Nova Scotia Boosts Assistance

The first increase to the Nova Scotia Child Benefit in a decade will boost payments by 22% per child per month as of July 1, 2011. The NSCB is a non-taxable benefit paid to parents of children younger than age 18. It is fully funded by the province and combined with the Canada Child Tax Benefit into a single monthly payment.

Other improvements include the Income Assistance Program personal allowance which will rise by $15.00 per month. The Affordable Living Tax Credit and Poverty Reduction Credit will now be indexed to inflation. An additional 250 child care subsidies will allow more families to afford childcare, and foster care rates will increase by 10%.

Income Assistance clients who work can keep more of their wages now. Before July 1^st, only 30% of earnings could be kept before clawback of assistance payments. Now the first $150.00 earned is retained before the 30% clawback kicks in. Disabled recipients of income assistance can now keep $300.00 of earnings before assistance payments decrease.