EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
In addition, frontline workers, such as social workers, income assistance workers, and career development officers, must receive every available support and adequate resources to carry out their responsibilities.
Committee members again encourage the government to use the positions of community-based government liaison officers (GLOs) to provide assistance to community residents in accessing services and support from the appropriate departments as well as in communicating policies and procedures related to service delivery for the public.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Family Services will have the responsibility for delivering income assistance programs, which are directed towards assisting families and adult individuals to meet their basic needs.
This program is intended as a program of last resort, and members have noted with concern a recent increase in the demand for benefits.
The standing committee encourages the department to continue to roll out the new income assistance electronic case management system across all of Nunavut’s communities.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Family Services will administer a number of programs and resources related to adult and post-secondary learning, including the delivery of the Financial [Assistance] for Nunavut Students (FANS) program.
Members note that the Department of Education will also continue to play a role in policy and direction of the FANS program and other adult learning opportunities and members again stress the need for communication and coordination between departments.
Members have noted that upcoming changes to the FANS program may result in changes to funding sources available to adult learners and were pleased to learn that alternative funding sources are being identified for individuals who may no longer be eligible under FANS.
Mr. Chairman, while the standing committee supports the government’s intention to create a “one-window” service delivery model, members also encourage the minister and his officials to provide additional support to distinct social groups, including elders societies, youth initiatives, men’s groups, and the like, which seek to address specific issues affecting them.
Before we get to the page-by-page review, are there any general comments?
This item on page 2 that is listed in the second bullet as the FANS program, I can’t grasp the concept as it is written here.
It states that the Department of Education will provide direction and preparation of the policies to guide this program, yet it is to be transferred to the new Department of Family Services.
The transfer of this program to this department raises a question which I will ask when we get to the page-by-page review.
I just want the officials to be aware that this will require further clarification, as I want to hear the reasoning behind this issue.
Please ensure you noted that and are aware that you will be queried on this issue when we reach that item.
From time to time, we are reminded by the Office of the Auditor General of what we should be doing.
It’s merely an opinion, but I think we all should note and remember that these are serious opinions and we should try and address them whenever we have the resources to meet that.
According to the tabled document of the Auditor General’s report, 21 – 3(3), tabled on March 8, 2011, here is one on page 2 noted by the Auditor General, “What We Found.”
In that, it states, and I quote, “The Department of Health and Social Services is not adequately meeting its key responsibilities for the protection and well-being of the children, youth, and their families.” I think this new Department of Family Services is there to address that and I, as the Member for Akulliq, consisting of Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk, welcome this very much.
I think we have a task to ensure that every member of society, mainly Nunavut, should live in their homes where they feel safe, comfortable, loved, and be part of the community.
I am glad that this new department is to serve the needs of our most vulnerable members of society.
This will address that to a degree, but we have to ensure that… .
Again, when the Auditor General makes a report, the Auditor General stated in one of her reports that we need resources and social workers in each and every community.
If we want this department to address the needs of children, youth, and their family, we have to make sure that we have the resources necessary to make sure that these things that we talk about today are addressed at the local community level.
That’s all I have to say, Mr. Chairman.
We are under general comments. Mr. Aupaluktuq.
In regard to the opening comments the minister made, in the second paragraph, Mr. Ningark had pointed out “providing protection to our most vulnerable.”
The next sentence states, Mr. Chairman, “a foundation of assistance to provide necessities to those who cannot provide for themselves while promoting self reliance...” In the third paragraph, the third sentence reads, “We will continue to involve communities in decision-making about their future in order to assist individuals and families to improve health and well-being while gaining the skills to be self-sufficient.”
It should also be addressed that it is well known, as the minister is aware, he deals with the most sensitive and vulnerable of the departments in Nunavut that affects everybody’s lives. As well, no doubt that he had mentioned about effectively planning for the future programs and services. I just want to point out that no doubt, there is a need for qualified family services counsellors and a need for bilingual counsellors as well.
With the high number of young men in the judicial system, amongst the highest in the country per ratio, though the PYs and recruiting are ongoing, it should also be noted that perhaps integrating male counsellors are needed as well to provide the diversity and also that affect the community at various levels the most. Just a comment.
We are under general comments. Mr. Tapardjuk.
Welcome, Minister Peterson and your officials, Mr. Kolot and Ms. Teiman.
I am familiar with them as I have seen them many times in past reviews, but they seemed to have been transferred to the new department.
Mr. Chairman, when this new Department of Family Services was first brought up as an idea, it became obvious that some members would have a problem completing the review, even if it was to take a year due to the upcoming election. This department and its mandate is good preparation for the future, especially how our people will be affected.
I tend to return to my own electorate when I think of the issues here, as they have expectations of certain improvements to the provision of government services and I take that responsibility seriously.
One of the biggest concerns voiced, which I personally share, is that the government now has a big problem.
All policies, directives, and decisions are made from the top and trickle downwards to the people.
As an example, our people are directed to undertake certain things. If they don’t follow these directives, then the people are told that their children will be apprehended. That is just an example.
With traditional Inuit principles, it should be coming from the bottom up, from what the people expect, from what our families expect, since we have to try to listen to their concerns. We have to listen to what their wishes are in that regard, especially as it relates to legislation and policies. We have to try to incorporate Inuit values into them.
To date, we are fettered by this approach.
It would better serve our people if we changed this when dealing with the new Department of Family Services.
Also, Mr. Chairman, I will have another question in regard to social services. Why can’t we hire traditional social service workers?
Are there problems under policies? Are we being restricted by the government from hiring Inuit to include Inuit societal values?
This has been ignored to date.
That being the case, I have some great expectations. We will try to have some expectations so the policies and regulations include Inuit societal values. Also some of social services like probation officers should be given some further consideration, whether social services should be delivered by probation officers.
The Family Abuse Intervention Act is important and they also try to use that to correct the problems within the families. How come this was ignored?
So those are going to be my concerns. I will be asking questions on it. The Family Abuse Intervention Act is not included under Family Services.
It’s being retained by the Department of Justice.
Is it supporting the goals of Family Services?
These are just comments for now.
They will probably be prepared for your questioning.
Are there still any general comments?
If there are none, we’re going to go to the Branch Summary.
I’m not going to be using the Inuktitut version because the page numbers are incorrect.
I’m going to be referring to the English version.
We’re going to start off with D-4. Family Services.
Branch Summary. Corporate Management. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted.
Let me have a question first of all because we’re trying to undertake new initiatives.
I believe there are 170 PYs.
That seems to be the case when they integrated various departments, according to the minister’s opening comments.
Did you have to cut jobs in order to incorporate the new department or did you have to add additional PYs or did you have to reduce staff members?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Mr. Chairman, what we did is simply moved PYs from other department to create the new department.
Mr. Tapardjuk (interpretation): In your opening remarks, some of my colleagues had mentioned earlier that we will not be able to monitor it after the new department is up and running for over a year due to the general election.
Maybe since this is a brand-new department, they will experience growing pains, which seems rather obvious to me.
With respect to these potential problems, if they were to surface during the fiscal year 2013-14, they may require amendments based on these problems.
I have always said in briefings and comments here and there that the new department will start on April 1, 2013.
It’s not going to resolve all of our issues overnight. There will be an opportunity some time for the new department and all officials to work together to review the programs and review the service delivery to the communities. I anticipate there are going to be issues, but like we always do in government and working through the Legislative Assembly, we work towards finding solutions to any issues that come up.
We’re on Family Services.
Branch Summary. Corporate Management. Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $5,456,000.
We will continue to page D-5.
Family Services.
Children and Family Services.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $50,330,000.
Turn to page D-6.
Family Services. Branch Summary.
Income Assistance.
The Income Assistance Program provides various levels of financial support to individuals and families in need, as well as providing programs to encourage self-reliance.
I understand that the amount of social assistance payments are calculated by taking into consideration the different kinds of financial resources which clients may have and that some sources of money are considered as income in those calculations and some sources aren’t.
In looking through the Social Assistance Regulations, I see that money received as child tax benefits under the Income Tax Act is not included in the monthly income and neither is the working income tax benefits provided under the Income Tax Act.
Can the minister clarify whether or not income tax refunds are considered as a source of income and whether an individual’s social assistance payments are deducted accordingly?
Chairman (Mr. Ningeongan): Thank you, Mr. Rumbolt.
I thank Mr. Rumbolt for the questions.
The answers are yes.
When a client provides their income tax refund to the income support worker, how much is a client allowed before his income becomes a deductible?
Mr. Chairman, it is under the income and, therefore, there is no deduction.
Mr. Rumbolt: Mr. Chairman, it could be argued that deducting income tax refunds from social assistance payments is posing yet another barrier to individuals who are trying to find work or earn money to help support themselves and their families.
Can the minister explain why income tax refunds are considered as income for social assistance clients?
If we’re going to get into a detailed area here, I’m going to have my Acting Deputy Minister, Sandy Teiman, respond to the questions.
Currently income tax refunds are considered unearned income and, therefore, there is no deduction, so it’s taken dollar for dollar off social assistance.
If a client can prove that they have spent it on household furniture, equipment, or major clothing supplies, then we can rejig the assessment that way, but we have a legal opinion that it is considered unearned income.
Since 1999, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador has allowed income assistance clients to keep $500 of their income tax refund before any deductions from their income assistance payments. More recently, in October of 2012, the Province of British Columbia stopped deducting income tax refunds from income assistance payments.
Would the minister consider making changes to Nunavut’s assistance regulations and allow clients who are trying to work to keep their funds without having their social assistance payments affected?
It’s something we could consider we look at, but I have to warn the members that it could cost a lot of money.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman Also on this selfsame page, I have some questions or rather, a request for clarification since Nunavummiut need clarity, particularly my own comprehension of the Income Assistance Program.
Mr. Chairman, firstly I want to ask this question so that I will also be quite clear in my understanding.
We are all aware that the purpose of this program is primarily for food purchases, the income support funds.
How or is there any guidelines set out to guide purchases for its intended purpose?
If I understood Mr. Enook correctly, the response would be that it’s the individual’s right to spend the money as they please.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): If I receive income assistance, is it my understanding that nobody can tell me what I should or shouldn’t spend it? Is that my understanding?
Mr. Chairman, it would be very difficult for the department or income support officials to police the way recipients spend their money once it’s issued.
Is that a concern by the department?
As an MLA, it has been explained to me and I have been told that perhaps the income assistance payments are being abused.
Has any consideration ever been given? For example, given that these are public funds provided by our government, I believe they can dictate how these funds are to be used for. (interpretation ends) I think it is their right. (interpretation) I believe they have that discretion since it is public funds from the government.
Has the bureaucracy ever reconsidered this matter in light of possible solutions or alternatives that can resolve this? Has this even been taken into consideration?
Of course, we’re always concerned about the funds that are issued and we want them to be used for the purposes intended.
Mr. Chairman, in approximately 90 percent of the cases, cheques for income support are issued to stores to purchase food. The other 10 percent would be for clothing, electricity, and housing.
I don’t know how people are converting income assistance into cash. I hear anecdotal stories of how they do it. Again, it’s very difficult for us to police.
Minister Peterson mentioned that it is very difficult to police it.
So are we just going to ignore the present status quo?
I understand his concern, but we do have to respect that people are responsible and they will apply for income support, and then they will use it for the purposes intended; food for themselves, their families, their kids, clothing, and pay their bills.
We have to respect that.
Again, as I said, it’s very difficult for us to police, but I understand Mr. Enook’s concern.
I also thank the minister for stating that he understands my concern.
I would prefer that my concerns not just be understood, but resolved.
With respect to children, many elected officials state that they are the most important facets of proper stewardship.
On the other hand, although I maintain that position, I believe it also applies to our beloved elders. The elders are subject to abuse. Even though our elders are our biggest foundation, we seem powerless to prevent their abuse.
Some individuals, after abusing their income support payments, turn to their elders trying to obtain more funds from them.
I thank Mr. Minister for understanding this matter. I will assume that since he implicitly stated he understood my concerns, this matter will be subject to further review.
This isn’t a question, Mr. Chairman, if you will allow me to proceed.
Another matter I want to ask a question about for my own understanding as well as for my fellow Nunavummiut is that in Nunavut, we are under duress due to this extreme housing shortage.
Let me first ask this question. Due to the lack of housing, several families sometimes occupy the same housing unit. Here I talk about extended families.
Can these separate families all qualify for income support if none of the parents work, whether there are two or three families within that same unit?
I thank the member for his comments and questions. I would just like to respond to his earlier comments.
Yes, we know there are many issues out there. We have all heard of elder abuse and other issues out there that are affecting our elders in the communities.
Again, it is one of the intentions of this new department is that we can focus on those areas and get it out from social services and income support into one department where we can have complete focus on our families, communities, and children.
It’s good to hear these comments and it’s good to discuss it.
With respect to income support payments, each person is considered an individual and they can apply for income support if they live in the same house.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank the hon. minister for his answer.
During Mr. Tapardjuk’s commentary, I agreed with what he stated. We all have expectations at this point in time related to this newly created department, first for its newness and secondly, to ensure that these issues are given prior consideration.
Awesome! That is good to hear.
If we debate these issues now, then it may allow them some time before real problems arise to deal with them as they would have already been considered previously.
This issue which I want to now ask about is based on this reasoning. It is my understanding that after a six-month period, families or members of a family can also be provided assistance with sundry items, such as furniture, beds, or a chest.
Am I correct in my comprehension of this policy? Is this true?
Hon. Keith Peterson: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I understand Mr. Enook correctly, if they are the renter of the house, they could apply.
Let me pose this next question. A person who isn’t the head of the house or the renter won’t ever be able to rent a house due to the immense housing shortage we are experiencing.
Given this situation, can’t we at least look at the case of that person requesting a bed or is that bureaucratically impossible?
This person has to be stuck with sleeping on the floor since they aren’t the renter of the unit or head of the household.
Is that how I understand the situation to be?
The Income Support Program would consider that.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I didn’t hear Minister Peterson’s answer, so if you can ask him to repeat it, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Enook. (interpretation ends) Minister Peterson, can you repeat your response, please.
My answer was that we would consider that and it has been done. I’m going to add to that answer. We have done it before.
I really don’t have too many questions to ask. However, as legislators, we are often informed throughout our workday by many people. The reason why I raised these questions was because I wasn’t sure whether they would be included.
I wonder whether they could be taken into consideration. I will stop there for now. I thank Minister Peterson for his responses and for outlining those to me.
I think this is just a comment and not a question.
I don’t think Mr. Curley had any time, so I’m going to get him to speak first, followed by Mr. Rumbolt.
I have some questions that I would like to ask because I do have some concerns with respect to income support.
They are in regard to housing. I will speak in English.
(interpretation ends) Mr. Chairman, another minister, a member of the cabinet, has indicated that the rental scale will soon be made public, perhaps by the end of this summer. In view of that, the minister has indicated that there will likely be positive changes with respect to leasehold, who actually is leasing the unit, and the one leasing the unit will primarily be paying the lease on the house, not so much those sleeping overnight during the week or the month or the years.
In view of that, I would expect the minister for social services has also consulted with the minister responsible for housing in terms of improving what is the income of the elderly or the vulnerable individuals who may be dependent on social income or income support.
Having said that, could the minister clearly present this committee exactly what will remain on clawback provisions when considering income of those who are dependent on income support?
Will it be arts and crafts sales subject to clawbacks? Will it be a bingo windfall or lottery windfall? I’m sure you have a list of those that I don’t have.
Could you outline them for us, please. Thank you.
Chairman (Mr. Enook)(interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Curley.
I thank Mr. Curley for the question. Fortunately, my acting deputy minister has many years of experience in the income support area and she would like to respond to that question.
There are three types of income in the Income Support Program.
There’s the wages that are deducted and there’s allowances on those, so the first $200 of somebody’s earned income as a single and $400 as a family member, families are allowed to keep that. There are about 23 to 25 different types of unearned income in the current regulations which are always under review.
Things like the national child’s tax benefit are considered unearned income and things like that, and then there’s the exempted income, which is the Canada child tax benefit.
So that’s how it’s set out in the current regulations.
My question leads to another intrigue on my part. That’s really quite a complicated process for a small community’s housing association’s official to try and figure out what is or should be included in the tax stuff.
Do you guys do quite a bit of training for these individuals or do you provide them financial assistance to try and help you out and figure out what should be clawed back and this sort of thing in view of the fact that it’s really quite complex? It involves the tax system. Maybe the minister can explain further exactly how they are trained.
I thank Mr. Curley for the question and clarification.
We would be training our income support workers and they would be doing the work, working with the clients in the communities.
It wouldn’t be the housing corporation people doing that or the local housing organizations. That would be income support workers undertaking all of that work.
I thank the minister for his response. I have further questions on another subject that also has to do with those dependent on income support for survival, mainly to buy food and clothing for the children. I believe these are the people that we call vulnerable members of our communities that the government has been quite strongly indicating that they do need to be paid attention and supported.
I also know that those members of our communities are much more affected with respect to substance abuse within the family circle.