Income assistance changes coming
Reforms put high priority on making work more attractive; work and training incentives considered
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, July 4, 2016
NUNAVUT
Making work a more attractive option to people on social assistance is at the top of a list of reforms needed to Nunavut's policies, a government report concludes.
Lisa Eetuk Ishulutak is one of the people left in the cold by Nunavut's social assistance policies. A new report by the government has determined it needs to make working a more attractive option to people on assistance. - NNSL file photo |
The Department of Family Services and the Department of Economic Development and Transportation teamed up and visited all 25 communities in Nunavut to get feedback on income assistance over this past winter.
It's no secret the number of people on income assistance in the territory has been growing, with 39 per cent of the population receiving some form of assistance in 2015.
The term "income assistance" covers five main categories in the Government of Nunavut's welfare spending - the income assistance program, Nunavut child benefit, daycare subsidy, senior citizen's supplementary benefit and senior fuel subsidy.
"I think the main takeaways that we heard from communities when we visited is that Nunavummiut across the territory agree with the intent of the social assistance, or the income assistance, system and very much appreciate how important it is for them," said Dan Carlson, executive director of the Department of Family Services.
"The other main takeaway of course is there are parts of the system that we can improve. There are parts that aren't working as well as people would like. An example of that would be the system doesn't reward individuals for working. We did hear from Nunavummiut they're interested in reducing their own dependence but the system itself right now isn't necessarily set up in a way that helps them do that."
Beyond incentives to work and train, the report also identified four other key pillars of change - simplifying benefits to ensure they cover basic expenses, adopt a coaching approach to income assistance, invest in job creation and strengthen internal administration.
The government aims to combine benefits, such as ones for clothing, rent and food, to make the calculations easier and help citizens better understand the system.
Savings need to be exhausted before qualifying for assistance
The report also identified a need to let people keep some savings and still qualify for income assistance.
Currently, Nunavummiut have to spend all their savings to qualify for the program.
"This rule can intensify poverty and dependency because clients cannot save for emergencies or other productive reasons, like buying tools to get a job," the report states.
"Nunavut is the only place in Canada that does not let clients set aside some amount of money."
Other proposed reforms include increasing the eligibility age to 19, lowering penalties for clients who try to work or train but don't succeed, strengthening connections to hunting programs, providing capital for private daycare spaces so people with children can find work and update the Social Assistance Act itself.
"Tabling the report earlier this month was a big milestone," said Carlson on June 29.
"It sets out a number of proposed reforms. These are ideas to change the system that will guide our path forward. What we need to do now is to do the analysis and do the homework that implementing those proposed reforms would require."
The government will be implementing reforms in phases, he said, aiming to bring in the first big changes early next spring.
Income assistance by the numbers
- 14,428 - Number of individuals that received income assistance in 2015
- 39% - Share of the population that received income assistance in 2015
- 37% - Increase in families that rely on income assistance from 2000 to 2015
- $44.7 million - Budget for income assistance in fiscal year 2016-17
Source: Department of Family Services
Breakdown by community
Here is the percentage of the population that received income assistance in 2015 by community.
- Gjoa Haven - 74%
- Taloyoak - 69%
- Sanikiluaq - 66%
- Clyde River - 64%
- Qikiqtarjuaq - 62%
- Cape Dorset - 60%
- Arctic Bay - 59%
- Kugaaruk - 59%
- Iglulik - 56%
- Naujaat - 54%
- Kimmirut - 49%
- Kugluktuk - 48%
- Hall Beach - 45%
- Pangnirtung - 44%
- Pond Inlet - 44%
- Arviat - 42%
- Coral Harbour - 40%
- Whale Cove - 39%
- Baker Lake - 28%
- Chesterfield Inlet - 28%
- Cambridge Bay - 27%
- Grise Fiord - 23%
- Rankin Inlet - 18%
- Iqaluit - 15%
- Resolute - 14%
Source: Department of Family Services
