PV staff
On May 13, the Alberta government published new regulations for the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program, the provincial disability income program. AISH issues a financial benefit of $1,940 per month. It is the highest core disability benefit in Canada, excluding other supplements.
The new regulations compliment the December 2025 amendment to the AISH Act under Bill 12, which transitions tens of thousands of AISH recipients into a new Alberta Disability Benefit Program (ADAP) with significantly reduced benefits.
The May 13 publication represents the most complete version of the new rules for AISH and the newly created ADAP. Under the new regulations, and according to statements by then Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon, the majority of AISH’s more than 70,000 clients will be transferred to ADAP and provided a lower monthly benefit of $1,740.
Individuals transferred from AISH to ADAP will have a temporary transition benefit of $200, which is expected to end in late 2027. New applicants to ADAP will not receive the transition benefit.
Both AISH and ADAP are indexed, so the gap between the two benefits will grow over time. Annual increases are capped at 2 percent, lower than the current rate of inflation, so after four years the current $200 disparity will be closer to $220 per month or around $2,600 annually.
On top of this, the regulations impose a benefit cut of 12 percent for couples who are both recipients of disability income assistance, whether AISH or ADAP. This move penalizes household income for such partnerships by up to $475 monthly or nearly $5,700 annually.
Perhaps most worrying to many recipients and advocates is Nixon’s signaling that eligibility and benefits are tied to potential employment participation, as assessed by the provincial government.
It remains unclear if these requirements aim to reduce the number of clients, create lucrative contracts for privatized employment supports, or both.
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