A new financial support has been announced for vulnerable essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those low-income workers will have their salaries topped up by a cost-shared $400 per month temporary wage supplement, in an announcement by Premier Scott Moe and finance minister Donna Harpauer on Thursday.
The new wage supplement is one the federal government has introduced, and the province has agreed to cost-share with the federal government estimated around $56 million. $53 million is coming from the federal government and the province will be contributing $3 million.
It consists of a flat $400 per month benefit for up to 16 weeks retroactive to March 15 for each eligible worker. The application process will be outlined in coming days.
The supplement will apply to an estimated 35,000 lower income, essential workers. According to the province, workers are eligible for the new supplement if they earn less than $2,500 per month and are employed at: senior-care facilities, including private care homes and home care; licensed childcare facilities; group homes run by community based organizations; and emergency shelters and transition shelters. Essential workers such as caregivers, cooks and cleaners at these facilities are eligible and it is eligible to both full and part time workers.
“This benefit is being provided to recognize the important contribution that these workers are making by going to work and supporting our most vulnerable residents at this challenging time,” said Moe. He noted these individuals would normally receive much support from family members but that is not possible at this time.
Premier Moe also announced some further measures to address the pandemic outbreak in the north, specifically La Loche. He said the minister of governmental relations met northern leaders on Wednesday and Moe said there were requests from those leaders for further restrictions on travel. In response, Moe announced non-essential travel between northern communities is now prohibited.
This is in addition to the restriction on non-essential travel in and out of Northern Saskatchewan. La Ronge and Stony Rapids are being exempted from these order, by request of those community leaders.
The province is also providing $370,000 to northern communities to support the new restrictions. $350,000 is going directly to the Northern Communities Association to help staff and maintain checkpoints in place. An additional $20,000 is going to La Loche to go towards public safety, food security, educational initiatives being organized by the community.
Seasonal businesses such as northern outfitters are also now eligible for support up to $5000 under the Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment; lease fees for outfitters are also being waived.
The province also announced changes to child care Thursday. Anyone working or returning to work under Phase I and Phase II of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan will have access to licensed child care services located within Saskatchewan schools.
According to their news release, after the closure of school-based child care facilities last month, more than 2,100 school-based spaces continued to remain open to pandemic response workers. Moe said they have been able to accommodate each one of those requests, and there is still a significant number of spaces available that will now be opened to other workers.
The application form is found on the Government of Saskatchewan website at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-childcare.
