Social Development critic and MLA Lisa Harris is condemning actions by the provincial government to cut the primary informal caregiver benefit.
She says while she’s glad to see the government commit 16.1 million dollars to increase home care support workers, it comes at the cost of cutting the caregiver benefit, a move she calls “underhanded.”
“While we strongly support increased wages for these hardworking support workers, we also believe that informal caregivers play a pivotal role in caring for our most vulnerable,” she said in a release.
Informal caregivers can be spouses, children, parents or friends who provide on going care without pay. The non-taxable benefit was introduced less than a year ago.
Harris says the decision sends the message that the government doesn’t care about the important work informal caregivers do.
“I now fear all investments made by this government will derive from the complete abandonment of a portion of New Brunswickers,” she said.
