Opposition MLAs call on N.S. government to increase and expand the seniors care grant

With seniors in the province facing increased financial struggles, Premier Tim Houston says his government is willing to revisit a program intended to help.

After being elected in 2021, the Tories created the seniors care grant. Worth $750 this year, the money can be used to help seniors with a variety of items related to health care, work around the house and home heating costs.

On Friday, opposition members said that money should also be available for rent and mortgage payments, and the amount available should be increased.

Houston told reporters at Province House on Friday that Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barb Adams would look into the matter. The program was created to support seniors and if there's a better way to do that, the government is open to it, said Houston.

"I think our government has shown that if we need to tweak things or expand things or move things, we'll do that, too."

During question period, the NDP highlighted statistics that show Nova Scotia has the highest rate of poverty among seniors in Canada's provinces. At 9.1 per cent, Nova Scotia's rate is 2.1 percentage points higher than British Columbia, the next highest province, and 3.5 percentage points higher than the national average of 5.6 per cent.

'Seniors are falling behind'

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said creating a program to supplement the income of seniors below a certain income threshold has become a common practice in provinces across the country and she thinks that's also required in Nova Scotia.

It's good that the grant exists, but Chender said it's too small and too prescriptive.

"Seniors are falling behind in this province," she told reporters at Province House.

"They have fixed incomes in a time when inflation is rising rapidly. They represent a growing share of people who are homeless and the ones who are housed across this province are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet."

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill agreed that the use of the program needs to be expanded and its value increased.

Churchill said he's also concerned that in the recently released provincial housing strategy, the government counts the seniors care grant as a way to improve housing conditions.

"You can't even replace a window with it," he said.