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New Brunswick: How working affects your social assistance

Enter your household's monthly wages to see how much is exempt and how much is counted under the published wage-exemption rule. This shows how the rule treats earnings, not a cheque amount.

This version is for people who already receive Extended Benefits or Transitional Assistance. New applications, and clients who reapply within 30 days of a closed file, are not covered. Talk to Social Development about those.

The rule in one line

For a household receiving Extended Benefits or Transitional Assistance, the first $500 of monthly wages is exempt, and half of anything above $500 is also exempt. The rest is counted when assistance is calculated.

Counted wages = 50% × (monthly wages − $500), and never less than $0.

1. Does your household currently receive social assistance (not just applying)?

Only confirmed, existing recipients get a personal figure here. The exemption works differently for people who are applying.

2. Which program is your household on?
3. What kind of income are you entering?

Add up the assessed net wages of the people on your assistance file. A dependent under 21 has fully exempt wages (Policy 2.10), so leave those out.

This is not gross pay, and it is not simply your take-home pay. New Brunswick starts from gross monthly wages and subtracts Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, union dues, private health insurance and compulsory income tax. Your caseworker confirms the figure from your pay stubs. Policy 2.10 – Wages

5. Does another household income or administrative situation need caseworker review?

For example, a spouse or partner with income, or a case where your caseworker has told you special rules apply.

Your result

Needs confirmation. Answer question 1 to continue. A personal figure is only shown for confirmed current recipients.

Why a month's work may affect a later cheque

Social Development counts a month as the 22nd to the 21st, which is the income reporting period. Its policy describes wages being calculated from the previous month's wages. So work in one period may show up in a later cheque. Which cheque changes depends on your reporting dates and the cutoff, so confirm with your caseworker.

Combined wages, not per worker

One $500 exemption applies to the people on your assistance file together, not to each worker separately.

What this estimator covers

A rules-based estimate from published New Brunswick rules. It models one thing: how the wage exemption treats job wages for existing recipients of Extended Benefits or Transitional Assistance.

Included in the math

  • The first $500 of combined monthly assessable net wages is exempt (Regulation 95-61, section 8(2)(e.03)).
  • 50% of wages above $500 is also exempt (Policy 2.9).
  • Counted wages are rounded to the cent. Exempt plus counted equals the wages entered.
Not includedShow details
  • Your actual cheque, rate, take-home income or eligibility. We do not calculate a cheque.
  • How much your assistance is reduced. That depends on the rest of your case.
  • Applicants, and clients reapplying within 30 days.
  • Spouse or partner income and the spousal thresholds.
  • Self-employment, shelter income, tips and wages of a dependent under 21.
  • Employment Insurance and other income, assets, and special benefits.
  • Overpayments, timing adjustments and other individual decisions.

Your caseworker applies the rules to your file. Treat any figure here as a way to prepare questions, not as a decision.

Existing recipients versus applicants

The regulation allows the wage exemption for households receiving Extended Benefits or Transitional Assistance, and does not allow it when an application is being made (section 8(3)). Policy 2.9 adds that someone who received basic assistance in the past 30 days and reapplies has the exemption used. That mix is why applicants and people reapplying are outside this version.

If you are applying, or reapplying within 30 days, ask Social Development how the exemption applies to you.

Policy 2.9 – Wage Exemptions

This is a rules-based estimate. It is not an official government determination.

Official sources and contacts

Provincial number for Social Development: 1-833-733-7835

Official links open in a new tab.

Checked against the published regulation (consolidated to October 1, 2026) and Social Development's policy manual. An October 2026 amendment (Regulation 2026-58) added a pathway for some Extended Benefits clients whose spouse has income, which is why spouse-income cases need caseworker review.

New Brunswick: How working affects your social assistance | MyEligible