A quick note about yet another report on child poverty in Canada and Nova Scotia. All Nova Scotia federal ridings are above the national average, except the suburban riding of Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook.
Kendall Worth, in his third open letter to Community Services minister Kelly Regan,makes a strong case for a disability allowance.
Finally we learn some details around the free bus pass for people on social assistance who live in HRM.
Kendall Worth, on what to do when you don’t have anybody who cares enough to want to be your emergency contact. Nothing is ever easy when you’re poor.
Picture yourself as a poor person, 125 years ago in Nova Scotia. Brenda Thompson, author of a wonderful book on poor houses in Nova Scotia, on what it would take to be accepted in a poor house, a place so horrible it would always be your last resort.
Kendall Worth reports on yet another case where a Community Services case worker questions the opinions of a doctor about special diet requirements. We hear quite a bit about this happening.
There’s a wonderful new book on the history or poor houses and poor farms in Nova Scotia, written by poverty activist and frequent NS Advocate contributor Brenda Thompson. Things are better now, of course, but in a way not much has changed for people who are very poor.
We first met Sophia a couple of months ago, and did a Lives on Welfare story about her efforts to provide for her family while struggling with chronic pain. Here are more of Sophia’s memories about growing up on and off welfare. Unable to afford a computer, Sophia wrote this on her phone, because born story tellers like Sophia will always find a way.
These days you pretty well need a criminal record check for any job that’s out there., says Kendall Worth. But these things cost $50, and when you’re on welfare and all you get is $275 then that’s a lot of money. If society really wants people on social assistance to find jobs, then either the police should waive the fee, or Community Services should pick up the bill.
Don’t get me wrong, free bus passes for all Halifax residents on social assistance is a good thing. But what about the people in rural NS? And what about the people who will lose their transportation special needs subsidy? Always constructive, I also offer a solution: Raise the rates!