A group of folks who get special diet allowances and want to take Community Services to a Human Rights tribunal get a little bit of encouragement today. A judge ordered the Human Rights Commission to reconsider its earlier decision to deny their request, so it’s back to the drawing board.
Toronto is implementing a landlord licensing system to protect tenants from landlords who don’t look after their properties. Halifax is considering doing something similar. It’s early days, and landlords are expected to fight back.
Kendall Worth on the need for a 24/7 centre where people can go when social isolation is getting them down.
At the Nova Scotia Advocate we hate food banks with a vengeance. It is also one of our favourite charities. Let Glenn tell you why. Check it out, it only takes a couple of minutes.
The living wage in Halifax went down in 2016, a new CCPA report suggests. But there is a good and instructive reason for that. Also in the report, a living wage for Antigonish town and municipality.
Another inventive suggestion by our regular contributor Kendall Worth. Why not give that $2 million Community Services spends on consultants to the group he chairs? They are better qualified to make recommendations on how to fix social assistance than anybody. After all, it’s the life they live. And they could use the money.
After learning more about Community Services planned changes to the way it delivers welfare the Benefits Reform Action Group sent a letter to all MLAs. They’re very worried about the direction the ESIA transformation project is taking.
A complaint by a group of welfare recipients who live with disabilities and require special diets is going to court this Thursday. Their special needs allowances have not kept up with ever rising costs, they say, and they want to force the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to conduct a tribunal.
A look back on last year’s #LivesOnWelfare social media campaign. We talk to Jackie Torrens, who pulled it all together. The story also includes all the photos and messages that were used, as far as I can tell. Just so we have them and know where they are.
The Department of Community Services wants to change how it delivers welfare. But it still isn’t clear what that means, says Kendall Worth, after attending an update session organized by the department. In fact, there is reason to worry.