By Kendall Worth!
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| Everyone needs a rate increase... |
Since this BLOG was posted, I have been having conversations, with people in my community, about the $300.00 increase in Income Assistance rates, for the 60% or so, who will qualify. Some people are saying that this $300.00 increase is long overdue. Others say that things like increased cost of living and out of control Inflation make living day to day more difficult.(even though this $300 Increase is the BEST increase that has happened in years!) others are calling this increase not much better then a drop in the bucket. The one time $150.00 payment for others, however? That is just a drop in the bucket!
In addition!
Department of Community Services is advising those who will qualify for the $300.00 increase, not to expect to see that until the payment at the end of April, for the month of May. On the other hand, for those who will only qualify for that one time payment of $150.00, it is unclear as to when they will see this payment.
In the meantime Bob (not his real name) who I talked about in previous posts, here and here, recently, had his annual review with his case worker. Click here to learn about issues with these annual reviews. Annual Review. Bob asked his caseworker if he would be receiving the $300.00 increase. His caseworker told him that, because there is documentation on his file about his disability, there is a 99% chance he will get approved for the $300 increase. Then, his caseworker explained to him the same thing DCS is telling all income assistance clients: the $300.00 increase will be automatic for everyone who qualifies. Bob’s caseworker also told Bob to not expect receipt of first payment until "the end of April, going into May". So everyone will have to wait another month to see if they “qualify”.
When other Income Assistance recipients will be receiving that $150.00 onetime payment, on the other hand, remains a mystery.
In the meantime, as pointed out in this post, some wondered if this $300.00 increase is coming from negotiations between the Provincial and the Federal governments as part of their work on the current, yet delayed, Canadian Disability Benefit? However according to this CBC article, this 300.00 increase is coming as a result of the Human Rights Tribunal decision from a case brought forward by the Nova Scotia Disability Rights Coalition back in 2014.
Getting back to how people are feeling about this increase: $300.00 a month added to the $950.00 they already receive = $1250.00 a month starting at the end of April. This may sound like a lot of money, however, as stated above, inflation remains out of control, and, we can see the increase in the homeless population visible to the public eye. As a result, questions like the following arise:
Considering the rental market these days, for anyone who is currently receiving the housing subsidy, is receiving this $300.00 increase going to disqualify us from receiving the subsidy?
Is this $300.00 increase going to shorten line-ups at food-banks and soup-kitchens?
Will people with new disabilities, or, who apply, for Income Assistance and provide documentation, qualify for the $300.00, or will be still be the $950.00 Standard House Hold Rate for them?
So This $300.00 increase comes with excitement but a bit of uncertainty.
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Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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