No change in Social Insurance card application policy for Nunavut: MP

(Updated March 15, 2:00 p.m.)

Leona Aglukkaq told members of Nunavut’s legislative assembly in a letter March 12 (see document embedded below) that Nunavut residents can still apply for social insurance numbers by regular surface mail, rather than be required to apply in person.

Her statement answered questions about an apparent recent change in policy, stated on Human Resources and Development Canada’s website, that all applications for numbers must be done “in person.”

“Special measures are in place to accommodate clients who cannot go in person to a Service Canada Centre,” Aglukkaq told members of the legislative assembly, dated March 12.

“These measures include submitting applications via Service Canada Outreach services, requesting a third party to submit the application on their behalf, and sending the application via a local Service Canada Centre,” the MP stated.

Quttiktuq MLA Ron Elliott complained about the change Feb. 28 during the legislative assembly’s question period.

He said “a number of residents” in Grise Fiord raised concerns “regarding the federal government’s new rules concerning the application process for social insurance numbers,” he said.

He said such a change would require thousands of kilometres of costly travel to the nearest HRSDC outlet, of which there are only three in Nunavut.

On March 12, the HRSDC website still said applicants for Social Insurance numbers must do so in person.

Elliott checked up on the change in policy that day, and found that mailing these documents was “still not an option.”

“This may mean that the decision has been made to allow mailing of SIN applications in Nunavut, but has not filtered down to the front line workers here in Nunavut,” he said in an e-mail to Nunatsiaq News.

“I will continue to monitor the website,” he added, promising to keep residents of his High Arctic riding informed on the matter.

SIN Clarification (ENG) by James Henry Bell