By Kendall Worth
First, I want to make sure you have the information about cuts to the provincial budget,which you can see, here. I recently published two other blog posts, where I report on the overall picture of these cuts. In this post, I reported on the need for reforming the Disability Support Program (DSP). Then in this post I continued reporting on the need for reforming this program, however, I also provided a list of organizations that are part of the DSP Program. Some contacts in the local disability community brought to my attention that most or all programs listed in that July 31st, 2024 post, are going to have their funding cut by 20%.
I also want to point out that DSP has always been a misunderstood program in the community, including by Income Assistance recipients (including those with disabilities themselves) and advocates. In this blog post, I report on how misunderstanding the program raises stigma against recipients, in the community.
A reader in the disability community, sent me this CBC news article, which talks about a day program called Club Inclusion . According to the source who forwarded this to me, it is funded through the DSP program, and is losing 100% of its funding Furthermore , according to this article, the government had to close off the second floor of Province House, to the public, because of protests taking place outside. Further down in that same article you will see a section where Barbara Adams, Minister of Opportunities and Social Development, explains why she defends the cuts to the DSP program and to those Organizations. Then in this Link, you will see a Global News report that talks about Prescott Group and Easter Seals losing their Funding. Then in this article, we learn the Prescott Group will lose $800,000 from their Core Funding because of these government cuts.
One of the things that Barbara Adams noted is that, in the future, funding for services offered through DSP is going to be attached to the individual. However, Minister Adams provided no detail to clarify what this means. Taking into account all of the reports above, there is definitely good reason for the disability community to be concerned these days. Cutting programs like Club Inclusion, Easter Seals, or Prescott? What is the Nova Scotia Government thinking by doing this?
First we consider that many of the people who uses these services/day programs are either people who live in Group Homes, Small Options Homes, or with Family members. If these programs decrease, then people are going to have less offered to them in their community. Second, sources tell me that their are a few who do live independently, who, for instance live on their own, in apartments, and who access Prescott Group programming, and Club Inclusion. So if the ones who have their own place, access these programs, they are very likely to be on Income Assistance. This means they receive $1022 per month and possibility the $324.00 Disability Supplement, which would provide $1346.00 /mo to live on. The informant did not say whether or not they receive a rental subsidy or special needs allowances. Still money is not enough to go out and socialize, after rent and other bills are paid. For them, Club Inclusion provided an affordable opportunity to get out and be social with people. Also I should point out that some of them might receive the $200.00 a month Canada Disability Benefit. However to qualify for that, you first have to qualify for the Federal Disability Tax Credit. Persons with Disabilities find that you have to leap through a lot of loop-holes to qualify for that.
Anyway I will end this post by saying that this is not good news for persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia. I will continue to keep my eyes for more info 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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