He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

In the Bible, justice is to “make right”. It is a relational term of living in right relationships with God, with one another and with Creation. Biblical justice is not separate from social justice. Throughout the Bible, God’s people are called to care for who is seen as the least in society. We are called to love our neighbour as ourself. We are called to see people as God sees them - created in God’s image.

As a Church who prays weekly “Thy will be done on earth as in heaven”, we have a responsibility to care for others and seek justice. We recognize that at times it is the structures within society and government policy that have resulted in unfairness or difficult circumstances for people. We undertake activities that seek to redress that injustice.

Income Assistance and Housing

“Poverty is a Policy Choice”.  This is clearly the case for Nova Scotia’s Employment Support and Income Assistance program (ESIA) for people who are unable to support themselves or their family.  Basic needs assistance is supposed to cover needs such as food, clothing, shelter, fuel, utilities and other personal needs.  This assistance does not cover all the necessities, particular if the individual or family is renting in the private market. 

Prior to last year’s budget Grace had written to the Premier and government ministers to urge that these rates be increased and this year Grace is writing to the Minister of Opportunities and Social Development (formerly Community Services) as even with a modest increase, these rates are still inadequate to meet the needs of the household.  Click here to see letter.

Join our Letter writing Campaign

We would urge you to send a letter. If you wish, you can download the start of the letter and then personalize it how you wish.  Below is some information that you may find useful in writing your letter. Click here to get a word file with the start of a letter to edit.

Letters can be sent by mail to the following address:

Honourable Scott Armstrong
Department of Opportunities and Social Development
P.O. Box 696
Halifax NS B3J 2T7

or they can be sent by e-mail to DCSMIN@novascotia.ca – just click here for an e-mail with text to edit.

What the Rates Are

During the first mandate of the Houston government (August 2021-November 2024), these rates were increased once.  After the 2024-25 budget, they increased rates 2.5%, retroactive to April 1, 2024 and starting in 2025, indicated all income streams would be increased annually by inflation (growth in the Consumer Price Index- CPI).  From August 2021-March 2024, inflation grew 13.3%.  On January 1, 2025, rates were increased 3.1%.  The two increases result in the standard household rate being 8.5% lower than the impact of inflation (August 2021-November 2024).

Income Assistance and Poverty Levels

The chart above is derived from data in The Maytree Foundation’s Welfare in Canada Study, 2003, which was published in July 2024. Households receiving basic needs assistance have incomes supplemented by other federal and provincial government programming such as the GST credit, the Canada and Nova Scotia Child Benefit.  In the chart above, the total income is known as welfare income. For single individuals, basic needs assistance forms most of their income. The federal child benefits have a substantial impact on the income of a family. The Maytree Study used the official poverty line which is Statistics Canada’s calculated market basket measures (MBM), which have a geographic component and are adjusted by household size. The study used the poverty line measures for Halifax.

However, the combination of these programs does not lift people out of poverty.  Indeed, a study by the Mayfair Foundation indicated that the four representative households live in deep poverty (income is less than 75% of the official poverty line.  Maytree’s methodology methodology did not include the Nova Scotia Reduction Tax Credit ($500 annually) as it was assumed that the households did not receive income assistance in the previous year.  This tax credit benefit eligibility includes receiving income assistance from January-December of the previous year and having no children in the previous year and only one individual in a single or two-person household can receive it.  In this example, even if both individuals received this tax credit they would have remained in deep poverty.

Increases in the basic rates that occurred in 2024 and January 2025 would have resulted in $480 additional income for an unattached single individual considered employable, $600 for an unattached individual considered unemployable, $672 for single parent, one child and $960 for couple with two children leaving all households still in deep poverty using the 2023 official poverty line.  For more information on Maytree’s Welfare in Canada 2023 can be found here.

Other Points to consider:

• In 2023/24 the provincial government revamped the foster care system, changing it to a single block funding to cover expenses for the foster caregiver and child to be “more reflective of the costs of living and raising a child in Nova Scotia”.  For a child in care without specialized needs, the bi-weekly payment was $1,493 in 2023/24 (translates into $106,64/day) and it was to increase annually by CPI.  In 2025, the monthly payment for a single parent with one child was $1,018, (for a 30-day month it would be $33.93/daily).  The foster parent would receive 3 times the amount the parent would receive to meet the needs of the parent and the child.  (see slides 20 and 21, https://fosterfamilies.ns.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Redesign-Information-Session-Presentation-2023-May-FCGs-002.pdf)

•  In 2022-23, unattached singles (75%) and single parent families (18%) made up the majority of the caseload receiving EISA.  If caseload is translated into number of individuals supported (beneficiaries), unattached singles were 50% of the beneficiaries and single parents with children were 34% of the beneficiaries.( https://maytree.com/wp-content/uploads/Social-Assistance-Summaries-2023.pdf Nova Scotia section pages 79-90 using downloaded table from page 80)

• Under the standard household rates, the enhanced rate for disability is only available to unattached singles.  It is possible that if the spouse is also in the Disability Support Program they would continue to have their own case and any dependents in the household will be included in only one participant’s Standard Household Rate. If you were a single parent with a disability, you would still receive the same basic needs assistance as a single parent without a disability. (For information on the disability support program - https://novascotia.ca/coms/disabilities/DSP-standard-household-rate.html; For information on 2022-23 caseloads with disabilities see https://maytree.com/wp-content/uploads/Social-Assistance-Summaries-2023.pdf Nova Scotia section pages 79-90 using downloaded table from page 80)

• In March 2024, 30.4% of the clients of Nova Scotia Food Banks have social assistance as their primary form of income. (https://foodbankscanada.ca/hungercount/data-insights/ns/)

•  According to CMHC, the median rent for a bachelor apartment in Halifax was $1,141 monthly, while the rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $1,402; and rent was $1,664 for a two-bedroom apartment. (https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmip-pimh/en/TableMapChart/Table?TableId=2.1.23.2&GeographyId=12&GeographyTypeId=2&DisplayAs=Table&GeograghyName=Nova%20Scotia#1%20Bedroom ensure bedroom type for row/apartment is checked)

Housing

In September 2023, Grace wrote to political representatives about our concerns regarding emergency housing and deeply affordable housing. For more information about housing click here. Grace invited people to join us in expressing concern.

Affirming - 2SLGBTQIA+

Grace is an affirming church, part of the Affirming Ministries Program seeking to welcome all into our life and work as a church. One of the calls as an affirming church is to be Public Intentional and Explicit in our welcome and support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, particularly around PIE Day, March 14.

We are concerned about wedge politics that we see creeping into our political discourse, polarizing people by creating the “other”. We are particularly concerned that the transgender community is being used as a wedge issue whether framed as parental rights, women’s safety in washrooms, or fairness in sports. This has been happening internationally, in some Canadian provinces and now nationally. Transgender Canadians are a vulnerable group and categorizing them as the “other” is not only irresponsible but also places them as greater risk. They already face higher rates of violence and inappropriate behaviours and discriminatory behaviour. Background/statistics on this can be found here and here.

Calls for the delay or cessation of gender-affirming treatments for trans youth are particularly irresponsible, given their vulnerability.  A study in the June 6, 2022 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal highlighted that transgender adolescents have 5 times the risk of suicidal ideation and 7.6 times the risk of ever having attempted suicide compared to cisgendered, heterosexual adolescents.  However, the study noted that gender-affirming care has been shown to improve mental health among transgendered youth so much so that their rates of suicidal ideation were similar to their cisgendered peers. Click here to link to the study.

Join Our Campaign

Grace has prepared letters for the leaders of the federal parties in Parliament and provincial parties in the Nova Scotia Legislature calling for the rejection of wedge politics and supporting the rights of the transgender community. to see the letter we sent, you can click on the name of the person: The Right Honourable Justice Trudeau; The Honourable Pierre Poilievre; Mr. Jagmeet Singh; Mr. Yves-François Blanchet; The Honorable Tim Houston; The Honourable Zach Churchill; and Ms Claudia Chender.

We invite you to to send a letter to these party leaders. Postal address can be found by clicking here. Letters can be sent to the federal leaders to their House of Commons address without postage. Postage is required for letters to Nova Scotia leaders. To aid you in writing, you can download a letter template here.

We received some responses: from the Prime Minister’s Office; and the Leader of the federal NDP with an accompanying white paper.

Basic or Livable Annual Income

We, along with our national Church support basic or guaranteed annual income. Progress is happening as Bill S-233 “An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income” is at the Committee stage at the Senate of Canada. This review is at a critical stage that will determine what or even if it will go forward to the Senate for Third Reading. The private members bill that started in the House of Common that would have mirrored this Bill C-223 was defeated in its motion to go to the parliamentary study stage.

There is a federal-provincial working group that has been looking at doing a 5-7 year Guaranteed Basic Income Demonstration Project in PEI. It would be beneficial to move this project forward to demonstrate what such a project can do. It would be helpful to indicate your support to your Member of Parliament asking them to raise a question about the status of the working group in the House of Commons. As well a letter to The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Family, Children and Social Development asking her to send a request to the Minister of Finance to include the Federal/PEI Working Group in the 2025 Budget.

Join Our Letter Writing Campaign

Grace has sent an e-mail of support for this bill and invites others to send an e-mail or letter of support. For more information and to link to the page which has draft letters and e-mails for you to use, click here.

Israel and Palestine

Click here to go to the United Church webpage that has links to prayers, suggestions how to donate and information about why writing to your MP is important.  It has a template of a letter that can be customized on this page as well as an ability to send the letter from that page.

The United Church of Canada had used a policy-based approach in its justice and advocacy ministry. Given the rapid evolution of some situations, the Church was not as responsive as it would like to be because its government processes slowed policy changes. The church is in the midst of shifting to a principles based approach for its justice and advocacy work. On October 19, 2024 the 44th General Council affirmed the application of justice principles to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. In doing so, it enabled the national office and local congregations to adopt Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) strategies as well as joining other international human rights communities in recognizing and rejecting Isreal’s apartheid system. For greater details on this including the Moderator’s Letter, a frequently asked questions section, and the information on the principles - click here.

On October 4, the United Church of Canada published a statement that reiterate calls for action based on our justice principles. These calls are:

• an immediate and sustained ceasefire in:

• the war on Gaza;

• the escalation of bombardments of Lebanon;

• missiles into Israel, and

• other armed attacks within Occupied Palestinian Territory;

• the immediate and unconditional release of all captives held by Hamas and by Israel;

• all countries to hold the region accountable under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law and a comprehensive two-way arms embargo on Canada’s trade with Israel;

• immediate, unhindered humanitarian access to all Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza, and to Lebanon;

• suspension of Canada’s diplomatic relationship with Israel until Israel abides by all relevant rulings of the International Court of Justice, including an immediate end to Israel’s illegal occupation, so a just peace can begin.

In January 2024, the General Secretary of the United Church wrote to the Prime Minister regarding Canada should support South Africa’s application to the ICJ regarding Israel’s breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention, and ban arm sales to Israel.  This letter can be found here.

On November 18, 2023, the members of the Executive of the General Council and the National Indigenous Council of The United Church of Canada, wrote a letter (click here to see) to the Prime Minister to address the urgent and immediate need to stop genocide; calling for the Prime Minister’s Office to:

• recognize the genocide;

• uphold international human rights and humanitarian law without exception;

• call for an immediate ceasefire;

• advocate for the release of hostages;

• demand the opening of humanitarian corridors;

• and engage meaningfully in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace in the region.

On October 13, 2023, KAIROS Canada and its member churches (includes the United Church of Canada) and agencies issued An Ecumenical Statement in Violence between Hamas and Israel.  Click here for more information. On October 7, 2023, the United Church called for immediate ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. Click here for more information

Currently the United Church participates on the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel.  The program was launched in response to a request from local church leaders to create an international presence in the area.  It offers a protective presence and witnesses what is happening.  The accompaniers practice what they call principled impartiality - no sides are taken in the conflict but it does not remain neutral in terms of human rights or respect for international humanitarian law.

The United Church of Canada has been working towards a just and lasting peace in Israel/Palestine for many years.  The issue is complex and generations of actions on the many sides involved in the conflict make solutions challenging.  The Church has spent time discerning what is the way forward to achieving a just peace respecting the right to self determination for both Israelis and Palestinians.  A process that has often led to criticism from groups that have interest in the outcomes. In November 2021, the Just Peace Group presented their report In Support of Just Peace in Palestine and Israel: A Call to Costly Solidarity to General Council Executive. This report was received by General Council 44 but its recommendations were postponed “definitely”, which means that it should come back to General Council after the completion of work on the GCE 03 Principle Based Approach to Justice Work in the United Church of Canada.