Eligibility

Age requirement

You must be 19 years of age or older to be eligible for Income Assistance.

Financial requirements

To determine if you are eligible for Income Assistance, your financial situation will be assessed. You must report all assets and sources of income to determine if you meet the necessary criteria.

Assets

All assets including liquid assets, personal assets, and real property assets will be assessed when determining your eligibility for Income Assistance. As a single person, you can have up to $2,000 in assets. If you are a single person with a disability, you can have up to $3,000 in assets.

Assets can include:

• Interest earned from wills or estates
• Monies set aside in trusts that you have access to
• Real property other than your home

Assets Exclusions

Some assets will not impact your eligibility to receive Income Assistance. These types of assets are called asset exclusions.

Asset exclusions include:

• Your home, which is assessed to be less than twice the average value of a single family dwelling in your municipality
• A cash surrender value of $500 for a life insurance policy
• A vehicle used for basic transportation such as:
  • Job requirements
  • Training
  • Health and safety requirements
• Tools or equipment that are directly related to your trade or profession
• Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for the education of a child
• Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) that are part of an employment pension program
• Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) and any income withdrawn
• Pre-paid funerals that have a value up to $5,000
• Insurance paid for damages done to your home or your belongings
• Insurance paid for damages done to your vehicle
• Savings from a savings program designed to promote self-sufficiency that is approved by the Minister

Income

Income can come from many sources. Your income will be divided into three broad categories: unearned income, earned income, and exempt income. Your total income from all sources will be used to determine if you are eligible to receive Income Assistance.

Unearned Income

All unearned income you receive will count towards your total income. You must report all forms of unearned income.

Unearned income comes from sources such as:

• Government income payments such as Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security
• Long-Term Disability benefits
• Worker’s Compensation
• Spousal support payments
• Income from investments such as stocks and bonds

Exempt Income

Some types of income will not count towards your total income. These types of income are called exempt income. Although exempt income will not be counted towards your total income, you must still report it.

Exempt income comes from sources such as:

• Goods and services tax credit (GST) paid under the Income Tax Act (Canada)
• Nova Scotia Affordable Living Tax Credit under the Income Tax Act
• Income tax refunds
• Child support and/or child maintenance
• A percentage of any Earned Income

Earned Income

Earned income includes income from employment. When determining your initial eligibility for Income Assistance, your Earned Income will be counted at 100%.

If you are eligible to receive Income Assistance, you will be able to keep a portion of your Earned Income each month. The amount you keep will be considered a form of exempt income.

The first $250 you earn in income will be fully exempt. This means you will be able to earn $250 in addition to your Income Assistance each month.

Any additional income you earn will be partially exempt. That means you can keep a certain percentage of the amount you earn. After the first $250, you will be able to keep:

• 75% of the next $250
• 50% of the next $250
• 25% of any amount over $750

Ability to work requirements

Once you are eligible for Income Assistance, you will work with Employment Support Services (ESS) staff to find programs and services that could help you find employment. You will complete an employability assessment and an action plan to build skills and gain experience. This process will also help identify any barriers that make it difficult for you to work, such as having a disability.