According to the Department of Education, the majority of households in Nunavut are welfare dependant for at least part of every year. GN statistics show that typically 50% of households rely on income support, with some communities reporting over 70% reliance. Welfare dependency is exasperated by the extremely high cost of food in Nunavut and the inaccessibility of the food mail program to individuals who do not have credit cards, as is the case of many Inuit. In this environment food security becomes a serious problem for many households. Nunavummiut in several communities told us that children often go to school hungry.
During the consultation people spoke of the need to ensure that the most vulnerable in Nunavut society are properly taken care of. Many of their comments focused on improving the living conditions of children and elders. People are concerned that children living in poverty are at greater risk of developing social, emotional, health, and educational problems as they try to deal with the stressful situations facing their families every day.
IQALUIT
Discovering Canada’s hidden
Homeless. page 18
http://www.chumirethicsfoundation.ca/files/pdf/SHELTER.pdf
The Department also reports a significant trend towards more single person households relying on assistance with a noticeable increase in 18 year old clients. This is a trend that many Nunavummiut find disturbing because it suggests that the younger generation is moving away from the traditional Inuit value of self-reliance.
Collectively, Nunavummiut have expressed four areas of concern with the current Income Support Program and its delivery.
1. They feel that the current income support system does not provide enough funds or benefits to adequately cover the very high cost of basic shelter, food, clothing and transportation costs for the most vulnerable Nunavummiut (children, pregnant and nursing mothers, and elders) ;
2. They are concerned by the lack of opportunities and incentives for young adults to move off the income support programs and into some form of employment. In this regard they also expressed a desire to see social programs that expand employment opportunities for individuals while contributing to the well-being of the community as a whole;
3. They view the seemingly countless rules and regulations of the Income Support Program, in conjunction with other government policies, as creating systemic barriers to getting off income support, and to permanently breaking the poverty cycle; and,
4. They also wish to see improved services and compassionate support for those who require help, and more transparent and consistent compliance actions to deter possible abuses within the Income Support Program.
Nunavummiut spoke of the need to build a social safety net that will provide adequate resources to ensure an acceptable standard of living while being more responsive to individual and changing circumstances. The challenge for GN is to provide a social support system that is fiscally and operationally sustainable.
For the record: poverty reduction in Nunavut
Economic Development Minister Peter Taptuna and QIA President Okalik Eegeesiak at a press conference in Iqaluit held Oct. 18
Poverty in Nunavut: a complex issue
"Engagement" versus consultation
Recommendations:
Poverty has myriad causes, including employment structure, substance abuse, mental illness, family breakdown, and low wages in high cost regions. There are some immediate solutions that can alleviate the symptoms of poverty. However, attacking poverty and promoting self-reliance in the long-term requires a well-planned and integrated approach. This approach should be built on a clear understanding of the many causes of poverty and their relationship to each other.
2.1. Immediately provide stabilized and sustained base funding for nutritious food and snack programs to ensure that children are adequately fed. This should be done within the school system by redirecting funds currently distributed through short-term grants from various GN departments for this purpose.
2.2. Develop a coordinated Poverty Reduction Strategy for Nunavut to address the causes of poverty:
a) Encourage self-reliance by identifying work in communities that could be performed by people transferring off income support.
b) Support self-reliance by improving access to micro-loans and entrepreneurship training.
c) Strengthen micro/small business opportunities for success by identifying potential markets and helping entrepreneurs sell their products and services.
d) Review policies throughout GN with the intent of finding opportunities to support self-reliance and poverty reduction.
2.3. As a component of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, conduct a major review and rationalization of the Income Support Program:
a) Look after the most vulnerable by providing the basic necessities. Review current levels of income support to ensure that the income levels and disbursement guidelines provide an adequate standard of living to the most vulnerable populations.
b) Increase self-reliance: Strengthen current initiatives and identify new ways to provide assistance to those who can work to enter or reenter the workforce.
c) Identify acceptable circumstances for job seekers to keep more of their income support payments
d) Identify and remove barriers such as procedures for rent payments that unfairly penalize income support clients.
The Income Support Division does not have a functional computerized Income Support Case Management System. Implementing this system will allow the division to collect and quickly retrieve client information and case statistics. Not having such a program is severely limiting the day-to-day effectiveness of the division as well as program planning. In addition, it hinders the department’s ability to collect and disseminate accurate information that could be used to support and substantiate funding from Canada.
2.4. Improve service delivery and to maximize federal and other program contributions by ensuring the full implementation of the Income Support Case Management System in 2009/2010 fiscal year
GN, Inuit orgs launch Nunavut anti-poverty effort Government, NTI, business, non-profits to work together
No comments:
Post a Comment