Income Assistance
The Income Assistance Program provides financial assistance to Northwest Territories residents to help meet basic and enhanced needs.
NWT Income Assistance
Cases - Number, Participants - Persons, Payments - Dollars
| Year | Month | Total (TS986) |
Yellowknife Region (TS987) |
Fort Smith Region (TS988) |
Fort Simpson Region (TS989) |
Inuvik Region (TS990) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sep | 1,128 | 581 | 114 | 121 | 312 |
| Aug | 1,049 | 534 | 104 | 101 | 310 | |
| Jul | 1,108 | 552 | 121 | 108 | 327 | |
| Jun | 1,199 | 583 | 131 | 126 | 359 | |
| May | 1,104 | 543 | 126 | 119 | 316 | |
| Apr | 1,149 | 573 | 135 | 127 | 314 | |
| Mar | 1,307 | 647 | 150 | 139 | 371 | |
| Feb | 1,339 | 648 | 144 | 150 | 397 | |
| Jan | 1,290 | 647 | 140 | 145 | 358 | |
| 2025 | Dec | 1,353 | 658 | 151 | 149 | 395 |
| Nov | 1,300 | 632 | 151 | 134 | 383 | |
| Oct | 1,226 | 614 | 139 | 123 | 350 | |
| Sep | 1,108 | 550 | 120 | 112 | 326 | |
| Annual Data | ||||||
| 2025 | 14,094 | 6,897 | 1,532 | 1,616 | 4,049 | |
| 2024 | 17,732 | 8,573 | 2,191 | 1,790 | 5,178 | |
| 2023 | 23,363 | 10,732 | 3,047 | 2,369 | 7,215 | |
| 2022 | 22,191 | 9,818 | 3,015 | 2,449 | 6,909 | |
| 2021 | 18,760 | 8,614 | 2,727 | 1,895 | 5,524 | |
| 2020 | 27,133 | 11,898 | 3,912 | 2,762 | 8,561 | |
| 2019 | 25,376 | 10,898 | 3,647 | 2,735 | 8,096 | |
| 2018 | 25,160 | 10,121 | 3,577 | 2,767 | 8,695 | |
| 2017 | 23,095 | 9,238 | 3,539 | 2,514 | 7,804 | |
| 2016 | 20,977 | 8,147 | 3,381 | 2,494 | 6,955 | |
| 2015 | 19,774 | 7,350 | 3,309 | 2,055 | 7,060 | |
| 2014 | 18,221 | 6,619 | 3,182 | 1,688 | 6,732 | |
| Year | Month | Total Beneficiaries (TS992) |
Yellowknife Region (TS993) |
Fort Smith Region (TS994) |
Fort Simpson Region (TS995) |
Inuvik Region (TS996) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sep | 1,524 | 783 | 143 | 154 | 444 |
| Aug | 1,424 | 719 | 131 | 136 | 438 | |
| Jul | 1,492 | 735 | 146 | 150 | 461 | |
| Jun | 1,630 | 810 | 152 | 166 | 502 | |
| May | 1,509 | 766 | 148 | 152 | 443 | |
| Apr | 1,566 | 809 | 166 | 160 | 431 | |
| Mar | 1,768 | 909 | 182 | 175 | 502 | |
| Feb | 1,793 | 895 | 178 | 184 | 536 | |
| Jan | 1,778 | 921 | 181 | 179 | 497 | |
| 2025 | Dec | 1,858 | 943 | 185 | 187 | 543 |
| Nov | 1,804 | 913 | 187 | 168 | 536 | |
| Oct | 1,749 | 907 | 173 | 159 | 510 | |
| Sep | 1,608 | 827 | 157 | 143 | 481 | |
| Annual Data | ||||||
| 2025 | 20,207 | 10,327 | 1,968 | 2,033 | 5,879 | |
| 2024 | 25,302 | 12,418 | 3,003 | 2,232 | 7,649 | |
| 2023 | 32,744 | 15,218 | 4,047 | 2,961 | 10,518 | |
| 2022 | 31,603 | 14,024 | 4,056 | 3,190 | 10,333 | |
| 2021 | 26,312 | 12,294 | 3,642 | 2,420 | 7,956 | |
| 2020 | 40,204 | 17,801 | 5,524 | 3,798 | 13,081 | |
| 2019 | 38,576 | 16,721 | 5,200 | 3,945 | 12,710 | |
| 2018 | 38,298 | 15,359 | 5,093 | 4,000 | 13,846 | |
| 2017 | 35,408 | 14,130 | 4,996 | 3,554 | 12,728 | |
| 2016 | 31,281 | 12,133 | 4,732 | 3,538 | 10,878 | |
| 2015 | 29,833 | 11,140 | 4,637 | 2,852 | 11,204 | |
| 2014 | 27,745 | 10,499 | 4,571 | 2,261 | 10,414 | |
| Year | Month | Total Payments (TS980) |
Yellowknife Region (TS981) |
Fort Smith Region (TS982) |
Fort Simpson Region (TS983) |
Inuvik Region (TS984) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sep | 1,208,087 | 664,225 | 105,967 | 112,938 | 324,957 |
| Aug | 1,092,240 | 594,918 | 97,817 | 86,135 | 313,370 | |
| Jul | 1,116,577 | 600,570 | 102,271 | 90,780 | 322,956 | |
| Jun | 1,320,145 | 682,882 | 125,122 | 131,602 | 380,539 | |
| May | 1,152,086 | 602,506 | 128,563 | 100,922 | 320,095 | |
| Apr | 1,321,891 | 711,404 | 145,653 | 125,704 | 339,130 | |
| Mar | 1,542,843 | 803,306 | 170,216 | 143,702 | 425,619 | |
| Feb | 1,546,849 | 787,372 | 157,816 | 155,047 | 446,615 | |
| Jan | 1,525,765 | 805,219 | 155,289 | 158,669 | 406,589 | |
| 2025 | Dec | 1,583,845 | 807,614 | 163,679 | 165,489 | 447,063 |
| Nov | 1,397,157 | 721,118 | 144,250 | 132,374 | 399,415 | |
| Oct | 1,381,691 | 738,937 | 139,060 | 122,295 | 381,399 | |
| Sep | 1,263,256 | 681,186 | 113,967 | 108,229 | 359,874 | |
| Annual Data | ||||||
| 2025 | 15,887,082 | 8,267,708 | 1,503,007 | 1,631,319 | 4,484,926 | |
| 2024 | 22,220,835 | 11,416,947 | 2,583,546 | 1,873,129 | 6,347,213 | |
| 2023 | 29,396,366 | 14,669,155 | 3,828,887 | 2,350,800 | 8,547,520 | |
| 2022 | 27,687,781 | 13,424,251 | 3,853,661 | 2,406,257 | 8,003,608 | |
| 2021 | 23,251,809 | 11,453,853 | 3,403,807 | 1,947,329 | 6,446,818 | |
| 2020 | 32,643,186 | 15,484,474 | 4,664,694 | 2,704,812 | 9,789,205 | |
| 2019 | 29,157,517 | 13,616,312 | 4,237,025 | 2,585,633 | 8,718,549 | |
| 2018 | 27,268,927 | 11,855,089 | 4,045,810 | 2,426,563 | 8,941,465 | |
| 2017 | 24,193,383 | 10,398,796 | 3,781,726 | 2,079,743 | 7,933,119 | |
| 2016 | 20,997,724 | 8,629,594 | 3,518,564 | 2,003,923 | 6,845,641 | |
| 2015 | 19,833,943 | 7,863,681 | 3,494,507 | 1,626,816 | 6,848,936 | |
| 2014 | 17,549,057 | 7,129,364 | 3,130,662 | 1,209,900 | 6,080,651 | |
Source: Education, Culture & Employment, GNWT
Data is updated quarterly.
Note:
- Yellowknife Region includes Yellowknife, Dettah, Behchokǫ̀, Whatì, Gamètì, and Wekweètì.
- Fort Smith Region includes Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Łutselk’e, Enterprise, Hay River, Hay River Reserve, and Kakisa.
- Fort Simpson Region includes Fort Simpson, Fort Providence, Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Fort Liard, Wrigley, and Sambaa K’e.
- Inuvik Region includes Inuvik, Norman Wells, Tulita, Fort Good Hope, Deline, Colville Lake, Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic, Tuktoyaktuk, Sachs Harbour, Ulukhaktok, and Paulatuk.