Apply In-Person:

1. To apply Income Support for Workers in person, the applicant has to visit the nearest local office of the Community Services Department.
2. Addresses of the local offices for the various regions can be found in the following Contact link
3. First, the applicant has to call the Department of Community Services Intake Team at 1-877-424-1177.
4. There will be a caseworker on the other end. The applicant should inform him/her that they want to apply for Income Assistance.
5. The caseworker will ask the applicant, questions about their situation. He/she will ask some of the applicant’s information such as bank statements for their account, Social Insurance Number (SIN) and any relevant information.
6. Then, he/she will arrange a meeting at the office for carrying out the application process by gathering the applicant’s information and collecting required documents.
7. Make a visit to the local office on the scheduled date and time along with the documents listed in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
8. Meet the caseworker and submit all the documents requested by him/her. He/she will make a photocopy of all the submitted documents and file them in the applicant’s name.
9. After that, the caseworker will assess the submitted information to find out if the applicant is eligible for the Income Assistance.
10. After a period of three to seven days, the caseworker will call the applicant or send a letter regarding the assessment results.
11. If the application has been approved, the applicant will be informed about the amount that they are eligible for.
12. If not, they will be informed about the disapproval and respective reasons for the disapproval.
13. The applicant can also call the office to know about the application status.

• Completed application form (if any)
• Social Insurance Card
• Driving license or any Identification Document containing photo
• Statements of bank account
• Income Tax Assessment forms
• Copy of the Lease document/Land Title
• Bills or Receipts of the housing costs

Head Office,
Nova Scotia Department of Community Services,
Nelson Place,
5675, Spring Garden Road,
Halifax,
Nova Scotia - B3J 1H1
Toll free number: 1-877-424-1177

Mailing Address:
NS Department of Community Services,
P. O. Box 696,
Halifax, Nova Scotia,
B3J 2T7
Website link
Contact link

• The applicant should be a resident of Nova Scotia and should be in need of financial support to pay for their basic needs.
• The applicant should be 19 years old or over. In certain cases, people lying between 16 and 18 are also eligible.
• The applicant should have tried to find a job or a source of income and he/she is unable to get one, for that time.
• Refer the following page for more explanation: Eligibility criteria

Explain the fees structure which is required for obtaining the certificate/document.

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

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The application processing takes nearly a period of three to seven days.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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• If the applicant is in need of financial assistance because of an emergency, they should let a caseworker know. They might help the applicant get assistance faster.
• Some examples are having no food, danger of losing home or any medical emergency of the applicant, applicant’s spouse or any dependent child.
• Visit the following page for more relevant instructions How to apply

• Applicant details
• Spouse/partner’s details
• Identification card numbers
• Details of household members
• Assets and income information
• Bank details
• Amount of liquid cash
• Social Insurance Number
• Address of the applicant
• Employment Information
• Educational qualifications

The Income Assistance (IA) program helps all residents of Nova Scotia when they are not able to support themselves or their family. Depending on their situation, they may get money for their basic needs or help with other special needs.

Refer the following page for more information and informational links More information

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

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More information which might help people.