Income assistance tops agenda
Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction meeting in Cambridge Bay
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, November 30, 2015
IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
When members of the Nunavut Roundtable for Poverty Reduction meet in Cambridge Bay for three days beginning Dec. 1, the agenda will be packed with discussions about income assistance.
The roundtable is co-chaired by Family Services Minister George Kuksuk and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president James Eetoolook. This is the fourth annual gathering for the roundtable.
In September, the Government of Nunavut's Department of Family Services launched a review of its social assistance programs, which included community consultations.
"The community engagement process has provided an opportunity for us to identify ideas and actions to change social assistance and to better support Nunavummiut through training, career development, employment, economic opportunities and labour market participation," said then minister of Family Services Jeannie Ugyuk in an Oct. 28 statement to the legislative assembly.
"My department will bring together the input we have heard from our communities during the Roundtable for Poverty Reduction meeting in December and aim to reach a territory-wide consensus on next steps."
According to the gathering's agenda, that presentation will take place on the first day after an elders' circle and smaller group discussions.
The elders' circle is scheduled to discuss how Inuit have historically met their basic needs, how the income assistance program has had an impact on inunnguiniq (capable and contributing
persons) and what would an ideal income assistance program would look like.
Smaller groups will split off to discuss how and why income assistance has contributed to poverty and how income assistance could better encourage self-reliance.
Up next is a presentation and discussion on benefit structures, the "welfare wall" and the rent scale.
Hunters and youth will also meet separately in groups to provide input.
According to a 2012 report from the roundtable, half of Nunavut's population needs income assistance for at least a portion of the year.
At the fall sitting of the assembly, Ugyuk was unable to say when the review of its social assistance programs would be completed.
