How to apply for Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS): apply online through a Saskatchewan Account or by phone, what documents to have ready, the current benefit rates, and what happens after you apply.
Applies in: Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) is the Government of Saskatchewan's monthly income support program for people living in Saskatchewan who need financial help to afford basic living costs. It is run by the Ministry of Social Services. This guide covers the application mechanics only: how to apply, what to have ready, what the current rates are, and what happens after you apply. It gives no advice on whether you qualify — the ministry decides that when it assesses your application. All facts below come from the Government of Saskatchewan's Saskatchewan Income Support page, the Saskatchewan Income Support Program Policy Manual, the Saskatchewan Income Support How to Apply Online Guide, the 211 Saskatchewan listing for Saskatchewan Income Support, and PLEA's Applying for Support page.
There are two ways to apply for SIS: online or by phone. The ministry's policy manual states that applications are to be made online or by telephone, and that applicants who show up in person at a local service centre will be directed to apply online or over the phone. A paper application can be taken in person only in exceptional circumstances where internet and phone lines are not in service.
To apply online, you need a Saskatchewan.ca account and an active email address. If you do not have an account, register to create one first; if you do not have an account at all, you cannot submit an online application and should apply over the phone instead. You can use any computer or device with an internet connection, or one of the computers in a Social Services service centre. The province's online guide recommends Google Chrome or Safari.
To apply by phone, call Social Services at 1-866-221-5200 (TTY 1-866-995-0099). The 211 Saskatchewan listing gives the phone hours as Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can also visit a Social Services office and use a computer or phone there, with staff able to help you. Find your nearest office on the Government of Saskatchewan's Find a Social Services Office page.
Before you start the application, gather the documents that verify your information. You will need:
If you do not have a valid SIN or HSN, you must provide verification that you have applied for one. For SIS, you have 30 days after you apply to provide these numbers. You must be living in the area where you apply.
Allow 25 minutes or more to answer all the questions and attach your documents. You can access your online application 24 hours a day, save it, exit, and return to it later — but you have 15 days to complete and submit it. If you do not complete the application within 15 days, it expires and you will have to reapply. The application must be completed in full, submitted, and authorized through your Saskatchewan.ca account, including the ministry's consent form. The date of your application is the date a complete application is submitted, including the completed consent form. When you finish on a shared or public computer, sign out of your Saskatchewan Account, clear the browser history and cookies, and close the browser completely to protect your identity.
If you apply by phone, you give the Client Service Centre the information about your personal circumstances, provide consent, and authorize your application over the phone.
After you submit your application, you must complete a mandatory service level screening over the phone within 30 days. This is the step where the ministry checks the information you gave and works out your situation. Within 30 days of applying, you must also give Social Services any information it needs to determine your income and assets, and those of your spouse if you have one. You must fill out a direct deposit form within 30 days of applying so your benefit can be paid into your bank account.
If you are eligible, you will get a monthly benefit amount that reflects your circumstances. Your circumstances are assessed every month, so the amount you are paid may change. Along with SIS benefits, you can also receive income from other sources, such as federal benefits, income tax refunds, or employment.
The rates below are effective as of May 1, 2026, as published on the Government of Saskatchewan's SIS page.
Basic Benefit — for food, clothing, travel, and personal and household items:
Shelter Benefit — for rent, mortgage payments, utilities, taxes, and all other shelter-related costs:
Monthly earned income exemptions — earnings you can keep before your benefit is affected:
Families with children earning more than $500 a month can apply for the Saskatchewan Employment Incentive, a separate program.
SIS can provide extra help beyond the monthly Basic and Shelter Benefits. The amounts are published on the Government of Saskatchewan's SIS page: a Household Health and Safety Benefit of up to $500 to help replace household items or set up a new residence due to a disaster or interpersonal violence; an additional Stabilization Benefit of $150 a month for clients who have difficulty maintaining stable housing; short-term emergency assistance where an unforeseen emergency would cause harm if not addressed; a Prescribed Diet Benefit of $50 to $150 a month for medical conditions that need extra nutritional supplements or food; a Travel Benefit for travel outside your community for medical purposes, job interviews, or starting employment, at set rates for mileage, meals, and shelter; an Alternate Heating Benefit of $190 a month where natural gas is not accessible and you must heat your home with another source; an Employment and Training Benefit of $140 to help with the costs of starting a career or a training program; a Children's Benefit of $400 for a parent who is not eligible to receive the Canada Child Benefit; a Licensed Child Care Benefit for clients who are employed, in training or school, or have a medical need and have children in licensed child care; a Child Care Benefit of $30 a day for short-term help while looking for employment or going to a job interview; a Relocation Benefit of $200 or $300 depending on household size for moving costs due to health and emergencies, evictions beyond your control, starting a job outside your community, or finding a more affordable place within the Shelter Benefit rates; a security deposit of up to the amount of your Shelter Benefit; and funeral benefits.
If you disagree with a decision about your benefits — for example, you believe your application was improperly denied or you should receive more — you have the right to appeal. For SIS, you must file your appeal within 15 days of the date on your decision letter.
SIS is not the program for people with significant and enduring disabilities. That is the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID) program, a separate program with its own application. To apply for SAID by phone, call 1-888-567-7243 (TTY 1-866-995-0099), Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Government of Saskatchewan's SIS page does not publish SIS payment dates, so this guide states no payment dates; check the payment dates published on saskatchewan.ca or ask Social Services at 1-866-221-5200. No official page states how long it takes from applying to receiving a first payment, so this guide states no processing time. The official rates table lists a Children's Basic Benefit of $65 per child only within the Northern Administration District; no children's basic benefit amount outside the district is shown on the page, so this guide states none. The phone hours of Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. come from the 211 Saskatchewan listing and PLEA, not from the saskatchewan.ca page, so confirm them when you call. Confirm all four points with Social Services at 1-866-221-5200 before relying on them.
You apply online or by phone. To apply online, sign in to your Saskatchewan Account or register to create one — you need an active email address — then complete the Income Support application and attach documents that verify your information. To apply by phone, call Social Services at 1-866-221-5200 (TTY 1-866-995-0099). Applications are made online or by telephone; if you go to a service centre in person you will be directed to apply online or over the phone, except in exceptional circumstances where internet and phone lines are not in service.
Have your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Saskatchewan Health Services Number (HSN) for yourself and your spouse or partner, plus documents that verify your information, such as pay stubs, a rental agreement, and bank statements. You also need an active email address to apply online, and a way to scan or photograph documents to submit them electronically. If you do not have a SIN or HSN, you need to show you have applied for one; for SIS you have 30 days after applying to provide these numbers.
You have 15 days. You can save your online application and come back to it at any time, but if you do not complete and submit it within 15 days it expires and you have to reapply. Allow 25 minutes or more to answer all the questions and attach your documents. After you submit, you must complete the mandatory service level screening over the phone within 30 days.
The amount depends on your situation and is assessed every month, so it can change. The rates effective May 1, 2026 are: a Basic Benefit of $375 per adult per month outside the Northern Administration District ($445 inside it, plus $65 per child inside the district), and a Shelter Benefit of $675 a month for a single person in Saskatoon or Regina ($615 elsewhere in the province), $865 for a couple without dependent children in Saskatoon or Regina ($750 elsewhere), $1,105 for a family with one or two children in Saskatoon or Regina ($860 elsewhere), and $1,287 for a family with three or more children in Saskatoon or Regina ($965 elsewhere). You can also keep some earnings: the monthly earned income exemption is $375 for a single person, $475 for a couple without dependent children, and $500 for a family.
The program lists several extra benefits: a Household Health and Safety Benefit of up to $500 to replace household items or set up a new residence after a disaster or interpersonal violence; a Stabilization Benefit of $150 a month for clients who have difficulty keeping stable housing; a Prescribed Diet Benefit of $50 to $150 a month where a medical condition needs extra food or nutritional supplements; an Alternate Heating Benefit of $190 a month where natural gas is not available and you must heat with another source; an Employment and Training Benefit of $140 to help with starting a career or training; a Children's Benefit of $400 for a parent who cannot get the Canada Child Benefit; a Child Care Benefit of $30 a day for short-term help while looking for work or going to a job interview; a Relocation Benefit of $200 or $300 depending on household size; a security deposit up to the amount of your Shelter Benefit; and funeral benefits.
You have the right to appeal a decision about your benefits, for example if you believe your application was wrongly denied or you should receive more. For SIS you must file your appeal within 15 days of the date on your decision letter. If you are unsure how to appeal, call Social Services at 1-866-221-5200 and ask what to do.