$500 grant aimed at low-income N.S. seniors sees only modest uptake

A grant program for seniors promised by the PC Party during last summer's Nova Scotia election campaign, and launched as a government initiative on Dec. 1, has generated much less interest than anticipated.

So far, only 18,600 of the roughly 64,000 people eligible for the Seniors Care Grant have actually applied to receive up to $500 in assistance. That means only $9 million of the program's actual $30 million budget is spent.

The money is supposed to offset some of the costs incurred by low-income seniors who remain in their homes, including snow removal, small household repairs, lawn care, grocery delivery and transportation to appointments.

A senior official in the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care, Kim Silver, offered a possible explanation for the lacklustre uptake during testimony before a legislature committee Wednesday.

"I think it's important to point out that this is the first year for the grant," she told the public accounts committee. "We were really focused on having something out before before the snowfall.

"We'll continue to review and sort of figure out what this program is going to look like in the future."

In an interview with CBC News following the meeting, the department's deputy minister, Paul LaFleche, said he expected more seniors would sign up for the grant before the May 31 deadline.

"We anticipate we'll end up the year around $20 million out the door under the current rate of takeup," said LaFleche. 

He called it "a learning experience" and said the department budgeted so there would be enough money to pay every eligible senior up to the maximum amount available.

"Obviously that was never going to happen," he said.

Non-profits

Liberal MLA Brendan Maguire is worried the money left over will simply go back into provincial coffers rather than to seniors who still need help or to the cash-strapped organizations that help seniors.

He is suggesting the government offer low-income seniors more than the $500 on offer and the rest go to non-profit groups.

"Some of that money could be given to organizations on the ground that normally depend on funding and fundraising, like our shelters and our food banks that have been unable to fund raise during COVID," said Maguire. "And a lot of them have a shortcoming in their budget.

"So, you know, Family SOS, family resource centres, community banks, these are organizations that help seniors and they help everyday Nova Scotians."

The Seniors Care Grant is available to seniors who earn $37,500 or less, who live independently in homes they rent or own, and have paid for household services between Jan. 1, 2021, and Nov. 30, 2022.

The grant is only available to one person per household and they need to apply by May 31.