Notices to Self Represented Claimants

You may have heard people talking about an “Administrative Split” that has affected some claims in the Independent Assessment Process (IAP).

The administrative split issue delayed some claims in the IAP. This happened because Canada argued it was not responsible for the abuse that occurred in some schools that were affected by the administrative split. As a result, some people who applied to the IAP did not get the compensation they should have received for the abuse they suffered at residential school.

In February 2016, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs asked officials to review all claims that may have been affected by the Administrative Split.

The review is now finished, and Canada has changed its position on some claims. About 200 claims from 22 schools are affected. You can see a list of the schools where some claims were affected by the administrative split by clicking here.

If your claim was affected by the administrative split, Canada may contact you to discuss your claim. This could lead to an offer of compensation from Canada even though your claim may have been dismissed earlier.

If Canada contacts you, you should hire a lawyer to help you negotiate with Canada.

The Administrative Split issue is a complex legal issue. All of the Parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement recommend that claimants in the IAP work with a lawyer. A Client Service Officer can help you find a lawyer who will help you. You can get in touch with a Client Service Officer by calling the toll-free IAP Info Line at 1-877-635-2648.

You can also call the IAP Info Line at 1-877-635-2648 if you want an update on the status of your claim, or if you have any other questions about the IAP.

If you think your claim was affected by the administrative split, and that you were unfairly denied compensation that you should have received, you can also contact Canada directly with your questions by sending an e-mail to Administrative.Split@aandc-aadnc.gc.ca.

We have posted a list of Questions and Answers on our website that gives more information about the Administrative Split. You can see them by clicking here.

For more information or help with your claim:

• Contact Canada directly by e-mail at Administrative.Split@aandc-aadnc.gc.ca
• Call the IAP Toll-Free Info Line at 1-877-635-2648
• Questions and Answers about the Administrative Split
• Notice to Lawyers about the Administrative Split

Dan Shapiro,
Chief Adjudicator, IAP