Apply for help with household, healthcare and home heating costs: Seniors Care Grant
The Seniors Care Grant helps low-income seniors with the cost of household services (like lawn care, snow removal, grocery delivery, transportation, small home repairs and phone service), healthcare services (like physiotherapy and mental health support) and home heating. Grants are $750 for each household. You can apply until 31 March 2024.
Apply for the Seniors Care Grant to help with the cost of household and healthcare services and home heating.
Grant amount
You can receive $750 if you qualify for the Seniors Care Grant.
Eligible household and healthcare services and home heating costs
Eligible household and healthcare services and home heating costs include services that help you stay in your home including:
- cooking and meal preparation (excluding the cost of food)
- grocery and meal delivery (excluding the cost of food)
- healthcare services for your health and wellness (like foot care, physiotherapy and mental health support)
- home heating (like furnace oil, natural gas, propane, firewood, wood pellets and electricity)
- home heating repairs and regular heating maintenance
- home cleaning, organizing and help with downsizing or moving
- laundry
- medication and prescription delivery (excluding the cost of medications and prescriptions)
- outdoor work (like driveway maintenance, landscaping, lawn care, snow removal, stacking wood and tree removal)
- phone, cellphone and internet services (excluding the cost of devices)
- small home repairs (like windows, doors, roof, plumbing, electrical, decks, fencing, siding and painting)
- transportation (like taxis, ride shares, shuttles and other methods of transportation) and public and community transit (like the bus, Access-A-Bus and ferry)
Ineligible household and healthcare services include the cost of:
- devices (like phones, cellphones, computers, laptops and tablets)
- food
- medical and assistive devices (like eyeglasses, dentures, dental implants, braces, orthopedic supports and personal alerts)
- medications, prescriptions, supplements and vitamins
Help with your application
The Seniors Care Grant can help you with the application process and answer questions about proof of income, home ownership or lease agreement, and receipts for household and healthcare services and home heating.
Receipts
Keep a copy of your receipts for household and healthcare services and home heating for your records. You only need to provide receipts if the Seniors Care Grant contacts you and asks you to provide receipts.
Acceptable receipts include receipts:
- on a piece of paper or in a notebook (written or signed by the service provider)
- in a receipt book (written or signed by the person or business providing the service)
- from a business
Receipts need to include:
- name of the person receiving the service
- type of service received
- cost of the service
- date of the service
- name and address of the person or business providing the service
Heating Assistance Rebate Program
You can also apply to the Heating Assistance Rebate Program for help with the cost of home heating.
Eligibility
To qualify for the grant, you need to be 65 or older by 31 March 2024 and meet all of the following criteria:
- have a household net income of $37,500 or less
- live in your own home or apartment
- have your name on the property title, Land Titles Initiative Certificate of Claim or residential lease agreement or a Band administrative letter issued by a First Nation community (reserve)
- have paid (or that you will pay) for household and healthcare services and home heating between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024
You need to apply by 31 March 2024 (only 1 person per household can apply).
How to apply
- Apply online for the grant.
- Submit your completed application.
How long it takes
It should take 8 weeks to get your reimbursement. It can take longer if more information is needed or if your application hasn’t been filled in correctly. If more information is required to process your grant, the Department of Service Nova Scotia contacts you by email.
If your income tax refund is direct deposited, your reimbursement is too. If not, your reimbursement is mailed to you.
Cost
There is no cost to apply for the grant.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
- all adults on the application available to sign the form
- social insurance numbers and dates of birth of all adults in your home
- total amount spent (or that you will spend) on household and healthcare services and home heating between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024
The Department of Service Nova Scotia may contact you and ask you to provide proof of income, home ownership or lease agreement and receipts for household and healthcare services and home heating. If you need to provide proof of home ownership or lease agreement, you can use a property tax bill, property assessment notice, mortgage statement, Land Titles Initiative Certificate of Claim, Band administrative letter issued by a First Nation community (reserve), utility bill that shows your home address or a residential lease agreement with your name on it.
Apply online
When you apply online you need an email address. The Seniors Care Grant emails you if it needs more information to process your grant.
You can use the Seniors Care Grant Application Form (PDF 245 kB) if you’re unable to apply online. Send your completed application (both sides of the application) and any supporting documents by mail or fax. If you want to receive a paper application by mail, contact us.