Whitehorse's 'living wage' drops, thanks to Ottawa

Whitehorse families can get by on less incomethis year compared to last, according to an analysis by the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition.

The organization says new increases in federal benefits specifically the Canada Child Benefit, and the Northern Living Allowance have more than offset a 1.5 per centincrease in the cost of living.

For the second year in a row, the coalition has calculatedthe "living wage"for a typical family of two working parents with two young children, living in Whitehorse.It's the minimumhourly wage that each parentrequires for the family to pay for housing, food, clothing, and other basic needs.

This year, it's been calculated at $18.26 per hour 86 cents less thanlast year.

• Whitehorse's 'living wage' calculated at $19.12 an hour

"It's very useful to be able to track from year to year what's happening," said CharlotteHrenchuk, one of the coalition's co-chairs.

"It's a useful tool too, for bothNGOsand governments, to look at what programs they've initiated to try and work with these issues."

The coalition found that increasesto the Canada Child Benefit have given the average family of four an additional $2,921 this year, while changes to the Northern Living Allowance have reduced that family'sincome tax by $1,330.

The family's cost of basic household needs, meanwhile, has increased by $1,124 this year.

A higher minimum wage

During last fall's territorial election campaign, the opposition NDP cited the $19.12 living wage and promised to close "the gap" in part by boosting Yukon's minimum wage to $15 per hour (it's now $11.32).

Hrenchukagrees that a higher minimum wage would help, but says there are lots of other solutions to helpWhitehorse families make ends meet.

"The responsibility for a living wage isn't solely on the back of small business or business owners," she said. "I know that employers get anxious.

"We could have increased investments in social housing, because we know that a large part of a family's income is spent on housing."

Hrenchukalso suggests other things government could do to reduce the living wage, such as subsidizetransit passes, develop a universal basic income program, or enhance the Yukon Child Benefit.

"We can see with the living wage calculation that the increase in the federal child benefit has had a great benefit on families," she said.

"There's other things that the government can do."