After more than a week of public blowback related to her government’s budget, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams is making clear that there will be no change in the monthly caregiver benefit for people who receive it.

“There’s been a lot of noise around the legislature and getting all of the messaging out has been a bit of a challenge,” Adams told reporters at Province House on Monday.

“So I’m really happy to have this opportunity to reassure all Nova Scotians who are getting the caregiver benefit that their benefits are not going to be impacted.”

The caregiver benefit provides $400 a month to people who care for seniors or adults with a disability. The program was part of the list of $130 million in cuts included in the budget the government tabled two weeks ago.

Change in utilization

According to a document prepared by the Finance Department, $2.5 million was to be cut from the caregiver benefit budget of $12.7 million. Adams has previously declined to provide details about how that cut would impact recipients, saying that would be determined after the budget is passed.

But on Monday, she said the value of the payment would not change and the lower budget reflects an anticipated decrease in need as seven new nursing homes open this year.

“That is a natural assumption that those who were most in need of the caregiver benefit are also those who are most in need of long-term care placement and so there would be an expected decrease in the utilization of that budget.”

NDP Leader Claudia Chender criticized Adams and her government for not being clearer with the public during the last two weeks about the potential impact of the cuts in the budget.

She said she would feel more confident if the government spelled things out in writing. Thus far, that’s only happened in a social media post being circulated by at least one cabinet minister.

“I think Nova Scotians assume that this government does their homework before bringing in a budget and can speak to the provisions in that budget, but we couldn’t get an answer and neither could caregivers,” Chender told reporters.

Chender has called for the government to increase the benefit, which has remained at $400 for 16 years.

Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin called the government’s inability to explain the impacts of proposed cuts “disgraceful.”

“This is another example of not coming in with a budget that’s well thought out and making massive impacts to people’s lives without answers,” he told reporters.

“Honestly, this has been a gong show.”

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