Open ProvincesNewfoundland and Labrador Income Support: amounts and rules
The basic and shelter benefits, fuel supplement, earnings exemptions and how to apply.
Figures as of amounts as published by the department; rules January 2025
What Income Support is
Newfoundland and Labrador's Income Support program (Income and Employment Support) helps people who cannot meet their basic needs with a monthly basic benefit and a shelter benefit, and adds supplements for fuel, special needs and some disabilities. It is run by the Department of Social Supports and Well-Being.
How much you get
- Basic benefit, single adult: $561 a month (it did not change in 2025).
- Shelter benefit (rent or mortgage): up to $522 for a single person living alone, $299 each for a single person with a roommate and $598 for a couple, based on actual shelter costs.
- Fuel supplement: $71 a month on the Island and $132 in Labrador.
- A single parent gets a monthly Single Parent Supplement of $168 after the 2025 restructuring, and people with a disability can get disability-related additional benefits (Maytree models $10,800 a year for the single adult with a disability).
- Basic benefits are not indexed to inflation.
For a single adult paying the maximum rent, the monthly total before any income is about $1,083 ($561 + $522), plus fuel.
The whole picture: yearly income of typical households in 2025
| Household | Total yearly income from welfare and related benefits (2025) |
|---|---|
| Single adult considered employable | $12,962 |
| Single adult with a disability | $20,840 |
| Single parent, 1 child | $29,251 |
| Couple, 2 children | $37,998 |
Who qualifies and what you may keep
You must live in the province and be in financial need: your household's income and assets are not enough to cover your needs. A caseworker looks at income, assets and shelter costs.
| Household | Liquid asset limit (January 2025) |
|---|---|
| Single adult | $6,000 |
| Single adult with a disability | $6,000 |
| Single parent, 1 child | $11,000 |
| Couple, 2 children | $11,000 |
What happens when you work
- Singles, single parents and couples with children: the first $150 of net earnings is fully exempt; between $151 and $225 the benefit falls by 25 cents per dollar; between $226 and $300, by 50 cents; above $301, by 75 cents.
- People with a disability: the first $250 is fully exempt, then the benefit falls by 50 cents per dollar up to $300 and by 75 cents above.
- Maytree notes that these exemptions are applied as a pilot initiative and are not written in legislation or regulation.
Worked example
A single adult paying the maximum rent earns $800 net in a month. Exempt: $368.75. Counted against the benefit: $431.25. Benefit: $1,083 − $431.25 = $651.75. Total with earnings: $1,451.75.
How to apply
Apply to the Department of Social Supports and Well-Being (online, by phone or at a regional office). Report changes in income, address or household promptly.
The basic and shelter amounts come from the department's overview as reported by search; the earnings rules and 2025 totals come from Maytree. Confirm your own amount with your caseworker.
Always confirm your own amount with the program: this guide explains the rules, it does not replace an official decision.