Individuals living with different forms of disabilities encounter many issues that sometimes make it difficult for them to have a healthy standard of living. The Saskatchewan government, in a bid to improve the standard of living of disabled Saskatchewan residents, introduced the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program.
SAID payments are deposited on the last business day of the previous month if you choose direct deposit. If you choose a cheque instead, it will be mailed earlier to ensure it arrives at the specified date you would receive the deposit.
What Is The Saskatchewan Assured Income For Disability (SAID) Program
The Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program, similar to the PWD benefit in British Columbia and the ODSP in Ontario, is a social assistance program aimed at providing financial support to people with ‘significant and enduring' disabilities who are not capable of providing support to themselves.
Founded in 2008 by the provincial government of Saskatchewan, the program is designed to be an income replacement program for people living with significant and enduring disabilities.
The SAID provides eligible individuals with income support as well as other supplementary benefits to help better their quality of life.
Initially, the SAID program was available only to individuals in residential care facilities. However, in 2012, the program was extended and made available to individuals living outside home care facilities.
SAID Payment Dates 2023
You will be asked to choose a payment method if you are eligible to receive the SAID benefit payment. If you choose to receive your payments by direct deposit, your payments will be deposited into your account on the last business day of the previous month. However, should you choose to receive your payments by mail, your cheque will be mailed to you at an earlier date so that your payment arrives before or on the due date.
The SAID payment dates for 2023 are as follows:
| Benefit Month | SAID Cheque Mailing Dates | SAID Direct Deposit Payment Dates |
| January | December 22, 2022 | December 28, 2022 |
| February | January 25 , 2023 | January 30, 2023 |
| March | February 22, 2023 | February 27, 2023 |
| April | March 27, 2023 | March 30, 2023 |
| May | April 24, 2023 | April 27, 2023 |
| June | May 25, 2023 | May 30, 2023 |
| July | June 26, 2023 | June 29, 2023 |
| August | July 25, 2023 | July 28, 2023 |
| September | August 25, 2023 | August 30, 2023 |
| October | September 25, 2023 | September 28, 2023 |
| November | October 26, 2023 | October 30, 2023 |
| December | November 27, 2023 | November 29, 2023 |
SAID Benefit Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to receive the monthly SAID benefit payment, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a resident of Saskatchewan.
- You must be 18 years of age or older.
- You must be in financial need. That is, you lack resources to provide for your basic needs.
- You must also have a significant and enduring disability that is permanent and, to a large extent, affects your daily activities. The disability should be of such a nature that it leads to you requiring the help of an assistive device, a service animal, a home care residence, or the help of another person, such as a caregiver.
To further ensure that you qualify for the SAID benefits, a Disability Impact Assessment will be carried out to ensure further that your disability is, in fact, significant and enduring.
SAID Benefits You May Receive
The SAID benefits can be broadly classified into three categories as follows:
The Living Income
The SAID Living Income is a fixed monthly allowance paid to beneficiaries to help cover the costs of living essentials like food, shelter, as well as transportation, and other necessities.
The SAID Living Income also allows beneficiaries to have control over and decide on how to spend the income they receive.
The Disability Income
The SAID Disability Income is paid to beneficiaries to help with the costs incurred due to the disability.
The Exceptional Need Income
This SAID benefit payment is designed to help individuals or beneficiaries with special circumstances. The payment covers the costs of special food items and clothing recommended by a health professional, home care services, and the costs incurred by feeding and caring for service animals.
SAID Payment Rates For 2023
The amount you may be eligible for the Living Income benefits depends on your circumstances. The amount you receive is categorized into four tiers based on your location of residence and family size.Â
The four tiers are defined as follows:
Tier A
Residents of Lloydminster, Regina, Saskatoon, and Estevan, including the bedroom communities of Allan, Asquith, Balgonie, Belle Plaine, Bradwell, Buena Vista, Clavet, Colonsay, Dalmeny, Delisle, Disley, Dundurn, Edenwold, Elstow, Grand Coulee, Langham, Lumsden, Lumsden Beach, Martensville, Meacham, Osler, Pense, Pilot Butte, Regina Beach, Shields, Thode, Vanscoy, Warman, White City.
Tier B
Residents of Creighton, Kindersley, La Loche, La Ronge, Macklin, Mel ville, Prince Albert, Rosetown, Weyburn, and Yorkton.
Tier C
Residents of Battleford, Fort Qu'Appelle, Humboldt, Meadow Lake, Melfort, Nipawin, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Swift Current, and Watrous.
Tier D
Residents of other towns, rural areas, and social housing units outside Tiers A, B, and C.
Living Income Payment Amount
The amount of money you may be eligible to receive in the SAID Living Income benefit depends on your location of residence in any of the four tiers and your family size.
The Living Income benefit payment amounts based on the location of residence and family size for a single individual are as follows:
| Tier | 1 Adult | Single Parent + 1 or 2 Children | Single Parent + 3 or 4 Children | Single Parent + 5 or More Children |
| A | $1,064 | $1,316 | $1,378 | $1,454 |
| B | $1,009 | $1,194 | $1,255 | $1,329 |
| C | $968 | $1,168 | $1,232 | $1,295 |
| D | $931 | $1,034 | $1,085 | $1,162 |
If you are married or have a common-law partner, the amount you may receive based on your family size or location of residence is as follows:
| Tier | 2 Adults | 2 Parents + 1 or 2 Children | 2 Parents + 3 or 4 Children | 2 Parents + 5 or More Children |
| A | $1,497 | $1,621 | $1,683 | $1,759 |
| B | $1,411 | $1,499 | $1,560 | $1,634 |
| C | $1,360 | $1,473 | $1,537 | $1,600 |
| D | $1,265 | $1,339 | $1,390 | $1,467 |
Modified Living Benefit Payment Amount
If you are in a board and lodging situation or lodging-only situation, you will receive the SAID Modified Living benefit, which covers the costs of food, personal needs, and other incidental expenses.
The amount you may receive is as follows:
- $805 if you are a single adult.
- $1,210 if you have a spouse or common-law partner.
- $85 for each additional child.
Utilities Benefit Payment Amount
There are fixed rates for the Utilities Benefit if you choose not to receive the actual utility costs.
For Tiers A, B, C, and D, the amount received is as follows:
- $30 for telephone bills.
For electricity bills, you will receive:
- $84 for one person.
- $13 for each additional person.
- $136 for five or more people.
For energy or home heating bills, you will receive:
- $93 for one person.
- $8 for each additional person.
- $125 for five or more people.
For water and sewer bills, the amount received is:
- $50 for one person.
- $6 for each additional person.
- $74 for five or more people.
Laundry Allowance
This allowance is given if:
- a beneficiary or a member of the family is unable to do laundry.
- there are no laundry facilities available.
- the beneficiary must pay for using laundry facilities.
The amount received is as follows:
| Family Size | Amount Paid |
| 1 | $10 |
| 2 | $15 |
| 3 | $29 |
| 4 or more | $25 |
Child Care Benefit Payment Amount
The SAID program also provides allowances for eligible parents whose children require childcare such as daycare.
The childcare benefit amount you may be eligible to receive is as follows:
| Number of Children | Half-Day | Full Day |
| 1 | $10 | $20 |
| 2 | $14 | $27 |
| 3 | $17 | $34 |
| 4 | $21 | $41 |
Other SAID Benefits
The SAID offers other additional benefits, such as:
Disability Income Benefit
This benefit is available for beneficiaries who live with a disability and receive the Living Income benefit or the Modified Living benefit. The maximum payable amount for the Disability Income benefit is $70 per month.
Transportation Benefit
Beneficiaries of the SAID program may also be recipients of the SAID Transportation benefit. This benefit payment is designed to cover the transportation fare costs incurred by travelling to medical appointments, attending day programs, taking children to school, attending funerals, going to work, or for any other approved reason.
Northern Living Supplement
This allowance is designed to meet the additional costs incurred by living in northern communities.
The maximum monthly amount payable is $50 per family member.
Household Disability Support Benefit
This support payment is designed to help cover the costs of household tasks that the eligible beneficiary or family member is unable to carry out due to a disability.
The maximum amount payable is $25 per month.
Exceptional Needs Activity Benefit
This benefit is available to eligible beneficiaries living in approved private service homes licensed by the Mental Health Services Act or the Residential Services Act or in homes licensed by the Personal Care Homes Act.
Personal Living Benefit
This benefit amount is available to beneficiaries that live in residential care facilities, hotel rooms where restaurant meals are required, long-term residents providing partial personal support, a temporary treatment center, or any other living arrangements where the Living Income benefit is not provided.
The maximum monthly payment amount is $285 per month for adults and $55 for children.
How To Apply For SAID Benefits
To apply for the SAID benefits, you need to contact the SAID Service Center at 1-888-567-7243 or the TTY number 1-866-995-0099 if you have a hearing impairment. You can also visit your local Ministry of Social Services office to register for the program.
If you're disabled and are currently a beneficiary of the Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) or Saskatchewan Assistance Program (SAP) benefits, you can contact your Income Assistance Worker to apply for the SAID.
However, if after applying for the SAID, your application is denied, you will receive a letter letting you know that your application has been denied, together with what you should do to appeal the decision. You should appeal within 15 days of being notified.
Related Saskatchewan Social Assistance Benefits
Aside from the SAID benefit, there are other social assistance programs in Saskatchewan that you may be eligible for. Some of them include:
Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS)
This income support program is designed for people in financial need who cannot support themselves.
The program offers a maximum payment amount of $350 for single adults and up to $65 for each child. You can also get up to $500 in Household Health and Safety benefits to replace household items lost to a fire or other incident. You will also get up to $150 per month as an additional shelter stabilization benefit to provide support to recipients who cannot maintain stable housing.
The benefit amount is aimed at helping with the cost of living expenses for low-income earning and unemployed individuals.
The SIS payments are made on the same dates as those of the SAID.
Saskatchewan Assistance Program (SAP)
This benefit program is provided for low-income earning or unemployed families to help cover the costs of living essentials. The expenses covered include shelter, utilities, special needs, and personal needs.
The SAP payments are made on the same dates as those of the SIS and the SAID programs.
The SAP and TEA were shut down in 2021 but recipients can apply for financial assistance through the SIS.
Saskatchewan Employment Supplement
This benefit is available for low-income earning families and it is aimed at supplementing their income.
Depending on the number of eligible children you have, you may be eligible to receive up to $4,070 per month in employment income.
In Summary
The Saskatchewan Assured Income Disability (SAID) program aims at providing financial help to Saskatchewan residents living with one form of disability or another. The program mainly targets individuals whose disabilities are ‘significant and enduring' as individuals with this class of disabilities find it hard to take care of themselves in one way or the other. To get more information on the application process, visit the nearest local Ministry of Social Services office or call the service center at 1-888-567-7243 or 1-866-995-0099 (TTY).
SAID Payment Dates FAQs
Is the SAID benefit taxable?
No, the SAID benefit payment is non-taxable or tax-free. That is, you do not have to include your SAID payments as taxable income when filing your income tax returns and you do not owe taxes deductible from the SAID income you receive.
What is the Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) program?
The Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) program is designed for low-income earning or unemployed individuals and families who cannot meet the costs of their basic needs. The amount you may receive for SIS depends on your circumstances, which are assessed every month.
Can I get a loan if I'm on SAID?
Yes, you can get a loan if you are on SAID, depending on the lender. Many lenders consider SAID benefit payments as regular income, hence, you can use your SAID income to receive a loan.
What happens if I get denied for SAID?
If you get denied for SAID after sending In your application, you will receive a letter informing you of this decision. The letter will also contain the next steps to appeal the decision. However, you have 15 days to appeal and you should appeal as soon as you get the letter in the mail to make up for the time it took the mail service in your area to get the letter to you.
