Thank you. Mr. Speaker, this is questions for -- regarding heating subsidy program for seniors.
So many of our senior citizens living in small communities do not have the luxury of relocating or moving south of the border where cost of living is less. Will the Minister commit to lifting income thresholds for programs such as heating subsidy for senior citizens over 65 years of age in the NWT? Mr. Speaker, I'll tell you in small communities, you will not find senior citizens living on $200,000 a year pension. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Education, Culture and Employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the advocacy of the Member. The way the program is designed today is to support our most at need -- or most in need seniors and elders in the Northwest Territories. And so the program is designed to support them with up to 80 percent of their fuel costs under this program. And if they're not able to meet their monthly living needs, then their client navigator can support them to move over to the income assistance for seniors and persons with disabilities that has a once-a-year program application. And under that program, it pays for the full rent costs, full utility costs that an elder might have as part of their living expenses. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, you know, many of our senior citizens in small communities, they're not going to go anywhere. They're not going to move away from their respective communities because they have families there. They have their culture, their language. So a lot of them are going to be -- are going to remain in their communities. So for that reason, that's why I was asking that if the Minister can commit or work towards to lift the income threshold instead of all these programs that the elders have to go through. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't want elders to leave their home communities either. If we removed the income threshold for all elders, all seniors across the Northwest Territories, we would have people that would -- that had large pensions that were able to access the program. And so that's why we have the program that is new to this Assembly, is the income assistance for seniors and persons with disabilities so that if people's monthly income is not meeting their needs that that program is where it will help them meet their monthly needs, and it will cover their full utilities. Because we don't want elders to have to leave their home communities if they aren't able to meet their monthly living needs. Thank you.
