Temporary wage subsidy announced for Sask. low-income earners who work with vulnerable people

The Saskatchewan government has announced a temporary wage subsidy for employees making less than $2,500 a month while working in a field with vulnerable people, such as in a shelter.

The program will pay these workers a flat $400 per month for 16 weeks, from March 15 to July 4. The application process has not yet been revealed, but is expected in the coming days.

"The intent is to support those that are supporting the most vulnerable. So, that is seniors and individuals with disabilities and the homeless," said Finance Minister Donna Harpauer on Thursday.

The program is expected to cost about $56 million dollars, with the federal government covering $53 million. The Saskatchewan government will cover the remaining $3 million.

Vulnerable people who access services from eligible organizations cannot have visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now workers must try to fill some of those gaps.

Workers earning less than $2,500 per month are eligible if they work in senior-care facilities such as private care homes and in-home care, group homes run by community-based organizations, emergency shelters and transition shelters.

The province estimated 35,000 workers will access the benefit.

If a facility has overnight beds for use, then workers may be eligible for the program, if they meet the other criteria.

Caregivers, cooks and cleaners, both full-time and part-time,  and employees at licensed childcare facilities are also eligible.

"We added child care to ensure that those workers that maybe aren't working now will maybe come back and have the incentive to do so," Harpauer said.

Premier Scott Moe said there are 1,500 available spaces in its school-based day cares which will be made available to families who opt to go back to work during the Re-open Saskatchewan Plan slated to start May 4.