Alberta takes U-turn on changes to disability benefits, citing public feedback

Some eligible couples in Alberta who were transferred to ADAP from AISH will now receive the full disability benefit amount as well as retroactive payments.

The Government of Alberta is walking back changes it made to benefits for people with disabilities.

On Tuesday, the province said it had made adjustments to Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) in response to community feedback.

The changes made over the summer included lowering the amount people on AISH could earn through work, as well as transferring tens of thousands of people on AISH to ADAP.

The province said at the time, changes would allow Albertans with disabilities who could work to earn more money before benefits were reduced than they could under new AISH rules.

One Albertan said the net changes meant less income for his family.

• This AISH recipient did the math. He says the new provincial program doesn’t add up

Rob Arkell told CTV News in June that he was previously able to earn up to $1,007 on the original AISH standards before his benefits were reduced.

On ADAP, he would only be able to earn $700 before benefits were impacted. Him and his partner were also looking at monthly deductions after changes to spousal income.

The changes to benefit programs sparked pushback over the summer from Albertans with disabilities and disability advocates.

• Albertans transitioning to ADAP say cut to benefits will be life-altering

In a Tuesday media release, the province said it had reversed some of those changes “in response to feedback.”

That includes restoring full benefit amounts for eligible couples where both people receive AISH or ADAP.

People who were affected by the changes would be given retroactive payments making up lost income as a result of changes made in August, the province said.

“Albertans with disabilities have told us where they need more support. These changes respond to those concerns by making it easier to access assistance and giving people greater stability as they plan for their future,” said Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Nathan Neudorf in a media release.

The province said it had also streamlined the transition from AISH to ADAP, shortening the non-medical application process by 75 per cent and allowing nurse practitioners to complete and sign off on medical reports.

And, it is asking the federal government to make it easier for Albertans with disabilities to access employment insurance when temporarily unable to work,

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) president Sandra Azocar said in a Tuesday media release that it was “encouraging to see the government reverse some of the harm caused by its new Alberta Disability Assistance Program.”

“The government is reversing some of its decisions, but that is not good enough,” Azocar said.

“ADAP still reduces monthly benefits by $200 dollars. In this economy, that can be the difference between paying a utility bill or going hungry.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Hannah Kavanagh and Karyn Mulcahy