Meet Jaques

 By Kendall Worth!

 

From https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mental-Health-and-The-High-Cost-of-Living.pdf

While interviewing Jaques he agreed with me that the use of fake names is important when telling the stories of income assistance recipients in Nova Scotia, because, as I report in some of my other BLOG posts, there is too much stigma based on myths and stereotypes about people who are on welfare. I covered in 3 articles, in the NS Advocate, here, here and here, the experiences that Jaques says he has shared since 2012 when he went on “the system”.

During this interview Jaques told me stories about first becoming a welfare recipient in 2012. He described similar experiences to what I described here. As illustrated in this post there is a history of income assistance rates. It is $1005 now. When he first got on the system in 2012, he told me his family and past close friends wanted him off the system ASAP. He stop talking to family members and friends, because they chosen to stigmatize him, and harass him to get of the system ASAP.

Fist to explain his financial situation:

Jaques receives the standard house hold rate of $1005 a month. Over the last two years his rent has been increased each year by the 5% rent cap. He does get a rental subsidy which did increase when his rent went up. He is already experiencing fear around housing, as he is already getting warning from his landlord that his rent will be increased another $400 the very first year Nova Scotia no longer has a rent cap. So his rent is currently $1157.50 and his rental subsidy is $347.25 a month. So with the standard Household rate of $1005.00 Plus $347.25 that = $1352.25 a month. Then he receives $81.00 for 3 special diets, plus he receives a $40.00 a month telephone allowance. All of that = $1473.25 a month. Then after you subtract $1157.50 for his rent that = $315.75 left over for groceries, telephone and personal hygiene products. Of course the $81.00 for special diet needs is part of this grocery money. So after $81.00 goes directly to his special diet = $234.75, then subtracting $40.00 that is paid directly on his phone that = $194.75 left for reminder of groceries and personal hygiene products.

Now to explain his mental health situation:

During my interview Jaques pointed out this post here and talked to me about reasons why he relates to this post. Jaques suffers from depression and anxiety. He was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder in 2012, when he first went on Income Assistance. Jaques is an example of one, out of many in the community I advocate for, who told me they have had experiences where they have learned the hard way that they are going to have to take their meds for their depression, anxiety and bi-polar disorder. He told me that he has had issues in the past where he has been spoken to about people feeling uncomfortable with his body language in public. I talk about this sometimes on my BLOG. but this article from back in the Nova Scotia Advocate gives the clear picture of what I am talking about. He told me that it has been 9 years since the last time he got approached and/or was spoken to in public about his behaviour while he was just minding his own business and not causing trouble.

Although Jaques admits it is a good thing that he is not spoken to about his body language, other behaviours and appearances still cause stigma. In the past, he has worked, wants to make getting back into the work force a goal. However he cannot handle a lot of stress in his life. His past family and friends, who he has not spoken to in the past 10 years or more, behave toward toward him like they are not seeing his condition that way. He tells me he tries everything to limit the amount of days he has to depend on going to Souls Harbour and Hope Cottage. However with inflation it is getting more and more difficult to set those limits.

That is Jaques’s story!