News Release Archive
COMMUNITY SERVICES--NEW FORMULA FOR SINGLE-TIER SOCIAL ASSISTANCE ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Nova Scotia government and the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities have agreed to a financial formula that will lead to the creation of a single-tier system of social assistance delivery in Nova Scotia, Premier John Savage announced today. In a joint announcement with Steven Stoddart, president of the UNSM, Premier Savage said the agreement launches a new era of co-operation between municipal and provincial governments in the delivery of social assistance programs in Nova Scotia. "The current mixture of municipal and provincial programs is neither equitable nor sustainable," Premier Savage said. "I am pleased to see that our municipal partners have agreed to a plan that will soon make a single-tier system a reality." Under the new agreement, municipalities will maintain their present financial contribution to social assistance costs. The four-year deal specifies that the total contribution from Nova Scotia's 55 municipal units will not exceed $42.8 million annually, once the single-tier system is in place. Municipalities will be protected from any overall increases in social assistance costs. "We will be working to develop agreements with each municipality over the next year, with the goal of having programs streamlined to a single tier provincewide by April 1, 1998," said John MacEachern, minister of Community Services. Mr. MacEachern and representatives of the municipalities' union reached the agreement earlier this month following negotiations that began in October. The single-tier system is the first step in a major reform of Nova Scotia's welfare system, intended to consolidate changes to federal, provincial and municipal support programs in 1998-99. "We will be consulting over the next year with our municipal partners, including municipal employees, to build a system that will serve us as we enter the 21st century," Mr. MacEachern said. -30- Contact: Cathy Shaw 902-424-4326 NOTE TO EDITORS: A backgrounder on the social assistance system is available by calling 1-800-670-4357 or 902-424-4492. trp Apr. 11, 1997 - 9:55 a.m.