Professional Documents
Culture Documents
This agenda is supported by community groups and advocates listed at the end of this
document. It has been crafted by a group of community organizations and people who
have direct experience with the realities of life on social assistance in Nova Scotia and
the policies that shape this system either through their work or their own first-hand
experience.
First and foremost, this group insists that social assistance rates need to be
immediately increased in the 2018/19 budget regardless of further consultation.
Measuring adequacy by comparing the total amount of welfare income to the low-
income Market Basket Measure (MBM) shows that no household type receives
adequate support in Nova Scotia. The only true way to begin to address
systematic oppression and uphold human rights within the social assistance
program is to take this action.
3. Work with people with first-hand experience as recipients of social assistance and their
advocates and allies from the earliest possible stage to design social assistance
programs and services, policies and legislative framework. This should be for the
current reform process as well as any other change to legislation or policy in future, both
internal and external.
6. Develop an effective and transparent design and development of the ESIA program and
services using a lens inclusive of human rights, social determinants of health, gender
and rural communities.
7. Using consultation, change the legislative framework for provincial social assistance in a
way that sets the foundation for a culture of trust, collaboration and problem solving.
Develop and introduce new legislation to govern the provincial social assistance
program.
8. Ensure procedural fairness is included in all aspects of the social assistance program
through adequate policies, procedures, practices and a timely appeal mechanism. This
should include the establishment of a research body- an academic, institution/other,
must be established to review the existing appeal process and develop
recommendations for new mechanisms that support fair, transparent and efficient
access to benefits and appeal processes. This should include the option of an appeals
body that is independent of the Department of Community Services to protect against
the withholding of services and supports that the program is mandated to provide.
9. Provide a transparent report on the implementation and associated outcomes and
indicators, to be updated annually and made publicly available by the Province.
A. Establish an annual, publicly available report that will outline progress on
this Agenda for Reform’s recommendations, including progress against
outcomes
B. Establish a third-party body who will review and comment on the annual
progress report and provide their comments to the Cabinet.
C. Require that both the annual report and the third-party comments be
tabled in the Legislature.
In its parallel Transformation of the Disability Support Program, the Province joined with
the disability rights community in the development of a foundational Roadmap—rooted
in and informed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We
demand the same human rights-anchored reform in a rebooted ESIA Transformation.
Social assistance reform must address the racialized nature of poverty in Nova Scotia,
and in particular the disproportionate impact of poverty on African Nova Scotian and
Indigenous communities. The support provided must address the effects of racism and
discrimination, which have a devastating impact on health and well-being.
Solutions must address the impact of colonisation that resulted in First Nations being
alienated from their land and resources and who continue to experience the result of the
loss of cultural, spiritual and economic basis for thriving.
This reform must respect the rights of persons with disabilities, ensuring appropriate
supports are provided to ensure equality of opportunity, and full, effective participation in
society, accessibility, acceptance and respect.
The reform of the Income Assistance program must assess how policy, the design of
programs, the allocation of resources and legislative rules and regulations, all impact
people differently because of their social locations (i.e. gender, ‘race’, ethnicity, class,
sexuality and age), as well as where they live (rural or urban) and the systems of
inequality that are embedded in society (i.e. racism, colonialism, classism,
heterosexism). This assessment must ensure that transformation has no unintended
negative consequences, and moreover that it promotes the advancement of equality.
The government must ensure that people are provided with enough income to live in
dignity, to pay for all essentials, and enable people to look beyond daily survival to
participate in the community. This participation must include adequate support to ensure
those who can, are enabled to make viable plans to (re)enter the workforce, including
by means of post-secondary education. People must not have to be destitute to receive
support, and must be assisted to allow for short-term and medium-term transitional
support. The withdrawal of income support cannot be held over people’s heads as part
of a punitive process. Support must be provided based on a decision-making process
that is fair, transparent, and predictable, given a full assessment of need.
An adequate amount of income must ensure that everyone, no matter where they live or
the size of their family, have enough to cover costs of a basic standard of living
including a healthy diet, transportation, shelter, clothing and other essential expenses
(eg. communications cost). The amount must also provide a full range of
accommodative supports for persons with disabilities and chronic health issues and for
those trying to make a transition to viable employment.
1 http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/determinants/determinants-eng.php#unhealthy
SIGNATORIES
Women’s Centres Connect (representing nine centres across Nova Scotia)
Bill Carr, Actor, Writer, Speaker and Co-Founder of Arc -The Atlantic Restorative
Company