By Kendall Worth
Premier Houston and Finance Minister Lohr congratulate each other in front of other Cabinet Minister's for really "sockin it" to the people of Nova Scotia!
This recent article from the CBC, and this one in the Halifax Examiner speak to the issue I am presenting in this post. For the purpose of educating you, especially if you are new to reading my Blog, remember, I always write and report on the perspective coming directly from the community of people I advocate for.
This post points out that Income Assistance Recipients currently live, but, of course, cannot thrive, on the amount of $1022.00 per month. That amount is expected to cover their monthly expenses of rent, other bills, (e.g. phone, medicines) groceries, personal hygiene products, etc. However as pointed out in this post the income assistance rates have been altered over the past several years. Past AND current payments have to be combined to see the impact over time of such low incomes. Everyone in the community I advocate for have recently told me that they have just as much reason to be concerned as members of the financially better off community do, regarding the recent budget. Maybe more reason to be concerned!
In a nutshell, the recent budget gave my community the message that government will not even look at the solutions I propose. As I talked about in this recent post, which includes a summary of the 3 Major Solutions I advocate for, through my blog:
Basic Guaranteed Liveable Income
A Social Prescribing Organization
Revamping the Career Seek Program.
These are the kind of creative solutions we need, but they require government funding which looks impossible now, as the government slashes and burns and implements an austerity agenda, which will be hardest on those already living in poverty. So, its safe to say, that my wish list is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Furthermore, they are no longer going to fund transit passes for children in grades 7-12 as pointed out in this Global news report. This is a big concern for low income families, and, who otherwise cannot afford bus passes for their teenage children. This Bus pass program was a great relief for those families while it lasted.
But, I think it likely we can all agree, that the biggest concern coming from this budget is job loss:
Sources tell me the annual incomes of many of those employed in all these jobs that are being cut, (and many will will be loosing their jobs in the coming days or weeks. ) is from $32K per year to $59k per year, depending on what position you hold in the Civil Service
For the Staff in Tourist Information Centre, sources tell me from $32K to $40K per year.
Let’s just pretend any person who is about to lose their job was making $45K a year. The concern coming directly from my Community is that when you are on Income Assistance, your income assistance rate per month is $1022.00 X 12 months = $12,264 per year. Now, lets minus $12264 from 45K that = them having $32,736 less per year left to live on. Now for most people 10-12 months of EI at 55% of income will follow first – but even that is huge decrease in income and then, if no work is found in 6-12 months, we will see the Income Assistance rates impacting more people.
The major concern I am trying to get at here, is that, this recent move of the Tim Houston, PC government, and their austerity program and cuts, will result in a large number of Nova Scotians potentially joining the already large community of people who are already on income assistance. Any reduction in income this large, -- talking about folks who make or have made 32K, 40K, or $59K reduced to to $12,264 -- is going to have serious impact.
And, as a result of these impacts, moving forward in Nova Scotia:
We are going to see much longer line-ups at Food Banks and Soup Kitchens
We are going to see an increase in the homeless population
We are going to see a much larger and stronger need for mental health services
And especially for those who are housed, encouragement to live socially isolated lives is going to be even more pervasive.
I will end this article by saying the recent 2026 budget really did a number on us. They have demonstrated that this government does not care about Nova Scotians experiencing mental health issues and social isolation. In fact, it appears to be their intention. My big worry is one year from now…. what is yet to come?
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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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