The May Long Weekend can be a Depressing time for those IA Recipients who live along the route of the Bluenose Marathon

 By Kendall Worth

From:  https://capdt.ca/service-dogs/

Over these past couple of weeks I spent some time with Emma, (as usual, not her real name) who revealed that her apartment is located along the route of the Bluenose Marathon, which happens on the May long weekend. She gets Depressed because she understands she cannot be part of that Marathon. Why?

When you live on the current Standard Household Rate of $1022 or less depending on your situation, and, when you have lived for years on the historic low income assistance rates of the past, and as I talked about Here. There is also one statement in this post, which points out that the cost of running shoes and running gear is not in your budget on income assistance.

The first thing I want to point out about Emma is that her rent has remained affordable for the past 19 years she has been on Income Assistance, because she rents her apartment from a supportive friend of her family who understands her invisible disabilities. Emma is 38 years old and has been on income assistance since she was 20 years old. Her rent has only gone up twice the whole time she has been living in her apartment. Her rent started off at $400.00 a month in 2006, and 2 years later her rent went up to $535.00. Her current rent is $800.00 a month. Power has always been included in her rent.

Now Emma gets the $1022 Standard household rate, Plus the $324.00 Disability Supplement Plus a 240.00 Rental Supplement, Plus $40.00 for her Phone and $81.00 for 2 special diets. This all = $1707.00 per month. $907 left over sounds like a sweet deal but check out her budget below.

Emma’s Budget Breakdown:

• After her $800.00 a month rent, she has $907.00 left

• Then her $81.00 Special diet allowance goes directly onto her diet, and her $40.00 telephone allowance goes directly onto her Cellphone. After subtracting those amounts = $786.00 left over.

• Her Cell Phone plan is $74.99 a month. So the Remainder of $34.99 has to come from $786.00 Amount left over.

• She has a dog which she needs as a benefit for Therapeutic Purposes because of some Mental Health issues. In her personal case she cannot get approved by her caseworker for the Special Needs funding mentioned in section 8.2.15 of the Employment Support and Income Assistance Policy Manual and this funding was even denied though an ESIA appeal Hearing. This means that between $50.00 to $100.00 a month goes on Dog food and Maintenance. Lets assume $100 -- Subtracting this from $786.00 would = $686.00 Left over.

• 3 times a month she has to use cabs. $20.00 for one cab ride to get her Groceries home from the Grocery Store; a specialist she goes to for counselling twice a month, and their office is not located on a Metro Transit Bus Route. She has a deal worked out with an old family friend cab driver, he will drive her to the counselling appointments and drive her home for a flat rate to $25.00 each time. So $25.00 times 2 = $50.00 plus $20.00 = $70.00 for Cab Rides.

• Subtracting $70.00 from $686.00 that = her having a total of $$581.01 left for Groceries, Personal Hygiene Products, Etc.

Emma says she has struggled with anxiety and depression for much of her life, which often makes her prefer being alone, and finds her avoiding large groups of people. She explains that crowded environments can make her feel anxious and nervous, and she says she strongly relates to this blog post.

Emma also shared that she has always felt her social skills were “different” from other people’s, though she finds it difficult to fully explain why. She says that spending time in social gatherings can leave her mentally and emotionally drained, and at times she feels her mental health declines when she pushes herself to be around large groups for extended periods. She feels these struggles have affected her daily life for many years.

Emma says that when events like the Blue Nose Marathon pass by her apartment building, they bring up a mix of emotions for her. During the interview, she shared that hugging and playing with her dog feels very therapeutic and comforting while the marathon is taking place nearby. She explained that when she was younger and healthier, she was always very active and enjoyed running and playing sports. The marathon reminds her of a time in her life when she felt more energetic and socially connected.

Emma says it was during her late teenage years that her depression began to affect her more seriously. She shared that by the time she turned 20, she already felt she would spend much of her life alone. When asked about her relationship with her family, Emma explained that it has become more distant since moving out on her own. She says she now sees family members, on occasion, if she feels emotionally able to attend church on a Sunday. Because of her mental health struggles, she says attending church is something she has to “be in the mood for.”

When asked how holidays such as Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas are for her, Emma said she usually spends them alone in her apartment watching movies, relaxing, and taking her dog for walks. She describes her dog as a major source of emotional support and companionship during those times. Emma says her dog provides comfort, routine, affection, and a calming presence that helps her cope with feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression, day-to-day. She says she cannot imagine managing life without her dog by her side.

I will end this post, by saying, hopefully someday, the policies of Employment Support and Income Assistance will change, so people like Emma can get funding for Therapy Dogs, similar to that provided for Service Dogs – e.g. for the blind, deaf, seizure alerts etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.