Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is for ECE Minister. Mr. Speaker, residents tell me in the especially in the small communities I went to Wekweeti about two weeks ago. So it's not just them, but there are others, elders, that have been saying this too, that residents the home heating subsidy is not enough support for many of them in the small communities. So I just wanted to ask the Minister, can the Minister commit to reevaluate the monthly home heating subsidy for elders to assess whether the subsidies is meeting their needs?
ECE.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And thank you very much to the Member for the question. There was an increase to the seniors home heating subsidy that was recently done, and that was able to ensure that seniors receive up to 80 percent of the estimated 2023 fuel costs associated with heating a home in the Northwest Territories. And so there was an increase that was recently done, and the intent of the policy is to cover up to 80 percent of the fuel costs on average of Northwest Territories seniors. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the questions for the answer. Okay, well, then I've been hearing from a lot of residents out there, especially the elders. If there was an increase, I don't think they are I don't know when. Can the Minister tell us when this is going to take effect? When's this change is going to take place? Like, is it the next fiscal year, or did it already happen? Because the residents in small communities are saying the fuel subsidies that they are receiving right now is not enough. It's not enough. It's not going a long ways. It's some of them said the fuel that we get right now today will last me a week.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The fuel subsidy increase that I was referencing has already been implemented; however, the increase to the income assistance payments and the changes to the income assistance payments that the Member for Great Slave was asking about earlier are forthcoming and will also help with this. And those changes are expected to come this coming summer and so residents will see who are on income assistance as well will see increases to their bank accounts as well, and that will help as well with monthly costs as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister adjust the income threshold for seniors' fuel subsidy program based on higher costs of living for elders in small or remote communities?
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how the thresholds are currently set up, they're divided into three separate zones, and these zones take into account the size of the communities and where the communities are located within the Northwest Territories. So, for example, zone 1, which is where Behchoko is located, has an income threshold of $56,000 versus a community like Gameti, which is zone 2, which has a threshold of $64,000, and zone 3, which, for example, has communities like Wekweeti, has a threshold of $73,000. But I really welcome the conversations with the Member and learning more about how these subsidies and also access to income support are impacting her residents in her communities. So thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECE. Final supplementary. Member for Monfwi.
I don't have any more questions, but from but I will sit and meet with the Minister on the fuel subsidy program for elders.
