St. Albert NDP MLA Marie Renaud said the Alberta government's rollout of recent changes to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program is confusing, harmful and will push vulnerable people deeper into poverty.
AISH recipients living in community housing where rent is based on income will see their payments rise by $220 per month. This is due to rent being calculated based on the total income instead of just the AISH benefit. This change will take effect on Oct. 1 for new tenants or at the following annual rent review for existing tenants.
"What they've done is allowed, like a housing body, to change the way how a subsidy is calculated," said Renaud, explaining that now benefits like the Child Tax Benefit and any other income will be included in the calculation.
Another change set to impact AISH recipients is a claw back tied to the new federal Canada Disability Benefit (CDB).
The Alberta government has told recipients in a letter that they must apply for the federal benefit by Sept. 5 or risk having $200 per month deducted from their AISH payments starting in October 2025.
"These are people with pretty profound disabilities that are trying to navigate a system full of barriers, and this completely incompetent Disability Service rollout is, I just couldn't imagine a worse way to ask 80,000 people to follow a new rule," Renaud said.
The CDB offers up to $2,400 a year for low-income adults approved for the Disability Tax Credit. However, instead of treating it as a top-up, Renaud said the province is using it to reduce the amount it provides.
"The federal benefit is meant to be a top up or a cushion against disability poverty," Renaud said. "So what the Alberta government has done is essentially they just completely ignored the fact that people with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed, most likely to live in deep poverty."
Renaud explained that there is a significant cost associated with being disabled.
"There's a real cost of disability, whether it's equipment, medication, therapy, clothing, even, it is sometimes more expensive," said Renaud. "I know that lots of people are going to be hurt because they're going to lose money, then they're going to panic. People are going to end up, you know, more reliant on food banks. People are going to lose their homes. You know, it's just a disaster waiting to happen."
Disability advocate and accessibility consultant Zachary Weeks, who previously received AISH, said the cuts will hurt people already living with limited means.
"$200 is a lot of money, especially when you're living on a limited income," he said. "The extra $200 is going to mean people going without food, not being able to pay for basic necessities, and push them further into poverty."
Weeks also criticized the rent increase, saying it adds pressure for people already struggling to make ends meet.
"The rent hikes are just another blow to the disability community," he said. "If they [government] want to do the right thing, they need to invite people to the table and have an open and honest conversation about how we can move forward together."
