Lives on welfare: There shouldn’t be a limit on how many epipens you can have
Sometimes two EpiPens per year isn’t enough when your daughter has a life threatening allergy. That’s what this letter from a mom on welfare is about.
Community Services
Kendall Worth on welfare transformation: proposed grouping by ability a pretty scary thing
Kendall Worth, who is on social assistance, continues his review of the welfare changes that Community Services is working on. People on welfare will be pigeonholed according to their skills and ability to work, and that’s a scary idea, he writes.
Community Services workers no happy campers, survey shows
A government survey shows Community Services workers are mostly unhappy about their job, and that 1 in 5 workers experienced some form of bullying over the preceding year. Most also don’t think senior management particularly cares.
Kendall Worth on welfare transformation consultation: First voices not heard
Kendall Worth, who knows all too well what it is like to be on social assistance, is puzzled about the results of the so-called First Voice consultation conducted by Community Services. “Clients I personally talk to tell me that they got depressed and gave up.”
Cutbacks on transportation supports for people on social assistance are for real
Community Services budget numbers back up what a lot of people on social assistance and poverty advocates have been saying for years. The department is cutting back on bus passes and other travel expenses.
Lives on Welfare. Emma’s story, a tragedy of errors
Meet Emma (not her real name), who is on welfare and lives with chronic pain. Her doctor thinks she should get a chiropractic bed, but Community Services doesn’t believe her doctor. Meanwhile, Emma’s appeal got misfiled, and Emma is still waiting.
Judge tells NS Human Rights Commission to reconsider special needs decision
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.
Kendall Worth: All I want from minister Joanne Bernard for Christmas is $2 million
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.
Group upset about Community Services welfare transformation
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.
34 new abuse cases in NS institutions, Freedom of Information response reveals
Abuse at institutions for people living with intellectual disabilities continues to affect way too many many residents, a recent Freedom of Information request reveals. The institutions are regulated by the Department of Community Services.
Meanwhile, legislation to ensure that vulnerable residents are protected against abuse and incidents properly investigated is not effective, advocates say.