Local officials welcome province’s plan to amend AISH legislation

By Peggy Revell on March 20, 2018.

Two local organizations that work with people with disabilities are applauding the province’s plan to amend legislation so that having a trust won’t affect eligibility for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped.

Monday’s announcement is “incredibly encouraging,” said Rita Bessant, executive director of CORE Association, and the proposed change could have a “very positive effect” for several CORE clients who have trusts set up for them by families.

AISH provides for an “incredibly limited budget,” said Bessant, yet some families are still able to save and invest that — this hopefully means families can save more.

“It allows them to have the extra, for the long-term,” she said — important when families are older and no longer able to assist, and as people with disabilities are living longer due to good care.

“It means they will have opportunities like you and I do, to go on vacation, buy new furniture … or just leave the money safe and have that security.”

The change is also about equality, she said, as it means an AISH recipient won’t have their income penalized if they happen to inherit money

“This is great for families, to help with peace of mind for their loved ones,” said Karen Gingras, executive director of Redi-Enterprises, whose clients typically are on AISH. “As parents age, they want to make sure their loved one is going to be OK — that takes money.”

It means AISH recipients don’t have to worry about having too much in assets that would then affect their ability to even qualify for AISH, she said.

The change also aligns well with the federal government’s registered disabilities savings plan, she added.

“I can see how this would be of value for all of the families of the people we support,”

Under current legislation, if a person with a disability holds a discretionary trust asset — even if they aren’t receiving payments from it — they are ineligible for AISH. Exemptions are available on a case-by-case basis for non-discretionary trusts.

Under the proposed legislation, there will be a one-year grace period to allow people to move an inheritance or other lump sum payment into a trust or other exempt asset.

The province says the treatment of trust income is not changing and may affect the level of an AISH client’s monthly living allowance.