Older Nova Scotians can now apply for grants to help with the cost of household chores, healthcare services and home heating.
The Seniors Care Grant program provides up to $500 to help support eligible seniors to live well at home. People applying for the grant are also able to apply for a new, one-time grant of $250 to help with heating costs.
The Seniors Care Grant helps cover the costs of services such as snow removal, small repairs, lawn care, transportation, and grocery and medication delivery. The list of eligible expenses has been expanded this year to include phone and internet costs, and health services like eye exams, dental work, mental health support, physical therapy, and foot care.
The new $250 home heating grant is available to eligible Nova Scotians 65 and older, including people who have already received money through the Seniors Care Grant or Heating Assistance Rebate Program in the past year. The grant is available for the cost of furnace oil, natural gas, propane, firewood, wood pellets and electricity.
More information about the grants, including how to apply, who is eligible and eligible services is available:
at the program website: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-help-household-costs-seniors-care-grant
by email: seniorsgrant@novascotia.ca
by calling toll-free: 1-800-670-4357.
Applications close on March 31, 2023.
Expansion of the Seniors Care Grant program is part of Action for Health, the government’s strategic plan to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia.
Additional Resources:
News release – Helping Seniors Cover Heating Bills, Other Increasing Costs: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220728003
Heating Assistance Rebate Program:
https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-heating-assistance-rebate-heating-assistance-rebate-program
Property Tax Rebate for Seniors:
https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-property-tax-rebate-property-tax-rebate-seniors
Financial assistance and grant programs for homeowners: https://housing.novascotia.ca/programs/financial-assistance-and-grant-programs-homeowners
Action for Health, a strategic plan to address recent and long-standing problems in acute and primary care, long-term care, addictions, and mental health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/
Mandate letter of the Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-SLTC.pdf