Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is for the ECE Minister. Does the Minister track the outcomes of income assistance clients other time? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I assume I would need to know more information about what the Member is looking for as far as outcomes are concerned. But at this point, what I could point to for sure are the desire to increase deliverables from income assistance clients within the business plans, which speak to the number of income assistance clients, for example, that are employed and changes to the lives of income assistance clients like that and being able to support them through those pathways.
Okay, thank you. Thank you, I was looking for a success story.
So, Mr. Speaker, can the Minister provide a percentage of how many people on income assistance, or how many people on income assistance leave the program because they are employed or no longer need assistance? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while I don't have that specific data at my fingertips right now, it's definitely, you know, something that I would like to work with the Member on in the life of this Assembly, is to be able to have a number of great success stories, even if it is people who are using the new income assistance program in order to generate earned income that they can hang on to and be able to work towards some additional selfreliance and be able to enter into the workforce as well. So I think this is a really exciting time as far as income assistance and being able to give people the support they need economically while also being able to make sure that there are pathways for people to be employed, to start a business if they want to, or to enter into education or training program as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Colleagues, the interpreters have asked us to slow down, so please remember that.
Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. What is the length of time the average person is an income support client? Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think it is you know, there are some people who are on income assistance when they turn 19. And one of the changes that I think is really important that's been made to the program as well is it used to be that if there was an adult living in a home with a parent who was on income assistance, that that dependent child who was living at home would have to go out and go on income assistance right away. And one of the changes that has been made to the program is that that person can remain a dependent and not have to go on income assistance right away, not to have to declare their income to income assistance until after the age of 22 so that they're able to go out to work, to start a job, and to be able to still remain in the home. And I think that's really important because I think as parents, we all want the opportunity to empower our youth to be able to generate a bit of a nest egg before they leave the nest. And so I think this is a really important change to the program as well. Thank you.
thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Does the Minister track demographics of clients; what do we know about the types of clients on income assistance?
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are demographics that are tracked. We know where people live. We know the ages of clients. We know if it is you know, what their gender identity is. And so I think that depending on what the Member is looking for, I can either provide more information or can align some of the demographics with whatever it is that the Member is looking for, as long as we are ensuring that we are still only collecting data that we actually need for the program, for the government, and respecting people's privacy. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Oral questions. Member for Frame Lake.
