Changes to Alberta’s disability income support put clients on edge

The Alberta government’s changes to the long-running disability assistance program are putting many who use the support system on edge.

The province’s Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program provides financial and health benefits to eligible adults in Alberta with a permanent medical condition that substantially limits their ability to work.

“It means that I can make my own personal financial decisions of how I spend my money, especially on rent, food, and other essential needs,” said Kavin Sheikheldin, a disability income assistance client.

Another client, Alex Jack, tells CityNews that “being on the program has actually enabled me over the years to go to university, and then to work part-time jobs that are meaningful to me and give me a quality of life that I want to be having.”

According to the provincial government, the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) is designed to help Albertans with disabilities earn employment income while continuing to receive financial and medical supports.

But according to Kathleen Biersdorff, an ally with Albertans Advocating for Change Together, a self-advocacy network of people with developmental disabilities, that’s not what the program does.

“First of all, we understood that it would be available for people to choose, but in actual fact, they plan to move all 77,000 plus people on AISH onto ADAP,” she said.

According to the program guide, the maximum allowance for clients will be $200 less than the amount available through AISH.

Under the AISH program changes proposed for 2026, clients will have fewer income exemptions as the program will primarily support individuals who can’t work, while ADAP will offer more employment income exemptions for those who are working.

The Alberta government tells CityNews in a statement that “ADAP will allow for the highest level of employment income in the country while continuing to receive benefits, meaning Albertans on ADAP can earn more from working while continuing to receive their financial benefits.”

Currently, AISH clients can work, but their income is deducted from their monthly living allowance.

Meanwhile, Jack says people with disabilities face stigma and many barriers to gainful employment, and receiving $200 less every month will make it hard for them to get by.

“In this economy with this high cost of living, every dollar counts. And it can mean the difference between being able to eat for a week versus having to skip a meal a day, and things like that. And having to go without basic medical supplies,” he said.

For Sheikheldin, she fears that with the new program, she may be forced to take a job that doesn’t meet her disability needs.

“If I don’t qualify, or it’s not as good as AISH, it will make me feel probably way more depressed and down,” she said.

The province says disability income assistance applicants will be assessed for both the new program and AISH starting in July 2026.

With files from The Canadian Press