Social assistance not enough to live on

Re: Nunatsiaq News: November 12, 1999, “Arvaluk launches review of welfare system”

This is scary to me, being on welfare. Every time the government does a study, they change the name of welfare and people on welfare end up getting less money.

Right now, living on my own, I get $254 for one month, which is like $8 a day.

How can I live? Look at the cost of food. How can I buy hunting supplies? I cannot even run my snowmachine. The government should be realistic and look at the facts, such as the cost of living in Nunavut, the cost of clothing, gas and hunting supplies and look at the cost of the same things in the South.

Next, they should go to Ottawa with the facts to get more money.

We have so many young people and will always have few jobs up here. Why does welfare not give us help or a bonus if we try to carve, hunt or go guiding. The welfare workers always put us down or give us a penalty. Eight dollars a day is way, way not enough. Government, you have to change this to fair treatment.

(Name witheld by request)
Kugluktuk