By Kendall Worth!
The Nova Scotia provincial budget was tabled on Thursday March 23rd 2023 and the community was expecting an increase in income assistance rates. After all the community pressure the government was under to raise the income assistance rates, and after a whole year seeing an increase in the homeless population, and a whole year or more of out of control inflation, increasing the income assistance did not happen. So, the community asks: What was Houston thinking when he decided not to raise the income assistance rates this year?
Plus:
Nothing was announced to address out of control inflation.
Nothing (as in new funding) was announced to, at least temporarily, address the homeless situation.
In a recent post I pointed out: “the Community of People I advocate for strongly believe that the provincial government also has a responsibility to address out of control inflation” Even though the Federal Government has been doing some advocacy work around addressing inflation.
Contacts in the disability community suggested the possibility that the reason the income assistance rates are not increasing in this budget is because the Tim Houston government is waiting to see what unfolds with Bill C22 which is currently working it’s way through the Canadian Senate. What is scary is some people who are following Bill C22 developments closely, are saying that it could take another whole year before an actual disability benefit in people's hands. Is the N.S. government thinking that everyone on income assistance will qualify once it is passed and implemented? People with disabilities say No! Waiting for C22 should not be an excuse for not raising the Income Assistance rates. We also have to keep in mind that we do not know if the allowance from the planned federal Disability Benefit is going to be sufficient, or anything more than $950 standard household rate in Nova Scotia. We also do not know who will qualify! So waiting to see what unfolds from Bill C22 is no Excuse. We have to remember during the short lived time of $2000 CERB, Income Assistance Recipients who qualified for CERB got cut off income assistance.
One glimmer of hope shows in this link where you see a picture of our provincial Minster of Community Services, Karla McFarland, stting down with the Federal Minister Carla Qualtrough. This provides some hope that maybe the Disability Benefit will not get clawed back from provincial Income Assistance.
The Provincial Budget however, is not all bad news. At least we all hope that this new spending on health care will speed up the process of people, especially IA recipients, finding a family doctor a lot faster.
Lets hope that soon, more encouraging announcements are made!
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