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Government clawback

Disabled persons facing a potential claw-back of supplemental social assistance benefits will have a reprieve.
Gov. of SK

Disabled persons facing a potential claw-back of supplemental social assistance benefits will have a reprieve.

In early August, recipients of the Saskatchewan Assured Income Disability program (SAID) started receiving letters saying they would no longer be receiving their rental housing supplement as of October 1.

Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit explained the government included this change in its June budget because it believed it was a duplicate payment that some people were unfairly receiving. He said the change is intended to make social assistance equitable and sustainable.

Judy De Vos, who works with disabled persons in Yorkton to help them with their social assistance, said the change only affects approximately nine people in Yorkton. Her clients were quite upset, she said. She raised those concerns with the ministry and was told there would be a grace period.

Ottenbreit confirmed the government has slowed down the implementation of the plan to give workers like De Vos and her clients time to adjust. He said the program was initially designed to top people up at a time when affordable housing options were very limited, but that the situation has improved.

De Vos said her people are living right at the limit of their income.

The government also announced it would be ending grandfathering of the Saskatchewan Employment Supplement for families with children aged 13 and over and the practice of exempting Seniors Income Plan and Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits in the Saskatchewan Assistance Program as of September 1.

These changes will also be also be delayed, although no new timeline has been announced. Ottenbreit said the ministry will work with people to make sure they are getting the support they need.

In all, approximately 2,700 people in the province will be affected.

After the letters went out, a small group of people protested at the legislature in Regina. The Opposition NDP condemned the government for making disabled persons and seniors pay for the Saskatchewan Party’s mismanagement of the economy during boom times.

“Programs that help our most vulnerable keep a roof over their heads are not the reason the Sask. Party has run such deep deficits,” said Nicole Rancourt, NDP social services critic.