As single mothers, we need many supports that are practically unavailable outside the ‘welfare’ system. We need a “breadwinner’s” wage and all the benefits that go with that wage to be able to work outside the home and raise our families. But, in Nova Scotia, where women will make, on average, seventy-two cents for each dollar a man makes, where we are discriminated against when it comes to promotions, and where we don’t get the benefits packages that many men do get, it isn’t any real surprise that we must turn to social assistance to keep our children with us.
Before you make an appointment to see an intake worker at Community Services, remember these points:

If you have ever worked for wages, you have paid taxes. If you have ever purchased something, you’ve paid taxes. Some of this money is taken from paycheques and purchases to make up the Community Services budget. You’ve paid into this system and now you need it. Politicians like to call this the “safety net.”

It is every person’s right to apply for assistance.

Try to treat the intake worker and the caseworkers as you would expect them to treat you. You will find that some workers are very friendly and want to help. But you may also meet up with some who are rude and pushy. DO NOT LET THEM INTIMIDATE YOU. You are no less a person than they are just because your circumstances have brought you into their office.

When the intake worker or caseworker comes to your home and you don’t like the way s/he is treating you or if you find they are snooping around your house without your invitation, you have every right to ask them to leave. Then call the supervisor of the office, tell her or him your complaint and ask them to send someone else next time. You do not have to put up with being treated as less than a decent human being simply because you are a single mother who needs financial assistance. That said, do carefully consider what tactics you choose to engage. You should never put up with being treated poorly, but the saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar is often correct. Be professional and courteous and ask for the same in return.
It is important to remember that most of the people who will deal with you are men and women who have a high school diploma or their undergraduate degree. They are called CASEWORKERS, but they are not social workers. This means that most of them do not have the training to understand what you are going through. They are there to calculate a budget for you. They cannot afford any kind of counseling to help you with the stress you are experiencing, particularly if you think you may have done something wrong.

Be careful about how much information you offer to your caseworker. It will probably be to your benefit if you just stick to answering what they ask you instead of offering extra information that could work to your disadvantage. Even if the caseworker seems to be sympathetic and supportive, it is still their job to use what you tell them to make decisions about your case.

Sometimes caseworkers say things to you like “I’ll give you $60 for babysitting…” or “I’ll let you have twenty dollars to help with…”. This kind of talk would lead us to believe that the money is actually coming out of their own pockets! It is not! They do not GIVE us any money. The money we receive comes from the same source as their paycheque. Don’t put up with case workers saying these kinds of things to you.

If you are nervous about being in an office alone with a caseworker or if you think the worker will say something to you which you may want a witness to hear, you can always take a friend into the office with you. It feels better knowing that you have someone there on your side. It can also help to have an extra fresh set of ears to listen to all the crap for you and help you weed through it afterwards.

The latest Employment Support and Income Assistance Act came into effect August 01, 2001.

Keep in close contact with your community services or legal aid offices, as sometimes regulations may change without you even knowing. You can contact Legal Aid and Community Services. The Legal Information Society is also useful. It publishes pamphlets explaining legal talk in a singular way. See the Numbers to Know section for all these phone numbers.

In order to receive assistance, you have to fill out an employability assessment form and create an employment plan with your caseworker. You will be asked three employability questions to determine if you may be eligible for employability supports through a more in-depth assessment. As a result of this assessment, you must either be willing to work or be participating in an “approved educational program,” such as high school, upgrading, a literacy program or technical or professional training for two years or less (See the chapter on education for more details about education changes). Don’t forget to ask for additional special funds to help with schooling costs. If you do not cooperate, your assistance can be cut off. If you are a new mother you may have a grace period of one year after the birth of your child before you have to participate.
You are only allowed to keep 30% of your net wages if you are a working single mother. Many anti-poverty groups feel that the rates are too low. It is very difficult for single mothers to survive in this system let alone get away from it.

Some more money has been given for transportation and childcare to try and help you to be employed. You can receive up to $400 a month for childcare. You can receive up to $150 per month per family for transportation, but this is usually limited to $60 for a bus pass unless you can prove a need for taxis (e.g. you work outside of the hours that the bus operates). There is money for work-related needs such as uniforms, safety equipment, personal hygiene supplies, or school books. You can also get money to obtain basic furnishings or special diet requirements. You must advocate for yourself though and ask your caseworker for these funds. They won’t ask you if you need money to buy a safe crib if they don’t know there is a need, you must tell them.

There is also a one-time “bonus” when you start a new job. Those who start full-time jobs receive $400 and part-time jobs receive $200. This changed last year and these funds are no longer provided up front - if there are start up costs they can be requested through special needs. The personal allowance for adults receiving assistance is $184. You can also obtain a Child Benefit Adjustment of up to $133 per child if you didn’t receive your Nova Scotia Child Benefit or National Child Benefit Supplement.

You will still receive shelter allowance for you and your child(ren) as well as money for special needs. The new standardized rates for shelter are as follows:

Two people will receive $550. Three or more people will receive $600. There is an additional shelter allowance of up to $300 available for single persons with a disability, single persons fleeing an abusive situation, and others with special circumstances. There is a further amount available in addition to the $300 for people with special circumstances, such as a terminally ill family member. Contact the Department for more details.

Please consult your local Department of Community Services office regularly to obtain accurate updates on the status of these and other changes.

To apply for Income Assistance, call your regional or district Department of Community Services office. You will have to make an appointment with an intake worker before you can apply to receive assistance. An intake worker will help you to fill out several forms asking for information about your marital and financial situation. To make an appointment with an intake worker, call your local Community Services office and leave your name and number with the receptionist. The intake worker may call you back within a few hours. If they don’t call you back within the day, try again and let the receptionist know this is your second call. But, if it’s an emergency, such as your child needs medication right away, be sure to explain the situation. If they still don’t return your call, go to the office in person to demand an appointment.

If you have dependents in your care, one of the questions from the Caseworker will be with regards to child support/maintenance. If you have an Order for child support with the other parent, you will need to provide a copy of the document to assist with the determination of your eligibility. It is a requirement of eligibility for income assistance to seek support /maintenance for a dependent child in your care. This can be done through Family Court or through the Family Maintenance Income Support (FMIS) program offered through the Income Assistance program. A referral is automatically made to the FMIS program if you do not have an Order for child support. The Maintenance Support Caseworker (MSC) will provide you with information on the FMIS program as well as the Family Court process. The role of the MSC is to assess the ability of the other parent to contribute financially to the support of the child, based on their income and the Child Support Guidelines. Based on this information an Agreement between you and the other parent will be established. This Agreement will be registered with the Court and be considered the same as if it were an Order. All Orders are registered with the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP).

The Maintenance Enforcement Program was established in 1996 and is a division of the Department of Justice. Their role is to enforce the financial obligations established in the Order.

The requirements to seek child support/maintenance may be waived when potential abuse by the absent spouse or parent poses a serious threat to the recipient, and/or other family members. The requirement to seek whether child support may be waived is determined by the Caseworker/Family Maintenance Support Worker. They must decide that to pursue maintenance would be futile or unreasonable. Remember, you must tell your Caseworker if there are reasons why you don’t want to pursue maintenance.

If the other parent does not make their child support payment, contact your Caseworker and request an ad hoc cheque. If the other parent makes the payment later you are required to repay the Department of Community Services for the ad hoc payment. If the other parent makes irregular or late payments for three consecutive months, you should ask your Caseworker about the Assignment of Maintenance program.

The responsibility for taking your child(ren)’s father to Court and getting support from him is completely up to you. It can be an extremely frustrating experience and you will need the support of good friends and family. If you are on assistance or applying for assistance, you qualify for Nova Scotia Legal Aid. Go to the NSLA office and apply to have a lawyer help you.

When you apply for Income Assistance, you will be asked to fill out some forms that will require you to answer many questions about your financial situation and personal circumstances. Be prepared to answer questions about personal things such as whether you have a drug addiction, or a mental health issue that would interfere with you working. This helps them to stream you in their employability assessments.

After your application has been completed, you will be considered for assistance. If the department determines that you are “eligible,” you will receive a home visit from a caseworker within a couple of days. Remember, don’t let him or her scare you. If your application is rejected, you have the right to appeal the decision and may be eligible for emergency assistance (see How To Appeal in this section.)

When the caseworker comes to your home, you will likely be required to sign two forms. These are:

Release of Information Consent Form: This form gives them permission to check into your financial situation. It also allows a sharing of information between any levels of government. An example of this would be looking into your bank account or talking to your employer or landlord and looking at tax records at Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. It is to help them assess whether you are eligible for assistance.

Declaration Respecting Support: This form is filled in for each of the non-custodial parents of your children. It asks for information about how much support you receive from that parent, where he can be found, and who his lawyer is.

Once you begin receiving benefits, you have the responsibility to tell your caseworker of any changes in your situation such as your rent going up, you are getting a job, you are having another child, or any other changes that will affect your income. Most caseworkers will visit you once a year, sometimes more. An annual review is the required minimum.

A field worker will come to visit your home before you will be granted benefits. This visit may take place a few days or weeks after the application for assistance has been made.

The field worker will expect you to hand over:

After the home visit, your application will be processed and it will be either accepted or rejected. Either way, you will receive a letter telling you of the decision of the Department of Community Services. If you don’t receive a letter, make sure you get one. If your application is rejected, you may appeal it (see How to Appeal in this section.)

Once you are on Income Assistance, your caseworker should go over what s/he considers your responsibilities. They usually tell you that you are expected to report to them any changes in your marital status, whether you get a job, return to school, or anything else that affects your income. You will sign a form declaring all information true and that tells you of the legal consequences of fraud.

Under the new regulations/Act, an “Emergency” or a “Special Need” is defined as:

Make sure that you ask for the things you need even if they aren’t part of the regulations. It is often up to the discretion of your caseworker whether it’s approved and they may provide you with an item or service they feel is necessary.

*There is a Pharmacare program in Nova Scotia. You are eligible for it if you are receiving assistance. You use your Nova Scotia health card when you go to the pharmacy with a prescription and it will show that you are eligible. Then you pay the $5 co-pay charge. If you are disabled you do not have to pay the co-pay. You can also request to be co-pay exempt if you can show you have high medical costs. For example, many frequent prescriptions. There has been an extension to this service. If you find a job and leave income assistance then you can use Pharmacare for one year after.

All requests for special needs must be made to your caseworker. You should try and make an appointment in person as soon as the emergency arises. An official doctor’s note will often be required.

Help Line may be able to help if you or your children need emergency transportation after hours to the hospital and are receiving Income Assistance. Keep the Help Line number on your fridge: 421-1188.

If you have to borrow money from friends or neighbours to cover the emergency need before applying for help, you may be reimbursed for what you borrowed if you meet the criteria. You may not be fully reimbursed depending on the maximum amounts available. You should also get a receipt for the emergency goods or services, if you can (e.g. taxi to the hospital, medicine, etc.).

When it comes to a final decision on whether or not you are eligible for assistant, the caseworker will review all the information once the documentation is complete and make a decision regarding assistance eligibility based on ESIA policy. If your caseworker refuses your request, then you should ask to see the Supervisor, and, if necessary, the District Manager. If your application for assistance is refused, you may request an Administrative Review and if you are not satisfied, you can then file a formal appeal. You can also reapply at any time if your circumstances have changed or there is new information. Reapplying is sometimes easier and faster.

When you receive your letter informing you that you have been denied, the Department of Community Services will send you a pamphlet entitled How To Appeal. This pamphlet includes a form on the back that you simply need to fill out and return.

It is a two step process. The first involves returning the form. You will then receive a letter letting you know if your file has been reassessed through an Administrative Review. If you are unsuccessful, you may file a formal appeal. Complete all the information requested and this time your appeal will go to an appeal hearing and you will be given a written decision outlining exactly why your appeal was not upheld.

The Appeal Board will consist of one chairperson, appointed by the current provincial government. This is unfortunate for us, as the person sitting on the Appeal Board generally has NO idea of what it means to be a single mother on assistance. S/he has no idea of the stress involved and usually this person will have their own ideas about who “‘welfare’ mothers” are. Most of the people I have seen on Appeal Boards are white, which means they usually do not know what it means or how to feels to be non-white. The ideas these people generally have about us are far from the truth. This is why it is important for you to have someone there who is on your side and believes you. Remember to remain calm, be firm, and don’t let these people scare you.

Your caseworker will also be there and any witnesses whom either you or the Department of Community Services feel should appear to give evidence to support the case. You and/or your advocate may object to the Appeal Board hearing for any one of the following reasons:

The decision of the Appeal Board will be sent by letter to you and the Department of Community Services within seven days of the hearing. The decision of the Appeal Board is binding on the Department of Community Services. However, if either party does not agree with the decision of the Appeal Board, an appeal can be filed with the Supreme Court. This must be done as soon as possible after the decision is received (see The Legal Aid section of this book). It is advisable to have a lawyer for this as Court appeals can be complicated and are only allowed on specific grounds. Remember, you are eligible for Nova Scotia Legal Aid.

Remember, be sure to always contact Community Services for the updated information.

In 1998, the federal government, in cooperation with provincial governments, created the National Child Benefit. It was supposed to help low-income families with children. Every child of a low-income family has been receiving the National Child Benefit, as well as the provincial form, the Nova Scotia Child Benefit, regardless of whether the family was receiving social assistance. Now the two benefits are being combined together with the Child Tax benefit.

You will receive a standard benefit of $263.65 monthly per child each year if you receive the maximum Nova Scotia Child Benefit (for families with a net annual income of less than $16,000). . The three benefits will arrive as one monthly payment. If you do not receive the full amount for some reason, contact Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

If you are not receiving the Child Benefit but are considered a low-income family (under $20,291), then you can apply to Community Services for an assessment and further information on how to apply for the combined benefit as well.

If you need more information on the program call 424-7227 if you live in Metro Halifax. Elsewhere in the province call 1-866-795-3688.