The province hasn’t tracked the outcomes of its income support program, according to a recent auditor general’s report, and St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud says the program has been “steadily degrading” since the UCP took power in 2019.
Income support gives monthly financial aid to thousands of Albertans in poverty, but the province hasn’t shown the program is providing enough to cover basic expenses such as food and shelter or that people using the program have found jobs, auditor general Doug Wylie said in the report released last Tuesday.
Without improved processes, Albertans can’t know that the program is working as intended, he said.
“It’s hugely concerning for me,” said Renaud, NDP social services critic.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the province spent $580 million on income support, and the UCP have removed any targets in their 2024-25 budget and business plan to measure the program’s success, she said.
“Among all of the programs in Alberta, this is probably the one most in need of targets, because this is for super-vulnerable people that have no other source of income,” she said. “They’re basically living on under $900 a month for core amounts. Nobody can do that. It’s impossible.”
The report said the province is doing fine with its processes for determining eligibility for income support, a concern when Wylie compiled his last report on the program in 2019, when the NDP were in power.
Renaud said the NDP at the time were focused on improving access to Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), which was “a disaster” laden with reams of unnecessary paperwork.
“I know that there were problems when the NDP were in government,” she said. “There were improvements. Were there still more to make? Absolutely. We were on the track to get better. But then things got worse.”
Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon was not available to comment on the report.
“Seniors, Community and Social Services has implemented strong procedures to assess applicants’ needs and develop action plans to improve their long-term independence, resilience and employability,” said Heather Barlow, Nixon’s press secretary, in an email.
“For example, new intake and case-management systems now incorporate client assessment and action plans right into the intake process, streamline employment readiness assessments, and include auto reminders for case-management activities.”
Renaud questioned Nixon about income support last Wednesday at a budget estimates meeting for Seniors, Community and Social Services.
She asked him why funding for income support has declined. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the government paid about $580 million into the program, whereas in previous fiscal years, such as 2019-20, it paid as much as $807 million.
“There are just less people that are requiring support from this program,” Nixon said.
He said the income support caseload for the barriers to full employment program, which covers individuals who can’t work because of chronic health problems, is supporting only 17,200 individuals this year, instead of the expected 18,200 individuals. After indexing payments to inflation, income support payments for barriers to full employment clients have risen to $1,057 this year from $983 last year, he said.
“I don’t think that is a secret to most Albertans that Alberta is just thriving right now, which means more people are being employed,” he said.
Renaud also questioned Nixon about the findings of the auditor general’s report, but he did not comment on specifics during the timed question and answer budget meeting.
