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 | 1,175 | 575 | 128 | 135 | 337 | |
| 2024 | 1,478 | 714 | 183 | 149 | 432 | |
| 2023 | 1,947 | 894 | 254 | 197 | 601 | |
| 2022 | 1,849 | 818 | 251 | 204 | 576 | |
| 2021 | 1,563 | 718 | 227 | 158 | 460 | |
| 2020 | 2,261 | 992 | 326 | 230 | 713 | |
| 2019 | 2,115 | 908 | 304 | 228 | 675 | |
| 2018 | 2,097 | 843 | 298 | 231 | 725 | |
| 2017 | 1,925 | 770 | 295 | 210 | 650 | |
| 2016 | 1,748 | 679 | 282 | 208 | 580 | |
| 2015 | 1,648 | 613 | 276 | 171 | 588 | |
| 2014 | 1,518 | 552 | 265 | 141 | 561 | |
| 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 | 1,684 | 861 | 164 | 169 | 490 | |
| 2024 | 2,109 | 1,035 | 250 | 186 | 637 | |
| 2023 | 2,729 | 1,268 | 337 | 247 | 877 | |
| 2022 | 2,634 | 1,169 | 338 | 266 | 861 | |
| 2021 | 2,193 | 1,025 | 304 | 202 | 663 | |
| 2020 | 3,350 | 1,483 | 460 | 317 | 1,090 | |
| 2019 | 3,215 | 1,393 | 433 | 329 | 1,059 | |
| 2018 | 3,192 | 1,280 | 424 | 333 | 1,154 | |
| 2017 | 2,951 | 1,178 | 416 | 296 | 1,061 | |
| 2016 | 2,607 | 1,011 | 394 | 295 | 907 | |
| 2015 | 2,486 | 928 | 386 | 238 | 934 | |
| 2014 | 2,312 | 875 | 381 | 188 | 868 | |
| 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.