Department, having worked as a social assistance lawyer before opening his office to defend the rights of claimants against government administration.

He is fluent in the applicable law and regulations, as well as all the defences and different strategies to be adopted in each situation against social assistance, having handled thousands of cases over the course of his career.

Me Lambert will ensure the correctness of the decision or the claim of social assistance. It will analyze the evidence the Department has and assess whether it has asked you for too much money. It will establish a strategy specific to your file and protect your interests in the face of social welfare.

Frequent cases on social assistance

Here are the most frequent situations encountered by our clients in social assistance cases.

Social assistance claim

The grounds for claiming social assistance can be very varied. A claim may relate to marital life, undeclared work income, repetitive donations, etc.

Social assistance can garnish your salary or a portion of your social assistance cheque to pay off the debt you owe. Also, it can seize your movable and immovable property and sell it under judicial control. In addition, the Department will normally seize all amounts from the government, including tax, GST and QST returns.

Severe and temporary constraints on social assistance

Whether at the SAAQ, CNESST, or social assistance, you often have to fight to have your unfitness for employment recognized.

It is common for social assistance to recognize you only temporary limitations or stop paying you a supplement for your temporary or severe constraints. Do not accept this decision without a fight. Contested decisions will have a major impact on your future life.

In constraint files, it is not enough to say that you disagree with the Department’s decision. It is necessary to build your file in order to have the best possible chances of success. It is up to the lawyer to establish the necessary strategy and documents in your file.

Please note that each file is unique. Some files will require medical expertise, either psychiatric, orthopedic, or neurological, while others will only require a combination of medical reports.

Decrease in income security benefits

Have you received a notice of decision from social assistance that your social assistance cheque will be reduced by $56, $112 or $224 per month?

Me Lambert will contest any reduction in your benefits and will ask the Ministry to suspend the compensation or seizure of your benefits, during the dispute procedure.

How to increase your social assistance cheque?

Wondering how to survive on a basic benefit of less than $600 per month? You may be entitled to a larger amount.

You may be entitled, among other things, to the various special benefits provided by law (glasses, foot orthotics, wheelchair, etc.). You may also be recognized as temporarily or permanently disabled at employment.

Contact us to find out if you may be entitled to a supplement.

Challenging a Social Assistance Decision

The process of challenging a decision of a social assistance officer can be complex on a procedural issue. In addition, it is difficult for a person who is not used to dealing with these types of cases to assess the various defences that may be raised against a claim.

Contact our firm without delay if you have received a decision from the Ministry that harms you. Me Lambert will represent you rigorously and will ensure that your rights are preserved.

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