Give & Take

The $125 gift from the federal government that was to help people with low income pay high fuel bills has been clawed back from welfare recipients, leaving some with not enough money for food.

Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 07/01) - What Ottawa giveth, the territorial government taketh away.

Social benefits recipients learned that lesson the hard way when their monthly cheques were reduced. Ottawa's $125 Relief for Heating Expenses payout is considered income earned from other sources by the GNWT.

Support payments Persons who qualify for income support receive allowances for the following items: Food -- An amount based on the cost of a food basket in a particular community. For example, in Yellowknife, a single person receives a monthly stipend of $162 for food. In Norman Wells, a single person would receive $243. A family of four in Yellowknife receives $524. Shelter -- Single people and families receive an allowance for accommodations. If a person on income support is unable to obtain accommodation in social housing, income support will pay the full market rate for a private rental unit. Fuel -- Income support recipients are eligible to receive the full cost of "fuel required for heating and cooking purposes." An allowance can also be provided to provide for "the actual cost of light, water and sewage services required." Recipients must present previous fuel bills. Extended benefits -- Benefits may also be provided to income support recipients for clothing, "expenses incidental to education and training," household furnishings and equipment, damage deposits, emergency assistance, and day care subsidies. Source: Social Assistance Act regulations.

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden raised the issue with Jake Ootes, minister of Education, Culture and Employment on Friday.

"I'm going to interrupt normal programming here and bring you a news bulletin from the real world," said Braden as he made his members' statement.

In some instances, he said, "some mothers are getting cheques for three bucks this month."

To cries of "shame" and "have a heart," Ootes defended the clawback, saying "the government pays for all shelter, all fuel and all electricity for income support clients."

Short of food

The clawback left some income support recipients scrambling for food.

The Yellowknife Food Bank threw open its doors Saturday, providing emergency food assistance to people who may have been blindsided by the clawback. The agency normally only provides food twice a month.

The food bank challenged MLAs to come meet their constituents who would have to use the food bank.

Only Braden took them up on their offer.

On Monday, Ootes said his department would relent -- a little. Income support recipients who had their benefits clawed back will have the option of paying the money over the next 10 months.

"We are preparing to issue cheques this week" to cover the clawback, said Ootes.

"Good on them," said Braden.

"It's the next best thing."

Clawback a surprise

Food bank vice-president Pat Martin said the clawback came as a "surprise" to recipients.

She showed a letter that came with her benefits cheque this month, telling her that she was "required to have all information necessary to complete your assessment to your income support officer."

The letter lists money received through work performed, from a hunting or trapping, and bingo winnings, among other things, as income that will be clawed back by the government.

"Why is Jake Ootes going after a measly $125?" she asked.

This isn't the first time income support has taken money back.

Payments made through Impact Benefit Agreements with treaty groups for exploration rights are also being deducted from support payments.

A recent $500 IBA payment between the Dogrib and Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. was clawed back.

Ootes said he has asked his department to "look for areas of gaps and problems," in the income support system.