Starting this year, income assistance in N.S. to be tied to consumer price index – Halifax [Video]

Nova Scotia’s decision to start indexing income assistance is a positive step, but it isn’t enough to lift people out of poverty, says the head of a non-profit that supplies 140 food banks in the province.

Income assistance rates rose by 3.1 on Jan. 1 and will be adjusted annually based on the consumer price index.

“I don’t foresee the 3.1 per cent (raise) lifting people out of poverty,” Ash Avery, executive director of Feed Nova Scotia, said Thursday, adding that many people are struggling to afford food and housing because of the cost of living crisis.

The non-profit feeds more than 23,000 people each month by supporting 140 food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, and meal programs across Nova Scotia. That number represents 52 per cent more people than the non-profit supported in 2022.

Avery said indexing income assistance is a good move because it “acknowledges the reality of the growing cost of living … It’s helpful, but …