Shelter allowances paid through the Saskatchewan Assistance Program (SAP), Transitional Employment Allowance (TEA) and Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement (SRHS) increased April 1.
"Our government is committed to ensuring that clients of our social assistance programs are able to keep up with cost of living increases to their rents," Social Services Minister June Draude said. "That's why our government has adjusted shelter allowances six times since 2008."
Approximately 2,000 SAP clients, 700 TEA clients and 4,000 families and/or people with disabilities who receive the SRHS will receive an increase in benefits. The shelter allowance increases for the adjusted categories will range from $2 to $19 per month for SAP and TEA, and from $1 to $8 per month for the SRHS, depending on each client's place of residence and individual circumstances. Not all SAP, TEA and SRHS clients will receive an increase;
however, no client will receive less than they did prior to the rate changes.
These latest shelter allowance increases are part of government's additional investment of $27 million to address caseload and cost-per-case increases in SAP, TEA, the SRHS, and the Child Care Subsidy, approved as part of the March 23 provincial budget.
To keep shelter allowances current, the provincial government has adjusted rates semi-annually since 2008, based upon rental market data compiled by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation regarding Saskatchewan communities.
