By Kendall Worth!
I am taking some time here, to look back on the very first article I wrote in the Advocate, and think about the bigger picture of my advocacy. That was the launch of my official begging for a better system of Employment Support and Income Assistance through the Department of Community Services. It also marked the beginning of my advocacy for a better mental health system in Nova Scotia. Before 2016 I wrote about the same themes in the Halifax media Co-op.
I recently interviewed a few Income Assistance recipients who did not want to be named at all but who had suggestions for things we should look back on. -- Specially on things like:
Throughout the course of my Journalism, from the Media Coop, to the NS Advocate to now my worthmatters blog, I covered the ESIA transformation of the previous Liberal government. Tim Huston got elected in 2021 and the unfinished business of the transformation was left behind. They suggested looking specifically at what positive steps did happen VS what is still an issue – a negative – today.
In the meantime, next to nothing has changed in mental health services. Unlike the fact that an ESIA Transformation was started in 2013, the government has always behaved like they have no interest in wanting to look at the mental health side of what needs to happen. As this post suggests, through the time of ESIA transformation the government may have found that addressing social inclusion and stigma could not be handled by the policy people who were working in the transformation.
In my post of April 02, 2024 I talked about the start of a new $300.00 Income Stream that 60% of Income Assistance recipients started receiving in the month of May. (The standard household rae did not increase 0 the $300 is a separate allowance) Also, as reported on my post dated June 22, 2024 July 2024 saw the start of a $24.00 increase in the Income Assistance rate, for those receiving the Standard Household rate of $950. Many in my community tell me that, even after that $300 increase (for the 60% that qualified) there is still a lot of negativity within the IA system.
The feeling, in my community, following the recent snap election, should have taught the Liberals a lesson. That is, that during the first 3 years of the Houston PC government, the Liberals, while the official opposition, should have been more aggressive is raising the unfinished business of the ESIA transformation.
So there have been some increases lately – but not enough for some to make up for cuts they experienced in the past. I want to talk a moment here to go back to my BLOG post dated November 17th, 2024 where I do recap of 2012/2013 when Income Assistance recipients experienced massive cuts in their Special Allowances. There are several links in this post to other stories about people and diet allowances. Also in my BLOG Post dated November 23rd, 2024 I report on how the scars from back in 2012/2013 still bother them in this present day.
Two of the people I interviewed for this post included one income assistance respient who reported to me losing the amount of $133.00 a month he was receiving at the time for Cystic Fibrosis. Another Income Assistance recipient I interviewed at the time, reported to me, that they lost the amount of $150.00 a month he was receiving for a Failure to Thrive diet. When you look in section 8.3.3 of the Employment Support and Income Assistance Policy Manual, these amount are allotted within policy. Anyway the personal feeling of these 2 is just one example of several Community feelings about the increases, Considering that:
$300.00 Subtract $133.00 = $167.00
$300.00 Subtract $150.00 = $150.00
And overall the resolving of the Special Diet Issues has never been resolved before as reported as reported in my January 30th 2023 BLOG post
Those two income assistance recipients are examples of many who lost their special diet allowances, because of the decisions of the Income Assistance Staff. These 2 income assistance recipients are happy that they can once again afford their special-diet-related needs. They can now afford those things again, as long as the rent cap remains the same, or preferably that their rent never increases. However, the whole point of why life is still negative, is because of all the unfinished business of ESIA transformation including the fact the special diet policies were not touched during transformation.
Another issue these days is the large number of Nova Scotians including Income Assistance recipients who are without Family Doctors. The last number published October 4th, 2024 was 145,114 Nova Scotians on the registry. Some income assistance recipients report to me, that not having a family doctor has had negative effects on them. These negative effects include continuing to lose special needs allowances, because they are not able to bring updated medical documentation to their annual reviews.
The requirement for everyone on income assistance to attend an annual review did not change during transformation. I wrote about what happens at annual reviews, here, and also I reported on it, in the Nova Scotia Advocate. The requirement for people on Income Assitance to attend them once a year was not changed during the Transformation. People on income assistance should not have to prove their disabilities and their medical health related needs year after year if the Disabilities they are have, are never going to go away.
This is one of issues that needs to change about approvals for Special Diet Allowances. It is not only that the allowances need to increase, but Income Assistance caseworkers have to stop questioning doctors, and accepting their diagnosis and recommendations at face value. Many, who did lose their Special Diet allowances, have disabilities that come with chronic Medical Needs. The lost of the special diet and possibly other special needs happened because of the Income Assistance Case Worker’s decisions.
Anyway there is a lot more to be said, so watch for Part#2, coming soon!
Comments
Post a Comment