Dalhousie Legal Aid Service

Schulich School of Law

Income Assistance

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In Nova Scotia people in financial need are supposed to be supported through Income Assistance. Learn more in the units below.

Initial Eligibility

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This introductory unit explains what laws govern Income Assistance in Nova Scotia and also what criteria are used to decide whether someone is eligible for Income Assistance.

Allowable Expenses

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This unit will teach you about the expenses that an Income Assistance applicant or recipient is allowed to have, specifically the personal allowance and the shelter allowance.

Special Needs

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This unit goes into detail about the different kinds of special needs and what is required to get support for them through Income Assistance.

Chargeable Income

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This unit will teach you about what counts as chargeable income by looking closely at both earned and unearned income.

Ongoing Eligibility

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This unit covers some of the factors that can affect a persons ongoing eligibility for income assistance including employment, assets and cohabitation.

Services for Persons with Disabilities

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This unit contains a basic overview that explains what Services for Persons with Disabilities is and how it is different from Income Assistance.

Appeals

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This unit goes over how to appeal a decision of a caseworker at the Department of Community Services.

Helpful Tips

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This unit has some general tips regarding income assistance as well as some pointers about the appeal process.

Additional Resources

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Here we have provided a list of places you go for more information on Income Assistance.

Government

 The government of Nova Scotia maintains a website about income assistance with useful information:

http://novascotia.ca/coms/employment/income_assistance/index.html

Dalhousie Legal Aid Service

 There is a ‘Welfare Right’s Guide’ and a pamphlet on ‘Special Diets’ – both published by the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service.

Case Law

 Appeal board hearings are not available, however judicial reviews of those decisions are available via CANLII: http://www.canlii.org/en/ns/

Nova Scotia Legal Aid

 NSLA offices provide summary advice to clients regarding IA.  Their contact information can be found here: http://www.nslegalaid.ca/contact.php