The government of Nova Scotia has stated that it will adjust the rates of income assistance to keep pace with inflation.
Brendan Maguire, the Minister of Community Services, states that the rates will be linked to the consumer price index and will go up by 2.5 percent in the fiscal year 2024-25.
The adjustment will start on July 1 and the payments will be retroactive to April 1.
The minister says this change will result in an increase of approximately $35 per month for individuals with low incomes.
As of Feb. 1, the province reported 23,665 recipients of income assistance.
Maguire mentions that the $7-million expense for the indexing will be covered by the funds assigned to his department in the 2024-25 provincial budget, which was presented on Feb. 29.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2024.
