Nova Scotia

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NOVA SCOTIA (NS)

Poverty Reduction Strategy announced in 2009
Personal allowance component of the rate structure is indexed annually
Lowest asset exemption level for a single person with a disability in Canada

CURRENT SITUATION

	Single employable person	Single person with a disability	Lone parent with a 2-year-old child	Couple with two children aged 10 & 15
*NS 2009 WI*	*$6,359*	*$9,197*	*$14,992*	*$20,967*
**Rank among provinces***	9	8	9	9
% of MBM	42%	61%	77%	70%
% of After-tax LICO	41%	59%	79%	71%
% of After-tax median income	27%	39%	47%	26%
Highest 2009 WI	$9,593 (NL)	$12,905 (ON)	$19,297 (NL)	$24,045 (PE)
Lowest 2009 WI	$3,773 (NB)	$8,665 (NB)	$14,829 (MB)	$19,775 (NB)

* #1 rank is the highest

CHANGES IN WELFARE INCOMES FROM 1986 TO 2009

Peak years (highest over time) for all family types were 1991 or earlier, except couples with children (2001).
Over time, welfare recipients saw a decrease in their total welfare incomes. From the peak year to 2009:
- Singles saw a decrease of just over $2,700 (30%);
- Single persons with a disability saw a decrease of just over $2,800 (24%).

LIQUID ASSET EXEMPTION POLICY

	Single employable person	Single person with a disability	Lone parent with a 2-year-old child	Couple with two children aged 10 & 15
*2009 exemption*	*$500*	*$500*	*$1,000*	*$1,000*
1989 exemption adjusted to 2009 for inflation	$0	$4,587	$3,823	$0

No asset exemptions for singles or couples with dependants until recently.
Huge losses since 1989 for the single person with a disability and lone parent with one child.
NS has the lowest exemption level in Canada for a single person with a disability:
- When adjusted for inflation, it has decreased by nearly $4,100 over 20 years.

EARNINGS EXEMPTION POLICY

EXAMPLE (recipient on welfare 3 months)

Treatment of monthly earnings of $400
	Single Person	Lone Parent
Amount exempted	$120	$120

Remainder of income is deducted from welfare cheque.

NS uses the federal WITB model.
A single employable welfare recipient with $400 earnings/month would have been eligible for $360 in WITB in 2009 ($30/month).