Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Jason Nixon responded to a question about AISH at a press conference Wednesday. Both maintain that Alberta's disability benefit program leads the country, despite concern among disabled Albertans about clawbacks.--Photo from YourAlberta YouTube
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
The UCP government on Tuesday passed its omnibus financial statutes bill that contains sweeping changes to the province’s disability benefit.
Bill 12, the Financial Statutes Amendment Act, includes legislation that will implement the government’s changes to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program and establish the parallel Alberta Disability Assistance Plan.
Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Jason Nixon responded to criticisms about the new program at a press conference Wednesday. Smith accused the NDP of fear-mongering among the province’s most vulnerable citizens when it comes to the proposed changes to the disability income program.
Smith says no one who is severely disabled will get paid less as a result of the changes.
“In fact, they’re going to see an increase,” said Smith. “Starting in January, it’s going from a total of $1,901 to $1,940. What’s happened is that the government is now cost sharing on that amount for us.”
Starting in October, Albertans with disabilities began receiving the $200 federal Canadian Disability Benefit, a top-up added on to existing provincially administered benefits.
Albertans who did not apply for or receive the CDB saw their disability benefits drop by the corresponding amount.
Smith and Nixon both highlighted that Alberta’s disability benefit remains higher than the national standard.
Nixon says the introduction of the ADAP program will expand access to disability benefits for working Albertans with disabilities.
“A lot of the conversation is really focused on AISH for obvious reasons. It’s very important that we maintain and continue to care for people that have been on the AISH program and need the AISH program. But what we have expanded here in Alberta is giving access to many people who would not have been eligible for AISH.”
Zachary Weeks, an Edmonton-based disability advocate, says the changes are unwanted.
“Let us be clear. The disability community did not request ADAP. We did not call for the dismantling of AISH,” said Weeks in a statement Wednesday.
When the changes are implemented next July, all current AISH recipients will be automatically moved to the new ADAP program, which sees a 10 per cent cut to benefits and a 67 per cent cut to fully exempt employment income.
The province says recipients will be distinguished based on whether their disability “substantially impedes” their ability to work, or prevents it altogether.
“I’m terrified of the prospect of being labelled either ‘permanently unemployable’ or ‘somewhat employable’, and having my already meagre monthly income reduced,” says Ashton Kennedy, an Inclusion Alberta board member and AISH recipient.
“I don’t know what this means for my future and if I will still be able to make ends meet.”
Criteria differentiating these categories was not included in the legislation, and will be determined later by regulation.
Bill 12 also removed the requirement for annual inflation adjustments to the amount of benefit.
Disabled Albertans say they were not adequately consulted about the legislation.
“‘Nothing about us without us’ is not a slogan. It is a demand for basic human respect. This government has shown Alberta that they still have not learned that lesson,” said Weeks.
Inclusion Alberta is calling on the government to pause the implementation of the changes and conduct further engagement with disabled Albertans.
Results of consultation conducted by the government from August to September was not released ahead of passing Bill 12.
