Fort Smith (Apr 19/04) - Aimee Clark of Fort Smith doesn't receive Income Support from the GNWT to help raise her four children.

That's because the government includes a $450-a-month National Child Benefit Supplement when calculating the single mother's income, putting her above the level for Income Support.

Clark, the northern representative for the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO), wants to see clawbacks stopped for everyone on Income Support, or able to qualify for it, except for the child supplement.

She explains the supplement and the amount of the clawback varies with each family. Some have their Income Support lowered because of the child benefit supplement.

She says the clawback is costing her family more than $3,000 a year.

"There are some unearned government payments that you get that they don't include," Clark says of the Income Support calculation, noting the GST rebate is one of them.

Several non-governmental organizations are jointly calling for an end to the clawbacks.

"It is very important from our point of view to put more money into the hands of parents to pay for nutrition and a better standard of living for their children," says Marsha Argue, the director of projects and research with the NWT Status of Women.

Approximately $840,000 is clawed back each year and used by the government for other social programs.

The anti-clawback organizations -- including Alternatives North, the Centre for Northern Families, the Salvation Army, the Northern Territories Federation of Labour, the YWCA and NAPO -- say the programs should be funded by other means.

Representatives of the organizations met Education, Culture and Employment Minister Charles Dent in February to make their case.

Dent says he intends to discuss the Income Support Program with the Standing Committee on Social Programs.

"I'm certainly prepared to take a look at change," he says.

Suzette Montreuil, the co-chair of Alternatives North, was informed of Dent's plans in a letter last week.

"It's better than, 'You must be joking'," Montreuil says. "But the goal is to have this practice stopped. That's when we'll be satisfied."

Dent notes only New Brunswick allows a complete flowthrough of the child benefit supplement.

The minister notes the clawed-back funds go to the Territorial Workers Supplement for low-income workers and to the Healthy Children's Initiative.

Dent says he is not unsympathetic to the arguments against the clawback, but he would not be able to find another $800,000 for the other programs.

The minister thinks the interest groups do not consider the Income Support program adequate.

However, he notes a single person in Yellowknife receives up to $1,209 on income support.

That is almost as much as the $1,269 a family of four receives on income support in New Brunswick.