Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak today about an Income Security program that is unique to the North and that has recently been improved. The Senior Home Heating Subsidy provides support for fuel, including wood, wood pellets, fuel oil, propane, natural gas or electricity for heating to seniors who own and live in their own homes. It was designed to help elderly Northerners deal with the higher cost of living. The Senior Home Heating Subsidy provides a direct and clear improvement to the quality of life for seniors.
The benefit is fairly simple. Taking into account household income, eligible seniors receive a set amount of fuel based on the zone they live in. This ensures that if the cost of these fuels climbs, the benefit remains the same.
This spring we increased the budget for this subsidy by $200,000. As a result, we have been able to implement two key changes that are retroactive to April 2008. Eligibility for this program is determined through established income thresholds in three cost of living based zones within the NWT.
Our first change to this program has been to increase the income threshold for each zone by $10,000, allowing more seniors to be eligible to receive the benefit.
The second change to the program is in the way income is calculated to ensure that from now on, federal disability benefits are not included.
In August of 2007 this government committed to changing our philosophy around Income Security programs to ensure Northerners had adequate benefits, allowing them to move towards self-reliance. I will continue to share and celebrate with you as we make changes such as those I have mentioned today. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
