News release: Anti-poverty group calls increases to Income Assistance a “Drop in the Bucket”
News release: Anti-poverty advocates are deeply disappointed with the Province’s announcement of so-called “increases” to Income Assistance rates.
Benefits Reform Action Group
Your welfare transformation isn’t helping me! Tim Blades speaks truth to power at meeting with Community Services
I end my presentation with one request, Ms Knight; Hear what I am saying, look at these examples, and tell me that I am better off.”
Last Friday several members of the Benefit Reform Action Group (BRAG) met with managers at Community Services, at the department’s invitation. Tim Blades was sick and couldn’t make it, but fellow BRAG member Jodi Brown read his letter on his behalf. The letter is addressed to Joy Knight, who is the department’s director of Employment Support Services. Tim tells it as it is.
Vince Calderhead: The income assistance transformation means worse outcomes for everybody
At last night’s screening of My Week on Welfare in Dartmouth, g=human rights lawyer Vince Calderhead talked about how the much-hyped transformation did not at all make things better for people on income assistance and his fear that special needs allowances will be next.
He also tackles the subject of tactics, don’t waste your time trying to convince bureaucrats, he says.
PSA: My Week on Welfare screening comes to Dartmouth. Share your voice!
BRAG (Benefits Reform Action Group) invites you to a free screening of the documentary “My Week on Welfare” in Dartmouth, om May 29. Watch the screening, and share your own stories.
Kendall Worth: What people in power need to understand, an open letter to the Standing Committee on Community Services
Kendall Worth wrote an open letter explaining why people who are actually on social assistance need to be heard by members of the Standing Committee on Community Services.
Poverty activist Tim Blades at Law Amendments: It seems our voice doesn’t matter
This morning Tim Blades, anti-poverty advocate, member of BRAG and CASAR, and NS Advocate author, spoke truth to power about the Community Services’ Employment Support and Income Assistance program, better known as welfare or income assistance. Tim did so at Law Amendments, while the Financial Measures Act (this year’s budget) was under the microscope. And oh boy, did he ever tell them a thing or two!
On Budget Day poverty activists tell Premier to increase income assistance rates for real
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: Nova Scotians are going hungry, join our empty plate luncheon at Province House
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.
PSA: My Week on Welfare comes to Clayton Park
PSA: Join us for a screening of the documentary My Week on Welfare, as well as a panel discussion featuring individuals with lived experiences of being on welfare and individuals working within the system.
There but for the grace of God … Aron Spidle tells Nova Scotia MLAs about a broken social assistance system
In September several MLAs from all three parties attended a screening of My Week on Welfare at the auditorium of the Nova Scotia Art Gallery in downtown Halifax. This is what Aron Spidle, who is featured in the documentary, told the MLAs. “When a friend asks me to do something with them, the first thing that occurs to me is to ‘how can I get out of this gracefully?’ because most of the time I cannot afford it.”