Earlier we wrote about a woman on income assistance who lost her special needs allowance. She fought back, she made noise, and now the allowance has been reinstated. There’s a lesson in that.
“These stories are true.” Brenda Thompson introduces five people who lived between the early 1800s and today. “Their hardships were not their fault, yet they were punished for being different or for merely being poor. When it comes to people in poverty, our minds remain shut. Our attitudes and policies are still stuck in the 1860s, Brenda writes
Brenda’s piece was produced in partnership with the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers, for co-publication in Connections, published three times a year by the College. We really appreciate this wonderful opportunity to promote longer pieces by Nova Scotia authors on topics so dear to our heart.
Today some 70 people gathered on the steps of the Maritime Centre in downtown Halifax for a Fight for 15 rally. Among others, Marleigh Smith, a member of the IWW, and a minimum wage earner herself, spoke at the event. She made some excellent points. This is what she said.
Kendall and MLA Susan Leblanc have been working closely together to put an end to the 100% clawbacks of EI benefits and self-employment earnings for people on income assistance. Last week they reached a bit of a milestone when the petition was tabled at Province House.
As another April Fools’ Day is upon us, Nova Scotians find themselves not in the laughing mood at the latest joke being played on them by the McNeil government. On April 1, the minimum wage will be raised to $11.55 (for experienced workers), which hits well below the $15 recommended by advocates, and will do little to lift hard-working Nova Scotians out of poverty. Organized by the Fight for Fifteen and Fairness campaign, workers will hit the streets on Monday at 12pm at the Maritime Center (1505 Barrington Street) to demand a $15 minimum wage, as well as higher income assistance rates and greater benefits and protections for all workers.
News release: CSEP is disappointed that the government has decided to stick with their proposed 5% welfare rate increase for people with disabilities or those fleeing abuse (S.45 clients) and 2% for everyone else. “We are also very disappointed that the SHR and the increases will not come into effect until January 2020” said Stella Lord.
It is budget day in Nova Scotia, and a small group of income assistance recipients gathered in front of Province House to remind fellow Nova Scotians that life on income assistance is unlikely to get much easier as a result.
News release: On Budget Day, Tuesday March 26th at noon, outside of the legislature, members and supporters of the Benefits Reform Action Group will be gathering for an Empty Plate Luncheon. There are 155,000 people in Nova Scotia living below the poverty line (Market Basket Measure). The 250 plates that will be on display will each represent 650 Nova Scotians who cannot afford the basic goods needed to live in this province.
Kendall meets up with a woman who had to make the big adjustment from living a fairly comfortable life to making ends meet on income assistance. Find out what happened and learn about her deepest wish.
We talk with an older woman on income assistance who, as a result of a cut to her special needs allowance, has lost her ability to go to medical appointments and grocery trips. But we saved the tax payer some $50 a month. This is what austerity looks like in Nova Scotia.