NDP leader Claudia Chender speaks to reporters outside of the Nova Scotia legislative chamber on Feb. 14, 2024. (Nova Scotia New Democratic Party)
The Houston government is facing backlash over changes to the Heating Assistance Rebate Program (HARP), with the opposition warning that thousands of Nova Scotians will be left without critical support this winter.
For the 2025–26 season, the maximum rebate has been reduced from $600 to $400.
Eligibility has also been tightened: single-person households must now earn under $30,000 and families under $45,000 to qualify, compared to previous thresholds of $55,000 and $75,000.
That shift means about 46,000 people who received help last year will no longer be eligible.
The wait time for payments has also stretched to as much as 10 weeks.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the changes could not come at a worse time. “At a time when costs are so high, it’s unthinkable the government would deny people help and actively make it harder for families to get by,” she told the legislature, citing increases in rent, power bills and poverty rates. “This cut must be reversed.”
Service Nova Scotia Minister Jill Balser defended the government’s decision, saying the program is still expected to support about 72,000 households with $400 payments targeted at “the most vulnerable.”
She also pointed to other affordability initiatives, including tax changes and the Seniors Care Grant. “This is just one of many programs government has put forward to help households save,” Balser said.
Chender countered that MLAs are seeing “lines out the door” at constituency offices, with residents learning they no longer qualify.
She said the cuts ignore the reality that heating is “non-negotiable” for Nova Scotians facing another winter of rising costs.
Applications for HARP remain open until March 31, 2026, through Access Nova Scotia centres, MLA offices, or online.
