Helping Families Make Ends Meet

April 7, 2011

See also:

The social media release for this announcement

Poverty Reduction Actions and Initiatives


“This year’s budget includes some of the most significant improvements in over a decade to help families make ends meet.”

 

This year’s budget includes some of the most significant improvements in over a decade to help families make ends meet. Government is making the following annual investments to expand programs and better support Nova Scotia families who rely on government for help:

  • The personal allowance for people receiving income assistance will increase by $15 per month on July 1, 2011. This $5.65 million investment will help more than 31,000 low-income Nova Scotians.
  • People on income assistance, including those with disabilities, can keep more of the money they earn. Working IA clients currently keep 30% of their earnings. They will now keep the first $150 earned each month, plus 30% of the remaining amount. Disabled income assistance recipients in supportive employment will keep the first $300 - twice the current amount - plus 30% of the rest of their earnings. This represents an investment of $3.7 million and will encourage people to enter and stay in the workforce.
  •  For the first time in 10 years, the Nova Scotia Child Benefit will increase by 22% per month, per child, effective July 1, 2011. This $4.8 million investment will help tens of thousands of families provide healthy food and other essentials for their families.
  • Foster care rates will increase by more than 10%, or about $50 per child, per month, and help hundreds of foster families care for the children entrusted to them. This is an investment of $1.2 million.
  • As promised, government will invest $1.3 million to add 250 child care subsidies to help more families access affordable child care.
  • Government will index the Affordable Living Tax Credit and Poverty Reduction Credit  to keep pace with inflation. This $1.6 million investment is in addition to the $72 million spent last year to introduce these credits that help protect nearly 240,000 families with little room in their budgets against the impact of rising prices.

In addition to these new initiatives, government has made other, significant efforts to help families, including:

  • recent improvements to the Employment Support and Income Assistance program
  • building and preserving 400 new affordable housing units
  • creating 650 additional child care subsidies