Social Assistance Program Enhanced

Many social assistance recipients across Nova Scotia will receive increased benefits beginning this month, as the province assumes responsibility for delivery of what had been a wide variety of municipal assistance programs.

No social assistance recipient will receive lower benefits as a result of the change, which is effective today, April 1.

Community Services Minister Francene Cosman said Nova Scotia is now a giant step closer to a single-tier social assistance system provincewide. Last year, the province and the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities agreed the province would assume responsibility for the delivery of municipal social assistance programs. Municipal benefits rates have traditionally varied widely across the province.

The move is the first step in the Social Assistance Restructuring Initiative, a multi-year effort to improve and update social assistance in Nova Scotia.

The program will provide former municipal clients with either the same or enhanced benefits, including access to low-cost prescription drugs through the Pharmacare program. This is in line with benefits received by social assistance recipients in the regional municipalities of Halifax, Cape Breton and Queens. The province already delivers social assistance programs in the three regional municipalities.

Family Benefits recipients are not affected by the change.

"This goes a long way to creating a fair and equitable social assistance system in Nova Scotia," said Mrs. Cosman. "People in small Nova Scotia communities will finally have access to similar programs, no matter where they live."

Fifty-two municipal units signed individual agreements with the Department of Community Services over the past year to permit the province to take on the responsibility this month. Municipal contributions were fixed at current levels as part of those agreements.

In the past year, the department has focused on the administrative details of the initiative, such as installing new equipment in local offices and hiring and training municipal social services staff. As a result, most social assistance clients will be dealing with the same workers in the same offices as before. There were no jobs lost as a result of the change.

The department estimates the enhanced social assistance benefits could cost as much as $10 million in 1998-99. However, that cost is expected to be offset by employment programs designed to help clients find work.

The municipal conversion process concludes the first phase of the Social Assistance Restructuring Initiative. The second phase will be devoted to analysing and updating social assistance policy and programs. The eventual goal is to create a modern single-tier system that will help clients move to employment where possible, said Mrs. Cosman.

NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: A backgrounder on the new social assistance program is available by e-mailing <rossng@gov.ns.ca.>