The provincial government revealed a new income support program for people in need this morning.

The Saskatchewan Income Support program is meant to be simpler, transparent, client friendly and have more features that will help clients to more independence and a better quality of life.

Social Services Minister Paul Marriman says it will include new features like motivational interviewing, online applications and higher monthly earned income exemptions. “This will allow our clients to gain employment and earn more money that will go straight into their wallet. Not only is this important for our clients that will have more income, but they will be able to gain employment experience that will lead to meaningful careers.”

Marriman says the motivational interviewing to help clients set career and financial goals. “We have over 300 case workers that are currently doing income assistance, and I think we have about 245 that have had the first phase of motivational interviewing.”

“The trainers can go our into their offices across the province and start implementing it,” he adds. Marriman says the goal is to have all case workers trained on this within the next 30 days.

Clients who are currently on the Saskatchewan Assistance Program or Transitional Employment Allowance, will remain on those programs until they are phased out, or until clients voluntarily move to the new program or no longer require income support.

“We did have a time frame of 2021 to be able to move clients over because we didn’t want this to linger forever, but we also want to make sure that it’s a tight enough time frame that it’s comfortable for any clients coming on and being able to transition them over. So two years was the time that we settled on,” adds Marriman.

As of July 15, SAP and TEA will no longer accept new applications.

The new program will begin accepting applications July 15th.