Province splitting AISH up to add employment-focused model

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on February 5, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

An announcement from the government from Alberta regarding changes to how people with disabilities will receive support has received immediate criticism from provincial employees and the Official Opposition.

Changes, as announced by the province on Tuesday morning, create a new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), slated to launch in the summer of 202 with a stated goal of empowering Albertans with disabilities to pursue job opportunities without taking away their supports.

“People with disabilities should not be punished for getting a job. Every dollar they earn on a paycheque should be helping make them better off, not threatening their access to the medication they need,” said Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services. 
”That’s why I am excited to announce the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact that it will have on Albertans with disabilities.”

Each person currently on AISH, or anyone applying into the future, must go through an assessment by a Alberta physician to determine a client’s ability to take on employment. Clients will then be sent to either AISH or the newly formed ADAP, where the focus will be on getting them to work.

More than 77,000 people will need to go through an assessment. Doctors in Alberta will be offered a chance to volunteer for a pre-approved list, the province says, while AISH clients or new applicants can also go to their family doctor for the assessment.

There are no details yet provided as to what criteria decides the assessment result.

According to the province, Albertans on ADAP will be able to earn more from working while continuing to receive financial benefits. Benefits will gradually decrease as income goes up, though health benefits will remain untouched even as that occurs.

They will also work to expand employment supports and encourage private sector employers to break down barriers to employment for people with disabilities.

“I strongly believe in empowering persons with disabilities to reach their full potential, and I also strongly believe that all people deserve to pursue their goals and aspirations without barriers. By creating this program, the province is making it easier for Albertans to find success,” said Greg McMeekin, the Alberta government-appointed advocate for persons with disabilities. “ADAP will truly help to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact of this new program.”

Alberta’s NDP however, expressed concern as to how this would be implemented, and skepticism as to how this would aid the unemployment rate for people with disabilities. Marie Renaud, Alberta NDP Shadow Minister for Community and Social Service, noted that, “Without accessibility, legislation and targeted investment in inclusive employment, that reality won’t change for the province’s more than one million disabled Albertans.

“The UCP government’s response to chronic unemployment and underemployment for disabled Albertans has opened the door to change eligibility for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped. This is a program that supports a fraction of the disability community and will not impact unemployment rates for people with disabilities,” said Renaud. “It is alarming that the UCP government has given themselves the power to go through the list of the 77,000 AISH recipients and decide which of those people should be working and supporting themselves and who doesn’t need to.”

While Renaud is concerned about the lack of details for a plan to “remove people from AISH,” the AUPE also expressed concern about who would be able to do these assessments to determine who would move to the new program, with current caseloads being what they are.

“This is a major announcement from the government, but there’s not a single word on how the plan will be funded, resourced and staffed,” says AUPE vice-president Sandra Azocar. “Staff with Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped are already overwhelmed, and will now have an even greater and more complex workload.”

Azocar continued to say that previous changes to AISH had already caused chaos for both workers and those who use the program, which has shaken confidence in the government’s ability to make this work.

“AISH cases are complex, and Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) cases will be the same,” said Azocar. “People with disabilities contribute a great deal to Alberta. They deserve to have assistance programs that work.”

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