While the provincial government has announced the minimum wage an employer must pay will increase to $14.60 per hour starting in June 2020, there has been no announcements to increase monthly rates for social assistance. This means a single parent with two children meeting the requirements for regular assistance through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction will receive a basic total amount of approximately $1,185. With few exceptions, individuals on regular income assistance are required to have an employment plan and actively seek out employment; the Ministry of Social Development allows a maximum earnings exemption of $600 per month before it begins deducting dollar for dollar from the monthly amount.
A single parent on provincial disability (called Persons with Disabilities or PWD) will receive a basic total amount of approximately $1,600 per month. To qualify for PWD, an individual must meet the requirements for basic social assistance as well as be granted designation under the Employment and Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act. A single parent on PWD is eligible for a yearly earnings exemption of $12,000. Unlike those on regular social assistance, individuals with a PWD designation are not always required to have an employment plan.
In the case of both regular assistance and PWD, single parents and families are able to keep their monthly Canada Child Tax Benefit and GST payments. In cases where an individual qualifies for both the Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D) amount and the PWD designation, the amount paid by the provincial government is reduced by the amount paid by CPP. As an example, if an individual qualifies for CPP-D and receives a monthly amount of $1,000 they would only receive a top-up from the provincial government equal to the same amount they would get if they did not also qualify for CPP-D.
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