P.E.I. social assistance payments going up by 5% in March

Prince Edward Island adults receiving social assistance benefits will get an extra $26 on their cheques next month. 

The province is spending $27 million to increase social program rates by five per cent as of March 1, according to a news release issued Tuesday.

The government is also increasing all shelter ceilings, as well as the community living expense, the school age allowance, the personal care allowance and the home maintenance repair benefit.

Of the $27 million, $1.9 million will go toward increasing the basic unit rate, a monthly allowance to cover a person's food, clothing and household supplies. 

"We know inflation and the rising costs of living in P.E.I. are impacting all Islanders," Social Development and Seniors Minister Barb Ramsay was quoted as saying in the release. "Every Islander deserves to have their basic needs met, and this government has invested significantly to get money into the hands of those who need it most." 

The new basic unit rates are as follows: 

For a household with two adults and two children aged eight and 15, for example, the rates translate to $1,789 per month, an increase of $86. 

Clients will also see their monthly shelter rate ceilings increase as follows: 

According to data Statistics Canada released in May 2023, P.E.I. leads the country in food insecurity, and more than one-third of Island children live in homes without a stable source of healthy food.

The percentage of people not able to afford the kind of nutritious food they need rose to 23.6 per cent in 2022 compared to 17.3 per cent in 2019.

As for children, 35.1 per cent lived in food-insecure households in 2022 compared to 24.5 per cent in 2019.

School-age allowance rates, provided twice a year in August and December, will double with the rate increases announced Tuesday. A child aged four to 10 means a payment of $200 (up from $100), and there will be an increase from $125 to $250 for a child aged 11 to 17. 

The personal care allowance for social assistance clients will increase from $91 to $100. 

The community living expense for clients on assured income — support for Islanders living with disabilities who are part of the AccessAbility Supports program — will increase to $165 from $150.