Valentines Day serves as a reminder of the value associated with being in a Supportive Relationship

 By Kendall Worth

 

 

 

As many of you regular readers of my BLOG know, I talk about Holidays and how living through the holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving impacts Income Assistance recipients, socially.  However, the one holiday I never talked about on my blog, although I did on previous publications,  is Valentines Day.

Of course on Valentines Day, (unlike at Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving) members of the financially-better-off-community who are employed, still go to work and schools do not close, and those who are in need of Food Banks and Soup Kitchens can still access those services on Valentines Day.

So today I am reporting on why Valentines Day is different, specifically for Income Assistance recipients, in Nova Scotia. To understand the reasons why, I encourage you to look at this Jan 14th 2018 article  from the now folded, Nova Scotia Advocate. In it, I make points about how, here in Nova Scotia, the Department of Opportunities and Social Development (formerly known as The Department of Community Services) has polices within their Employment Support and Income Assistance Program Policy manual that encourage income assistance recipients to learn that that being lonely lonesome and living in social isolation is OK.

For details on a specific case see the story -- Part#1 and Part#2 where I report on Section 6.1.8 of the Employment Support and Income Assistance Manual in Nova Scotia and I make the case regarding why this section of the ESIA policy manual needs to change. In my more recent October 2024 post, I reported further, on the reasons why this section needs updated.

The present year did start off with an increase in the Income Assistance rates, as I reported in a post dated January 9th 2025 . However the current rate for a couple -- 2 people in a romantic relationship living together -- is $1,419 a month. Before this increase the income assistance rate for 2 people living together in a romantic relationship use to be $1,342 a month. So although a small increase in the rate, if paid as singles their income would be much higher… they are paying a penalty for finding a relationship. The standard house hold rate for a single person is $1,005 times 2 = $2,010 then Subtract $1,419 = $591.00 less to live on, than if each income assistance recipient in the romantic relationship had their own place, or were just paid the equivalent.

However, Valentines is suppose to be day for showing that we care about people we love. On that day while people who are part of the financially-better-off-community at at their jobs or out doing whatever they are doing that day, they are not living that day being encouraged to feel socially isolated. As reported on my January 29th 2025 post, Nova Scotia MLA's are sitting in Province House on that day. So, overall Valentines is a day of business as usual.

However when many financially-better-off people return home at the end of the day, what will be different is for many, they will have have their spouses and children to talk to on that day. Many Income Assistance Recipients will be returning home at the end of their day spending it at home, socially isolated in their apartments, which is not going to be good for their mental health. 

My main message is that given that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly is sitting on Valentines Day this year, Nova Scotia MLA's, Please think about putting Legislation forward that would change/prohibit section 6.1.8 of the ESIA policy manual.