Thank you very much, then. That $2 million increase, does that represent forced growth on the number of additional clients anticipated for the next fiscal year? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is what we are looking at as an increased uptake in our income assistance clients. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Does it also represent an increase in the value of income assistance itself? Can the Minister confirm that income assistance allowances are indexed to the CPI? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, income assistance is not indexed to CPI. There are various things that we do take into consideration when we look at income assistance and providing that financial support. It is on a case-by-case basis. From my knowledge, I don't think any jurisdiction in Canada actually indexes their income assistance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is the value of the income assistance allowance just constant from year to year, without any reflection of inflation? Thank you.
Thank you Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We do review the program on a yearly basis in terms of how we fund income assistance clients. It is reviewed on a yearly basis. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, when was the last time the allowances were increased to reflect inflation? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. From my understanding, April 1, 2015, was the last time we seen an increase. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister tell us when the program will next be reviewed for inflation? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is something that we are working on. I can't give a firm date to the Member at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.
I thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I want to turn now to the question of the food and clothing allowances that were deleted when the Canada Child Benefit was introduced. Can the Minister tell us whether the decrease in the food and clothing allowance is equal to the increase in the Canada Child Benefit? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Mr. Chair, for detail I will go to Mr. Lovely. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. Lovely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So what ended up happening under that change to the program was we had originally intended to raise the rates in 2016, April 1, 2016, but because of the change to the way we calculate as a result of the changes to the NWT Child Benefit and the Canada Child Benefit, those increases to the food rates and the clothing rates were not implemented, so the rates didn't change at all. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Lovely. Ms. Green.
Mr. Chair, I am not sure that I understand that. So there were going to be increases, but in the end there were not increases, but there was a decrease because the food and clothing allowance was taken out. Is the deletion of the food and clothing allowance for children equal to the increase in the Canada Child Benefit? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
I’ll pass that question to my deputy minister.
Thank you, Minister. Ms. Haener.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am just going to go back a bit and outline some of the historical increases. We did receive an increase in 201516 to implement changes to the food, clothing, and incidental allowances, as Mr. Lovely mentioned. We also received funds in 201617 to increase those allowances, as well. However, in order to take advantage of the new child benefit, we actually modified the methodology and approach for income assistance. So because of that change in methodology and approach, the food and clothing portion of the methodology no longer applies to children. Instead, we have the child benefit that applies. So we were not able to actually roll out the funds as originally planned, and instead we redirected them in order to take advantage of that child benefit. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Deputy Minister Haener. Ms. Green.
I thank you, Mr. Chair. Let me ask a related question: so is the Canada Child Benefit having the same magnitude of benefit for people on income assistance as it has for people who aren't on income assistance? Is the magnitude of benefit equal for both groups? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Maybe it needs a bit more clarity, but our families that are on income assistance right now that took the Canada Child Benefit have seen increases in the dollars that we are giving them. For people who are not on income assistance, maybe if the Member could just clarify if she is referring to professionals, people who are in the workforce? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Time is up, Ms. Green. Moving on to Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am looking at the line for Student Financial Assistance on page 40. It actually shows a decrease between 201617 and 201718. Even when I look at the revised estimates, there is a decrease. Can someone from the department explain what is going on here, why we are decreasing our funding for Student Financial Assistance? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is due to less uptake in the program. Historically, Student Financial Assistance, we have always seen about $1.3 million that lapsed every year, and so this year we just decided to look at taking that $1.3 million out. It is not always fully utilized, and, historically, we have always seen that $1.3 million over-lapsed, around there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am just trying to understand what would happen here if all of our TEP and social work students have to go south because Aurora College is winding down their program. If Student Financial Assistance was actually maxed out under the 2017 Main Estimates, what would happen? Would students be denied financial assistance? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, we don't want to hinder the education of any students who want to go and take postsecondary education or training, focusing on skill development. If that was the case, that we went over budget on this line item, we would probably have to come back to government with a supplementary appropriation so that all students who wanted to take postsecondary have that opportunity. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the commitment, then, by the Minister that he would bring forward a supplementary appropriation if Student Financial Assistance gets maxed out. I hope we don't have to go there, but I think I have got a firm commitment from the Minister to do that. Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is it.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Moses, did you want to add to that?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. If it does get maxed out, I guess you could say that is good news because you've got more students taking postsecondary. So even though we don't want to get there, it is great that we do have over 1,200 students right now who we are currently funding. Hopefully, we get more in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Moses. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will just go back to the question I was asking when I ran out of time. The question is: is the Canada Child Benefit providing the same magnitude of benefit for people on income assistance as it is for people who are not? That would be, of course, proportionate to their income. It is an incomedriven benefit. Are they receiving the same magnitude of benefit when they are on income assistance as the people who are not on income assistance? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Moses.
