Income assistance on the rise in the N.W.T. over last 3 years

The number of people in the Northwest Territories turning to the government for help getting by has been on the rise over the last three years.The government has begun a consultation on how to improve the way it delivers help to those in need.

According to the most recent figures available from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, last year the government paid out $25 million in income assistance. That's $5 million more than it paid out three years ago.

During those same three years there was a 10 per centincrease in the number of people who relied on income assistance. In 2017-18 a total of 3,753 people relied on it at one point or another.

Minister of Education, Culture and Employment CarolineCochrane says the increase in the amount of income assistance is, at least in part, the result of policy changes in her department.

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Cochrane said the department has increased the income threshold used to determine whether a senior citizen qualifies for income assistance, meaning more now qualify. Government funding provided for children, such as the federal child tax benefit, are no longer counted as income for the purpose of determining who qualifies for income assistance.

It's complicated

The language of government assistance can be confusing. "Income assistance"refers to a specific program that provides people with low or no incomes with enough to cover the cost of food, shelter and other essentials. "Income support"refers to a suite of programs for those in need, including income assistance, the seniors home heating subsidy, and student financial assistance.

"It's really difficult to say these are the number of people affected because of job losses," saidCochrane. "What's more important to note is that economic security and income support are closely linked."

The cost of delivering the income assistance program is significant. According to figures from the department and territorial budget documents, in 2015-16 it cost almost $9 million in wages and benefits to deliver $20 million in income assistance. In 2017-18 the government spent $7.7 million to deliver $25 million in support.

Cochrane met with non-government organizations in Decemberat a meeting where she asked each to bring someone on income support for a brainstorming session on how the programs are delivered. Cochrane says the department has also sought feedback from MLAs and Indigenous governments.

"As soon as this session is finished, that's my number one priority looking at the solutions we've gotten, defining them into short-term, mid-term and long-term goals, recognizing I only have six-and-a-half, seven months left in this assembly."

Total spending on income assistance is projected to decline slightly, to $29.1 million this year. The government estimates it will spend a total of $31.8 million on it in 2019-20.