NTI increases monthly support for elders to keep up with inflation
Uqqujjait Innarnut Elders Support Program recipients to get $175 per month
Recipients of the Uqqujjait Innarnut Elders Support Program will now receive a $175 per month pension after inflation rates prompted the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. board of directors to increase the monthly amount for all elders in the program. (File photo)
Citing the effects of inflation, elders who are part of the Uqqujjait Innarnut Elders Support Program will now receive $175 per month, an increase of $25 to $55 for most members, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. announced this week.
This represents an increase for all cohorts of elders who receive payments from the program, NTI spokesperson Gershom Moyo told Nunatsiaq News on Friday.
Previously, elders born in 1944 or earlier received monthly support of $150, elders born in 1945 received $135, and elders born between 1946 and 1955 received monthly payments of $120.
NTI also extended the program eligibility to include elders born between Jan. 1, 1956, and Dec. 31, 1958. Both changes take effect April 1. NTI’s board of directors made the decision to increase the payment during its meeting Tuesday in Iqaluit.
Elders’ pensions are delivered by NTI through the Nunavut Elders Pension Trust and the Nunavut Elders Supplemental Trust.
The latter trust is what funds the Uqqujjait Innarnut program and provides monthly pensions to Inuit elders born between Jan. 1, 1949, to Dec. 31, 1955.
These pensions are funded from NTI’s share of mineral resource revenues such as mineral royalties and exploration fees, Moyo said.
In addition to the increase to $175 per month, NTI admitted a new cohort of 496 elders born between Jan. 1, 1956, and Dec. 31, 1958, bringing the total number of program recipients to 1,137 from 641.
The Nunavut Elders Pension Trust provides an additional $175 per month to another 560 elders.
Moyo said in an email the latest increase to the Uqqujjait Innarnut program is driven by inflation, “which has eroded incomes including elders’ monthly payments.”
In June 2022, inflation reached a 40-year high of 8.1 per cent.
“Over the past three years, the economic impact of COVID was somewhat mitigated by various programs provided through the Indigenous Community Support Fund. Those programs are no longer available,” Moyo said.
The increase in pensions and in the number of elders receiving them will cost an additional $1,721,400 per year between the two programs: The Nunavut Elders Supplemental Trust will incur $1,464,660 in additional costs and the Nunavut Elders Pension Trust will add a $256,740 cost.
“With the increasing cost of living, especially the escalating cost for food, it is important that we provide as much assistance as we can,” said NTI president Aluki Kotierk, in a statement.
“I am pleased that NTI is now able to provide greater support for this cherished segment of our society.”
What that’s it?? They need a lil more then that
This is not meant for elders to live on, it is a form of supplementary income meant to help out a bit.
NTI.
You have far more resources that you can direct to this program.
Did you bump these rates by the same amount staff salaries for cost of living increases were made in the past three years?
I’d assume they bumped these rates more given some very basic math shows these rates went up at the low end of 16.6% or so up to 46% at the high end since it said 25-55 or so. Doubt salaries went up that great of a percentage.
People hate on NTI, myself included but this money is a privlage to begin with. You don’t see a bunch of other supplemental pension incomes going into people living on fixed Income / OAS across the rest of the country. So to increase 16-46% seems decent. This is ontop of all the food programs, and he cleaning supplies, etc.
Seems okay.
NTI Playbook
1. Get massive amounts from Federal Government to support Nunavut Inuit
2. Hire expensive southern lawyers and sue all levels of governments for absurd reasons
3. Collect lawsuit money and give out gas vouchers to inuit who can sell them to taxi drivers.
I agree; this seems a bit low. Our Elders had to live through the most challenging and complex changes to their way of living; any extra money would help as many Elders struggle to get around, have to leave the territory, etc… I find it distasteful that we are not supporting our Elders more.
I’m not sure what the previous comment was about Elders receiving food and cleaning programs; this was limited to COVID and came directly from the federal government.
On a side note, I don’t get that the Executive Staff (CEO approx. $250K) and President ($300K +) receive very high salaries. Yet, their performances have not been great, like who is writing the President’s speeches, they are really bad, and the CEO is so ego-based. Yet, Other staff have to wait for a performance evaluation to receive an incremental increase in their salary, and many NTIs have not yet received a performance evaluation in years. I think we should reevaluate NTI functions.
Cleaning supplies was during Covid but food programs certainly has not been just during COVID. I cant speak for all 3 regions but in our region, money flows from NTI to the RIA, the RIA then distributes so perhaps that’s the confusion as to why you do not see it coming from NTI direct, but if you go to the AGM of your RIA when the financials are presented you can see specific funding money going to the RIA which then outflows in benefits to elders, also specific funding money for just Inuit in general, not just limited to elders, things like gas vouchers which were handed out this past year to try to offset the increase in gasoline. But its all NTI specific funding that flowed to the RIA, NTI just does not have the capacity to hand it out in each region so they rely on the RIA for that.
Hope that clarifies things.
Some people are never satisfied.
I’m at a stage of becoming and elder, will I benefit from this, if not why was this even created? not fair of course.
I for one is extremely thankful for whatever assistance I can get from anyone and any organization however small it is . I am an elder and we were taught to appreciate what ever help was offered to us whether we need it or not without complaining. Thank you NTI !