Hay River (Feb 2o/06) - Income security programs in the NWT are under the microscope to see how they can work together better.

Dana Heide, the director of the Income Security Review Team currently travelling around the NWT, noted there are 17 programs over seven government departments.

Sometimes the programs contradict one another because they were developed independently over the years. In some cases, for every dollar a person gets from one program, another benefit is reduced by an equal amount.

"No one has ever looked at how these programs work or don't work together," Heide said during a Feb. 7 public consultation in Hay River.

As an example of the way the programs don't work well together, he noted a single parent's rent may go up if he or she becomes a student.

"You're actually worse off by trying harder," Heide said.

As an extreme example of government support that might be difficult to leave, he used a hypothetical Sachs Harbour family of six - two parents and four children - with a personal income of $5,000, living in public housing and depending on other government benefits. That family is as well off as a family earning $120,000.

"The point is how can we improve the programs to help people move to self-reliance," Heide said.

Thalie McDougall, one of nine people who attended the public consultation in Hay River, said people should not be punished by the current system if they try to get ahead.

"People should be able to get that help without being penalized," said McDougall.

The income security programs consume about 12 per cent of the GNWT budget, about $120 million per year.

The programs include income assistance, independent housing, the child care user subsidy, the public housing rental subsidy, the senior citizen's supplementary benefit, emergency home repair and Legal Aid.

An interim report as a result of the consultation process is expected to be ready by March and will be presented to the Legislative Assembly in June.

Heide said the review aims to discover if the programs and their rules are as valid today as when they were introduced. "Is it the right mix?"