The Alberta government will be clawing back a new federal disability benefit from people receiving Alberta Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).
In a letter dated July 2 and sent to AISH recipients across the province, the provincial government gave information about how to apply for the Canada Disability Benefit and directed recipients to apply by Sept. 5.
“Clients who have not communicated the status of their CDB application . . . may see an equivalent amount to the CDB benefit, $200, deducted from their monthly AISH benefits, beginning with the October 2025 period of assistance,” reads the letter.
The CDB is available to adults receiving the federal disability tax credit. It provides up to $2,400 a year, depending on marital status and income levels.
According to the letter, the core AISH benefit rate will remain at $1,901 per month in 2025.
“Income from the new federal CDB will be treated as non-exempt for AISH recipients . . . an AISH client’s overall monthly government disability support will remain unchanged,” reads the letter.
In an e-mailed statement, MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul, Scott Cyr said, “As a statutory program, AISH will remain fully funded, and the 2025 rate of $1,901 per month remains the highest of any province in Canada.”
“To ensure that continues, our government created and passed into law the Alberta Escalator last fall - our policy of automatically indexing benefits to inflation - so that programs like AISH are adjusted annually to help those with disabilities keep pace with the cost of living,” said Cyr.
He said he welcomes Ottawa’s support for people with disabilities and encouraged anyone with concerns to reach out to his office.
“I want to hear them. I encourage them to write to my office so I can share those concerns directly with the Honourable Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services. I want to sincerely thank Minister Nixon for his tireless work to protect and strengthen Alberta’s disability supports,” said Cyr.
In a statement, St. Albert MLA Marie Renaud, the NDP Shadow Minister for Community and Social Services called the UCP government “cruel” and “incompetent.”
“If they don’t notify the government, the UCP government will deduct the $200 anyway, even if they haven’t received a cent from the federal benefit. That is not just unfair, it is theft disguised as policy,” said Renaud.
“Under the UCP government, AISH benefits have been cut and de-indexed, waitlists have grown, and services have been eroded. These harmful policies don’t just hurt people with disabilities - they hurt all Albertans by driving more demand for food banks, shelters, and hospitals,” said Renaud.
According to government figures, there are 78,737 people receiving AISH as of March 2025. The number has steadily increased over the past 15 years. About 85 per cent of AISH recipients are classed as single adults.
She called on the government to “to stop the cuts, end the clawbacks, and let Albertans with disabilities keep the supports they need and deserve.”
In an e-mailed statement, Amber Edgerton, the press secretary for Assisted Living and Social Services said, “it has been a longstanding requirement for AISH recipients to ‘apply for all other income you may be eligible for,’ including federal programs. This is not new and has been a statutory requirement of provincial income support programs for decades.”
According to Edgerton, Alberta’s provincial disability benefit rates are the highest in the country.
“Through Budget 2025, our government is investing a record $3.6 billion to support Albertans with disabilities - a year-over-year increase of over $150 million,” said Edgerton.
She noted AISH is a legislated program and indexed to increase by two per cent annually.
“On average, AISH clients receive over $2,300 in tax-free benefits per month, totalling more than $27,600 in tax-free benefits each year. In addition to financial core benefits worth $1,901 per month, AISH clients receive personal and medical benefits worth $400 per month on average,” said Edgerton.
According to Edgerton, the core AISH benefit is between $417 and $554 higher than the equivalent programs in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.
She said in the regulations for the CDB the federal government states the intention is for the combined income support to be comparable to Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement of $1,814 per month.
“Alberta significantly exceeds this benchmark and provides the highest level of support in Canada, and we are pleased that the federal government is finally starting to pay their fair share to help support Albertans with disabilities,” said Edgerton.
