Provincial or territorial social assistance programs typically provide basic benefits for cost-of-living expenses, such as food and clothing, and for shelter and shelter-related costs, such as rent or mortgage payments, heating, or home insurance. These amounts may be calculated and delivered separately or combined into a single flat rate. In some instances, benefits for some of these costs are provided through “additional” benefits (see the Methodology section for more information) or through separate programs administered outside of social assistance.

Table A5 below indicates which jurisdictions provide cost-of-living and shelter components as separate allowances and which provide them as one combined benefit, depending on the program. Specifics about additional cost-of-living benefits that Welfare in Canada example households received are included in the footnotes; additional information is in each jurisdiction’s Total Welfare Income section of this report.

Note that the benefits included in the table and footnotes are only those that correspond to the methodology used to determine inclusion in this report for our example households. Other benefits for various costs may be available depending on the jurisdiction and the specific situation of each recipient.

Table A5: Breakdown of cost-of-living and shelter components of provincial/territorial social assistance benefits, 2024

1. “ETW” refers to the Expected to Work category and “BFE” refers to the Barriers to Full Employment category of Alberta’s Income Support program. “AISH” refers to Alberta’s Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program. The couple with two children in Alberta also received a School Expenses allowance.

2. All households in British Columbia also received a Winter Supplement. The unattached single with a disability also received the Transportation Supplement, which is provided as cash or an in-kind bus pass; our calculations assume a cash benefit. The couple with two children also received a School Start-Up Supplement.

3. The shelter allowance in Manitoba is provided as a Rent Assist benefit, which is also available to eligible low-income Manitoba households who do not receive social assistance benefits. “MBFE” refers to the Medical Barriers to Full Employment category in Manitoba’s Employment and Income Assistance program; the unattached single with a disability receiving MBFE benefits also received two supplementary allowances (the additional basic amount and the additional amount for an adult with a disability) as well as an Income Assistance for Persons with Disabilities benefit. The unattached single with a disability who receives Manitoba Supports for Persons with Disabilities benefits also received a Basic Supplement. The single parent with one child also received three supplementary allowances (the additional basic amount, the additional amount for the first child in a single-parent household, and the additional allowance for a child six or under in a single-parent household). The couple with two children also received a School Supplies allowance.

4. All households in New Brunswick also received a monthly Household Supplement starting February 2024. The two households with children also received an Income Supplement Benefit. Note that program recipient households with children may receive an Income Supplement Benefit if their housing costs are more than 30% of their basic unit rate, and may receive a Fuel Supplement during the months of November to April; however, they cannot access both the Fuel Supplement and the Income Supplement for the same months. 

5. The unattached single with a disability in Newfoundland and Labrador received a Personal Care Allowance and top-up amounts for rent and utilities, which are administered outside social assistance by NL Health Services. The other three households received a fuel supplement.

6. Note that the Northwest Territories pays actual accommodation costs for households with dependants as well as actual fuel and utilities costs for all households. All four households also received a one-time Additional Benefit in March 2024 to help address the rising cost of food. As well, all four households received the Furnishings Allowance in 2024, which was made available to all households starting in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Note that the allowance was discontinued as of July 2024 concurrent with changes to the Income Assistance program and the introduction of the new Income Assistance for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities program. The unattached single with a disability also received a Disabled Allowance and an Incidental Allowance, both of which were also discontinued as of July 2024.

7. The unattached single with a disability in Nova Scotia received an “enhanced” basic needs benefit as well as a Disability Supplement. The couple with two children also received a School Supplies Supplement.

8. The unattached single with a disability in Nunavut also received an Incidental Allowance. Note that the majority of households receiving social assistance live in public housing in Nunavut and that benefit amounts included in this report are based on public housing rents and subsidized utilities amounts.

9. All four households in Prince Edward Island received a Communication Rate allowance. The unattached single with a disability also received a Community Living Allowance and the couple with two children received a School Age Allowance.

10. New entrants to Quebec’s Social Assistance/Aim to Employment program can select to undertake employment-related education and training that made them eligible in 2024 for allowances from either the program itself or from Quebec’s Manpower Training program.

The unattached single considered employable (AIM) and the couple with two children (AIM) received the basic program allowance as well as a Participation Allowance for each adult and a Monthly Adjustment amount. The couple with two children (AIM) also received a benefit for children aged 12 and over and a School-Related Allowance, as well as a Shelter Allowance as an additional benefit. 

The unattached single with a disability received the basic program allowance and a Monthly Adjustment amount. 

The single parent with one child received the basic program allowance, a Temporarily Limited Capacity allowance, and a Monthly Adjustment amount as well as a Shelter Allowance as an additional benefit. 

The unattached single considered employable (MAN) and the couple with two children (MAN) received a Manpower Training allowance but no other benefits from the Social Assistance program. The couple with two children (MAN) also received a Shelter Allowance as an additional benefit.

11. The unattached single with a disability in Saskatchewan also received a Disability Income Benefit. Note that Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) clients have a choice of receiving flat-rate or actual utilities amounts; our calculations for the unattached single with a disability includes an average actual amount for utilities, laundry, and telephone.

12. All four households in the Yukon also received Special Christmas, Winter Clothing, Telephone, Transportation, and Laundry Service allowances. All four households also received an Inflation Relief Payment which was intended to assist with the rising cost of living. The unattached single with a disability also received a Supplementary Allowance, and the couple with two children also received a School Supply Allowance.