New boost to provincial income assistance will help parents this school year
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Nova Scotia families on income assistance will get more help with the cost of school supplies this year.
The province announced today that it is investing over $400,000 in its income assistance payment to parents of children aged five to 18.
The benefit has also been extended this year to include four-year-olds attending pre-primary this fall. Payments for children aged 13 to 18 will increase from $160 to $200 while those aged five to 12 will increase from $80 to $100 with payments expected by the end of the month.
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Children who turn four by the end of December and are eligible for pre-primary in the fall will now receive a $100 payment.
There is no application required, according to the provincial government.
In a release, Brendan Maguire, Minister of Community Services said the one-time payment “will help offset some of those (additional) costs for our clients, so they can focus on getting their children off to school.”