In this section you will find:
Components of welfare incomes
In New Brunswick, households that qualify for basic social assistance payments also qualify for:
- Recurring additional social assistance payments from the province,
- Federal and provincial child benefits for households with children, and
- Federal and provincial tax credits or benefits.
Together, these components form a household’s total welfare income. Households may receive less if they have income from other sources, or more if they have special health- or disability-related needs.
Together, these components form a household’s total welfare income. Households may receive less if they have income from other sources, or more if they have special health- or disability-related needs.
Table 1NB shows the value of the welfare income components of the four example household types in New Brunswick in 2025. All four households are assumed to be living in Moncton, receiving provincial social assistance starting January 1 and for the entire year, and earning no employment income. The child in the single-parent household is two years old and the children in the couple household are ten and 15. Other assumptions for calculating incomes are in the Methodology section.
Table 1NB: Components of welfare incomes for all example households in New Brunswick, 2025
Note: Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest dollar and, as such, totals may not exactly add up.
Total annual welfare incomes in 2025 ranged from $11,313 for the unattached single considered employable to $34,131 for the couple with two children. The total welfare income of the unattached single with a disability was $14,480 and that of the single parent with one child was $26,183.
Basic social assistance: The Basic Household Rate (BHR) in both the Transitional Assistance (TA) and Extended Benefits (EB) programs increased with inflation as of April 1. The BHR rates before and after the inflationary increase for each of the example households were: $660 and $675 for the unattached single considered employable, $918 and $939 for the unattached single with a disability, $1,035 and $1,058 for the single parent with one child, and $1,164 and $1,191 for the couple with two children.
Additional social assistance: All households received the Household Supplement, a benefit intended to help with the rising cost of food and shelter, in the amount of $200 per month.
As well, the two households with children received the Income Supplement Benefit that totalled $1,224 over the full year (an average of $102 per month), which remained unchanged in 2025.
Federal child benefits: Both households with children received the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), which increased with inflation in July from $648.92 to $666.42 per month for a child under six years of age and from $547.50 to $562.33 per month for a child aged six to 17.
Provincial child benefits: Both households with children received the New Brunswick Child Tax Benefit of $250 per child ($20.83 per child per month). This amount remained unchanged in 2025.
Federal tax credits/benefits: All four households received the GST/HST credit, which increased with inflation in July. The households received the following total amounts, paid in quarterly instalments throughout the year: the unattached single households received $344.50, the single parent with one child received $689, and the couple with two children received $1,052.
Two households received the GST/HST credit supplement, in the following total amounts: the unattached single with a disability received a reduced amount of $17.83 and the single parent with one child received the maximum amount of $181.50. This was the first year the unattached single with a disability received the supplement.
All four households received the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR). However, in 2025, the federal government removed the federal fuel charge (the “carbon tax”), which also meant the end of carbon tax-related rebate payments. As a result, the CCR ended in spring 2025, meaning that households in New Brunswick received significantly reduced rebate payment amounts in 2025 compared to 2024. The differences in CCR payments between 2024 and 2025 for the New Brunswick households are indicated in Table 2NB.
Table 2NB: Difference in carbon rebate payments in New Brunswick, 2024-2025
Note: Amounts in the table are rounded to the nearest dollar and, as such, totals may not exactly add up.
Provincial tax credits/benefits: All four households received the New Brunswick Harmonized Sales Tax Credit in the following total amounts: $300 per year for the unattached singles, $600 for the single parent with one child, and $800 for the couple with two children. In addition, the household with two children received the School Supplement tax credit of $100 per child per year. These amounts remained unchanged in 2025.
Changes to welfare incomes
Figures 1NB and 2NB show how the total welfare incomes of the four example household types in New Brunswick have changed over time.
Note that the values are in 2025 constant dollars, not current dollars, and are calculated using the Canada Consumer Price Index (CPI). Using constant dollars takes into account the effect of inflation given that inflation reduces current dollar values over time. Also note that using the CPI for New Brunswick would have resulted in a slightly different trendline.
Figure 1NB: Welfare incomes for example unattached single households in New Brunswick 1986–2025, in 2025 constant dollars
The total welfare income of the unattached single considered employable was relatively stable between 1986 and 2009, although it gradually declined in value between 1992 and 2009. A significant increase occurred in 2010 due to a policy change that made unattached singles eligible for higher benefits through Transitional Assistance. From 2010 to 2019, their total welfare income gradually declined again. An increase in 2020 was largely due to COVID-19 pandemic-related payments. The decline in 2021, mainly due to the loss of those payments, was followed by two years of slight increases. Their income increased significantly in 2024, which was primarily due to the new Household Supplement and higher payments from the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR). In 2025, the indexation increase to basic social assistance benefits did not fully offset the reduction in CCR payments, resulting in only a marginal increase in total income. Overall, the total welfare income of this household increased by 0.2 per cent between 2024 and 2025, and by 98 per cent across the entire time series, in constant 2025 dollars.
The total welfare income of the unattached single with a disability started the time series in 1989 at approximately $16,000 and declined until 1993, after which it fell by more than $3,000. Thereafter, their welfare income stayed relatively stable, hovering at around $12,000. The increase in 2020 was largely due to COVID-19 pandemic-related payments, and the decline in 2021 was mainly due to the loss of those payments. Another slight decrease in 2022, primarily due to high inflation, was followed by a slight increase in 2023. The total welfare income of this household increased significantly in 2024, which was primarily due to the new Household Supplement and higher payments from the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR). Like the unattached single considered employable, their income only increased marginally in 2025 because the indexation increase to basic social assistance benefits did not fully offset the reduction in CCR payments. Overall, the total welfare income of this household increased by 0.4 per cent between 2024 and 2025 but decreased by 11 per cent across the time series, in constant 2025 dollars.
Figure 2NB: Welfare incomes for example households with children in New Brunswick 1986–2025, in 2025 constant dollars
The total welfare income of the single parent with one child saw three successively higher plateaus in the years between 1986 and 2012, with notable increases in 1995 and 2007 followed by relatively flat periods. A generally increasing trend between 2012 and 2017, primarily due to changes in federal child benefits, was followed by two years of declines. A significant increase in 2020, largely due to COVID-19 pandemic-related payments, was followed by a slight decline in 2021 as most of those payments ceased, and a larger decline in 2022, resulting from the loss of the last remaining COVID-19 payment and the impact of high inflation. A slight increase in 2023 was followed by a more significant increase in 2024, which was primarily due to the new Household Supplement and higher payments from the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR). In 2025, the indexation increase to basic social assistance benefits did not fully offset the reduction in CCR payments, resulting in only a marginal increase in total income. Overall, the total welfare income of this household increased by 0.2 per cent between 2024 and 2025, and by 32 per cent across the entire time series, in constant 2025 dollars.
The total welfare income of the couple with two children followed a similarly plateaued trendline between 1986 and 2012, with a higher starting income and some larger increases. As with the single-parent household, the gradually increasing trend between 2012 and 2017 was primarily due to changes to the federal child benefit. Declines between 2017 and 2019 were followed by a steep increase in 2020 resulting from COVID-19 pandemic-related payments. A large decline in 2021, reflecting the loss of those payments, was followed by two years of fairly stable welfare incomes. The significant increase in 2024 was primarily due to the new Household Supplement and an increase to the Canada Carbon Rebate (CCR). As with the other households, the indexation increase to basic social assistance benefits in 2025 did not fully offset the reduction in CCR payments, resulting in only a marginal increase in total income. Overall, the total welfare income of this household increased by 0.2 per cent between 2024 and 2025, and by 43 per cent since the start of the time series, in constant 2025 dollars.
Adequacy of welfare incomes
The adequacy of a household’s total welfare income can be assessed by comparing it to established thresholds of poverty and/or low income.
Two measures of poverty are commonly used in Canada:
- The Market Basket Measure (MBM), Canada’s Official Poverty Line, identifies households whose disposable income is less than the cost of a “basket” of goods and services that represents a basic standard of living.
- The Deep Income Poverty (MBM-DIP) threshold identifies households whose disposable income is less than 75 per cent of the MBM.
There are also two commonly used measures of low income:
- The Low Income Measure (LIM) identifies households whose income is substantially below what is typical in society (i.e., less than half of the median income).
- The Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) identifies households that are likely to spend a disproportionately large share of their income on food, clothing, and shelter.
Note that MBM thresholds vary by province and community size, and LICO thresholds vary by community size. As such, we use the thresholds for the province’s largest city, Moncton, in the analysis below. Note also that we use after-tax LIM and LICO thresholds, and that the LIM thresholds for 2025 are estimates based on increasing the 2024 thresholds to account for inflation.
Also note that none of the poverty or low-income measures currently in use in Canada accounts for the higher cost of living faced by people with disabilities, and that these additional costs are not reflected in our analysis.
More information about the thresholds is available in the Methodology section.
A spreadsheet containing comparisons of the welfare incomes of the four example household types in New Brunswick with all four poverty/low-income thresholds is available for download.
Poverty threshold comparisons
The welfare incomes of all four example household types in New Brunswick were below, and in some cases very far below, Canada’s Official Poverty Line (MBM) in 2025. As well, all four were below the Deep Income Poverty threshold (MBM-DIP). This means that all four New Brunswick households were living not only in poverty in 2024, but in deep poverty.
Figures 3NB and 4NB compare welfare incomes of the four example household types to the 2025 MBM and MBM-DIP thresholds for Moncton.
Figure 3NB: Welfare incomes and poverty thresholds for example unattached single households in New Brunswick, 2025
The unattached single considered employable had the least adequate income relative to the poverty thresholds. Their income was $9,372 below the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $16,267 below the Poverty Line. As such, their income was only 55 per cent of the MBM-DIP and only 41 per cent of the MBM.
The unattached single with a disability had an income that was $6,204 below the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $13,099 below the Poverty Line. As such, their income was 70 per cent of the MBM-DIP and 53 per cent of the MBM.
Note that the poverty experienced by people with disabilities is underrepresented because neither the MBM nor the MBM-DIP accounts for the additional costs associated with disability. See the Methodology section for more information.
Figure 4NB: Welfare incomes and poverty thresholds for example households with children in New Brunswick, 2025
The incomes of the two households with children were more adequate than the incomes of the unattached single households but nonetheless were below both poverty thresholds.
The single parent with one child had the most adequate income relative to the poverty thresholds. Their income was $3,070 below the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $12,820 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 90 per cent of the MBM-DIP and 67 per cent of the MBM.
The income of the couple with two children was less adequate compared to the single parent with one child, at $7,238 below the Deep Income Poverty threshold and $21,028 below the Poverty Line. This means their income was 83 per cent of the MBM-DIP and 62 per cent of the MBM.
Low-income threshold comparisons
The welfare incomes of the example households were also below, and in some instances less than half of, the low-income thresholds, as shown in the spreadsheet linked below.
The least adequate income relative to these thresholds was that of the unattached single considered employable, whose total welfare income was only 35 per cent of the LIM and 51 per cent of the LICO. The most adequate was that of the single parent with one child, whose welfare income was 58 per cent of the LIM and 96 per cent of the LICO.
The unattached single with a disability had an income that was 45 per cent of the LIM and 65 per cent of the LICO. The income of the couple with two children was 53 per cent of the LIM and 81 per cent of the LICO.
The LIM and LICO thresholds used are for after-tax income, as noted above.
Changes to adequacy of welfare incomes
Figures 5NB and 6NB show the total welfare incomes of each of the four example household types in New Brunswick as a percentage of the Market Basket Measure (MBM) for Moncton, starting in 2002.
The black line at the top of each graph (i.e., the 100 per cent threshold) represents Canada’s Official Poverty Line. This means that the graphs show how far below the Poverty Line the four households’ total welfare incomes have been in each year over the past 24 years.
The grey line indicates the Deep Income Poverty threshold, which is 75 per cent of the MBM. The graphs therefore also show the relationship between total welfare incomes and deep poverty in each year over the past 24 years.
Four trendlines for each household are shown in the graphs. These lines illustrate the relationship between welfare incomes and the MBM, including changes made to the MBM due to “rebasing.” The three rebasings, occurring in 2008, 2018, and 2023, are indicated with a dotted vertical line. Rebasing updates the measure, including the items and costs included in the basket, to better reflect contemporary circumstances. The trendlines in these graphs demonstrate changes to household poverty levels within the years in which each base is applied. A trendline rise within those periods indicates an improvement in a household’s level of poverty while a decline indicates a deepening of their poverty. For the years in which rebasing took place (2008, 2018, and 2023), we include the percentage of welfare income relative to the MBM using both the previous and the new base to show how rebasing affects adequacy.
Note that fluctuations in the graph trendlines are due to a combination of changes in welfare incomes and the cost of living. Both factors must be considered when analyzing trends.
Figure 5NB: Welfare incomes as a percentage of the MBM for example unattached single households in New Brunswick, 2002–2025
Of the four example households, the welfare income of the unattached single considered employable was the least adequate relative to the Poverty Line across the time series. In 2002, their income was only 26 per cent of the Poverty Line and it remained at about that level through to 2008. After a significant improvement in 2010, their income hovered at around 40 per cent of the Poverty Line until 2018. A small decline after the 2018 rebasing left their income hovering between 33 and 35 per cent until 2024, when the Household Supplement was introduced and their income rose to 42 per cent of the Poverty Line. In 2025, their income slightly decreased and ended the time series at 41 per cent of the Poverty Line.
Overall, the income of the unattached single considered employable increased by 15 percentage points relative to the Poverty Line across the entire time series, from 26 to 41 per cent. Although this is an improvement, households in these circumstances would still have been living substantially below the Poverty Line in 2025. Given that their income was also below the Deep Income Poverty threshold across the entire time series, households in these circumstances would have consistently lived in deep poverty for the last 24 years.
The welfare income of the unattached single with a disability started the time series at 60 per cent of the Poverty Line. After a gradual decrease relative to the Poverty Line after the 2008 and 2018 MBM rebasings, their welfare income hovered between 45 and 48 per cent until 2022. Rebasing in 2023 saw their income at 44 per cent of the Poverty Line, followed by an increase to 52 per cent in 2024. Another slight increase saw their income end the time series in 2025 at 53 per cent of the Poverty Line.
Overall, the income of the unattached single with a disability declined by 7 percentage points relative to the Poverty Line across the time series. Given that their income was also below the Deep Income Poverty threshold across the entire time series, households in these circumstances would have experienced a deepening of their already very deep poverty across the 24-year period.
Figure 6NB: Welfare incomes as a percentage of the MBM for example households with children in New Brunswick, 2002–2025
Of the four example households, the welfare income of the single parent with one child was the most adequate relative to the Poverty Line, starting the time series at 72 per cent and reaching a high of 79 per cent in 2017. After increases that were negated by decreases with each MBM rebasing, their income ended the time series at 67 per cent of the Poverty Line in 2025.
Overall, the income of the single parent with one child declined relative to the Poverty Line by 5 percentage points between 2002 and 2025, indicating a slight deepening of the poverty experienced by households in these circumstances. Given that their income was below the Poverty Line across the entire time series, and below the Deep Income Poverty threshold for most of the time series, households in these circumstances would have only seen their incomes rise above deep poverty in three of the last 24 years.
The welfare income of the couple with two children started the time series at 65 per cent of the Poverty Line in 2002 and increased to a high of 74 per cent in 2017. Their income followed the same pattern of increases followed by decreases after each MBM rebasing, and ended the time series at only 62 per cent of the Poverty Line in 2025.
Overall, the income of the couple with two children declined by 3 percentage points relative to the Poverty Line across the time series, indicating a slight deepening of the poverty experienced by households in these circumstances. Given that their income was also below the Deep Income Poverty threshold across the entire time series, households in these circumstances would have consistently lived in deep poverty for the last 24 years.
Access to data
The data for New Brunswick is available for download, including:
- Components of welfare income for all households, including a breakdown of cost-of-living payments and the 2024-2025 difference in carbon tax-related rebate payments.
- Welfare incomes in 2025 constant dollars over time for all households.
- Welfare incomes in current dollars over time for all households.
- Adequacy of welfare incomes: a comparison of each household’s welfare income with all four poverty and low-income thresholds.
- Adequacy over time: each household’s welfare income relative to the Official Poverty Line (MBM) from 2002–2025.