The Social Assistance Summaries series tracks the number of recipients of social assistance (welfare payments) in each province and territory.
In this section you will find:
Nova Scotia’s social assistance program (description)
Social assistance is the income program of last resort. It is intended for households who have exhausted all other means of financial support. Every province and territory has its own social assistance program(s), and no two are the same. For modelling of total incomes available to social assistance recipients, visit the Welfare in Canada report.
In Nova Scotia, social assistance is called Employment Support and Income Assistance (ESIA), which replaced the Family Benefits Program and Municipal Social Assistance in 2001.
ESIA provides income and employment supports to Nova Scotians in financial need. Within the ESIA program, Income Assistance provides basic needs assistance in the form of an allowance called a Standard Household Rate (SHR). The amount provided is based on household size and living situation, and is for basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, fuel, utilities, and personal items. All recipients receive the maximum SHR for which they are eligible.
Income Assistance also provides for special needs, such as pharmacare, child care, special diet, and transportation. Employment Support Services supports clients with information, opportunities, and services to build the skills and experience they need to work and become more self-sufficient.
Some basic needs, special needs, and employment support services are available to persons with a disability or medical condition. To determine eligibility, a “Medical Assessment” form must be completed and signed by a qualified medical practitioner or nurse practitioner, as well as the applicant/recipient.
In this section, a case that is assessed to include a person with a disability is described as being in the “Disability” case category. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, there was no disability-specific social assistance benefit in Nova Scotia that was available to all persons with disabilities. The ESIA enhanced benefit is available to unattached singles with disabilities, but persons with disabilities in other household types were not eligible to receive it.
A recipient may be eligible for additional supports if they have a disability or a chronic health condition that prevents their participation in employment. Eligibility is determined through an ESIA Medical Assessment form or by providing other related documentation from a health care professional. Medical documentation is not required in situations where an applicant or recipient is in receipt of and/or eligible for:
- CPP Disability Benefits
- Long-term Disability benefits from an employer
- Disability Tax Credit
- Workers’ Compensation Disability Benefits
- Canada Workers Benefit disability supplement
How many people claim social assistance?
In 2023-24, there were, on average, more than 24,140 cases (families and single adults) and almost 35,260 beneficiaries (individual claimants, their partners, and dependent children) receiving Nova Scotia’s Employment Support and Income Assistance (ESIA) program.
From the previous year, both cases and beneficiaries saw slight increases of about 2 and 3 per cent, respectively. Previously, these numbers fell rapidly during the mid-2000s, then increased slightly after the 2008 financial crisis. After a gradual decline between 2011-12 and 2021-22, 2022-23 saw the first increase in about a decade, and 2023-24 followed the trend with a modest increase from the previous year.
Among ESIA recipients, almost 48 per cent of cases (11,572) and about 39 per cent of beneficiaries (14,002) were in the “Disability” case category. Like ESIA overall, cases and beneficiaries in the “Disability” case category also slightly increased in 2023-24, at under 1 per cent for cases and at 1.5 per cent for beneficiaries.
The data for 1997 to 2001 cannot be validated as they may include municipal assistance in addition to provincial family benefits. During this period, it was common for family benefits clients to access special needs benefits from their local municipal social assistance offices.
To access data on cases and beneficiaries of social assistance in Nova Scotia, including disaggregated data, download the spreadsheet here.
Figure 1NS: Yearly cases and beneficiaries of ESIA in Nova Scotia, 1997 to 2023-24
Figure 2NS: Yearly cases and beneficiaries of ESIA in the “Disability” case category in Nova Scotia, 2017-18 to 2023-24
What proportion of the population receives social assistance?
In 2023-24, on average, 4.4 per cent of people in Nova Scotia under 65 received ESIA, which is 1 in 23. The proportion decreased gradually from 2002, reaching 5.4 per cent in 2008-09, then slightly increased up to 5.7 per cent in 2013-14. After a decade of gradual decline, reaching a low point of 4.1 per cent in 2021-22, it rose to 4.4 per cent in 2022-23 and remained at that level in 2023-24.
Note: The total population under 65 is estimated on July 1 of the fiscal year (e.g., July 1, 2023, for 2023-24), whereas social assistance beneficiary data is for March 31 of a given year until 2007, and a fiscal year average (April 1 to March 31) afterwards.
Figure 3NS: Yearly beneficiaries of ESIA as a proportion of the under-65 population in Nova Scotia, 1997 to 2023-24
Who is receiving social assistance (disaggregated data)?
This section examines disaggregated data on cases and beneficiaries by household type, and cases receiving employment income.
Household type
In 2023-24, on average, the majority of both cases and beneficiaries of ESIA were unattached single households representing 17,978 (about 75 per cent and almost 50 per cent, respectively). Single parent households were second for both representing 4,382 cases (almost 18 per cent of cases) and 12,371 beneficiaries (34 per cent of beneficiaries).
Similarly, on average in 2023-24, the majority of both cases and beneficiaries of ESIA in the “Disability” case category were unattached single households representing 10,025 (almost 87 per cent and about 72 per cent, respectively). Single parent households were second for both representing 864 (7.5 per cent of cases) and 2,203 (about 16 per cent of beneficiaries).
Figure 4NS: Cases and beneficiaries of ESIA by household in Nova Scotia, 2020-21 to 2023-24
Cases
Beneficiaries
Figure 5NS: Cases and beneficiaries of ESIA in the “Disability” case category by household in Nova Scotia, 2020-21 to 2023-24
Cases
Beneficiaries
Employment income
In Nova Scotia, employment income is referred to as “earned income,” which is defined as the income generated from employment activities including net wages from an employer, tips, gratuities, net commissions, and net business income.
In 2023-24, on average, 9.3 per cent of ESIA cases had employment income. ESIA cases in the “Disability” case category were less likely to have employment income at 5.5 per cent. Both numbers had a slight drop from the previous year.
Figure 6NS: Percentage of ESIA and ESIA “Disability” case category cases with employment income in Nova Scotia, 2020-21 to 2023-24
Additional disaggregated data on gender and age is available for download below.
It’s important to note that while the gender distribution of ESIA and ESIA “Disability” is typically balanced between males and females, the gender of single households reveals a more pronounced gender pattern. Typically, unattached singles are predominantly male, while single parents are primarily female.
Access to data
The data on social assistance recipients in Nova Scotia is available for download, including:
- Total number of cases and beneficiaries;
- Percentage of beneficiaries relative to the total under-65 population;
- Cases and beneficiaries by household type;
- Beneficiaries by gender;
- Single households by gender;
- Adults by age category; and
- Percentage of cases receiving employment income.
Data notes
- 2006 and prior, the data reflects the number of cases and beneficiaries on March 31 of each year. In 2007, the data reflects the numbers in January.
- 2007-08 onwards, the data reflects the number of cases and beneficiaries over the fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).
- Figures for 1997 to 2001 may include municipal assistance caseload and beneficiary figures in addition to provincial family benefits. During this period, it was common for family benefits clients to access special needs benefits from their local municipal social assistance offices. As a result, caseload figures for these years cannot be validated.
- The numbers do not include First Nations living on reserves.
- Click here for more information about how the data is gathered.