Proposed shift from AISH to ADAP trims income, weakens indexation and limits appeal rights
Albertans with disabilities could see lower monthly support, tighter earnings rules and weaker inflation protection under a provincial overhaul of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program.
The proposed changes raise red flags about benefit adequacy and long-term security for a large, low-income population.
According to CBC News, Bill 12 – the Financial Statutes Amendment Act (No. 2) – would replace AISH with the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and automatically move all current recipients into the new system in 2026.
CTV News reports that only those assessed as having “a severe disability that permanently prevents employment” would be allowed to stay on AISH, with that standard left to future regulation.
CBC News says AISH recipients moved to ADAP would receive $200 less each month than under the current program.
At the same time, the earnings exemption would shrink: AISH now allows up to $1,072 a month before clawbacks, while ADAP would fully exempt only the first $350, then reduce benefits on a sliding scale until they are eliminated once annual income reaches $45,000.
CTV News reports that Bill 12 would also remove the legislated requirement that AISH benefits rise annually with the Alberta escalator, leaving future increases to regulators.
The bill would also bar appeals of the decision to move existing AISH clients onto ADAP and give the minister control over which other benefit decisions can be appealed.
Public Interest Alberta’s Bradley Lafortune argued that changing 14 laws at once and stripping indexation and appeal rights undermines transparency and “access to administrative fairness”.
On the employment side, University of Calgary economist Gillian Petit noted that only 16 percent of AISH clients are currently employed, meaning 84 percent are not in work, which she called a “very big hurdle” for the government’s work‑first rationale
Petit also warned that lower benefit levels and weaker inflation protection would leave people “able to afford less goods and services,” while many will still struggle to find jobs with appropriate accommodations, as per CTV News.
Assisted Living and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon maintains the reform will modernize supports and encourage employment.
He told reporters that describing ADAP as a cut for thousands of Albertans is “misinformation” and argued that AISH‑type programs “penalize people for getting a job,” according to CBC News.
If passed, the AISH reforms and ADAP rollout would take effect in 2026.
