NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Northerners in isolated communities could still be able to apply for Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) through the mail or through a third party, says Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), but that raises privacy concerns for one MLA.
Changes to the application process means people applying for SIN for the first time are now being required to visit a HRSDC office in person. Applications sent in the mail are generally no longer accepted.
"All applications for a Social Insurance Number made within Canada, must be processed in person at a Service Canada Centre," the HRSDC website states.
But in an e-mailed response to News/North, HRSDC stated that mailed applications will still be accepted in certain circumstances.
"Special measures are in place to accommodate clients who cannot go in person to a Service Canada Centre. These include submitting applications via Service Canada outreach services, requesting a third party to submit the application in person on their behalf, and sending the application by mail to a local Service Canada Centre so it can be processed on their behalf," a spokesperson for HRSDC stated in the e-mail.
Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya said community members were worried about the changes. He said a woman in Tulita told him her nephew was told he would have to go to the HRSDC office in Deline to have his application processed, a trip that could only be made on the winter road or by flying into Deline.
Travelling to an HRSDC office is a long journey for many Northern residents in isolated communities.
Louisa Wetrade, Gameti's acting senior administrative officer, said she believes the requirement would be a dilemma for Gameti residents.
"For sure it will be a problem," she said.
Gameti is only accessible by winter road in the winter months. The rest of the year, residents have to fly.
"The other times we have to fly a lot," Wetrade said. "For people here, they don't go out of town a lot. It might be a problem."
The e-mail from HRSDC also stated a third party can submit an application to an office on another person's behalf, but Yakeleya said that raises privacy concerns.
An individual applying for the number would have to give the third party a "primary document," such as a birth certificate, as part of the application process, according to HRSDC.
The primary document must be the original copy.
In the e-mail, the spokesperson stated that authorization would be required for anyone submitting an application for someone else.
"That representative must have a signed note of authorization from the applicant. With this process, the SIN request is not processed on site and no SIN number is given to the third party individual," stated the spokesperson.
But Yakeleya said handing over private information to a third party can be risky.
"That's private information," he said. "We have to ensure this information is going to be kept confidential. They're putting us at risk."
In addition to privacy concerns, Yakeleya said asking a third party to submit an application for someone else is unrealistic.
"You have to know this person is going to keep this information sealed, that person then has to run around Deline to find a SIN card administrator," he said. "They're making an extra lot of work for the people they're supposed to serve."
Yakeleya said instead, the government should send HRSDC staff into communities to process applications on an occasional basis.
"They have to come to the realization things are better if you have one person come to the community," he said. "We gotta stick to the basics."
