We’re looking for your ideas on what a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) could look like in the Northwest Territories. Guaranteed income programs like Old Age Security and the Canada Child Benefit help, but they don’t work perfectly and they don’t include everyone. Even though many people have jobs, one in five adults in the NWT are struggling to make ends meet. We know this needs to change, but how?

When income support is unavailable, or the amount is too low, or just too hard to access, people can get trapped in a cycle of poverty. Basic Income can be different. It’s unconditional, so there are fewer barriers. It can be set at a level that really changes people’s lives, whether they are employed, starting a new business, home supporting a sick parent, or facing tough challenges.
Life in the NWT varies among households and larger, smaller, and remote communities. We need your help figuring out what a Basic Income Guarantee could look like for the diversity of people throughout the territory.