N.W.T. government extends income assistance COVID-19 relief measures to September

N.W.T. Employment Minister R.J. Simpson announced on Wednesday that all income assistance COVID-19 relief measures will continue until the end of September.

In May, the N.W.T. government announced that the territory's income assistance recipients who also receive the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) will not have to count it as unearned income, which would affect their income assistance benefit.

That benefit, along with the following other relief measures, will continue:

• All clients continue to be "payrolled" so they don't have to report back each month. This isto make sure clients get their payments consistently.
• All clients will only have to participatein one of the government's "productive choice" activities "taking care of themselves and their families," states the news release.
• Monetary gifts from friends, family, benevolent organizations and Indigenous governments will not count as income.

Earlier this month, the territorial governmentextended some other economic relief measures relatedto child care and transportation.

At the time, the government said some income assistance measures had been set toexpire on June 30.

"The last thing we want to do is add any additional stress as residents ... keep their families safe and navigate the challenges of this pandemic," said Simpson in the Wednesday news release.

The government says it will review these relief measures again in September.