Albertans protest federal disability benefit clawback and call for accessibility legislation
Dozens of Albertans came out to the legislature on Tuesday protesting clawbacks for the federal disability benefit and called on the province to put forward accessibility legislation.
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Starting in June Albertans with disabilities can begin applying for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) with the first payment of up to $200 expected in July. But while the province says the Assisted Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) payments will remain unchanged, advocates say the province will clawback the CDB benefit, garnering protests from those in the community.
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Zachary Weeks, a disability advocate and rally organizer, said many people living on AISH are afraid to speak out in fear their benefits may be cut. Sitting in the gallery of the legislature on Tuesday, he said it was great to see many questions from the Alberta NDP directed to the UCP government on disability.
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'I don't think anyone wants to live on AISH because it's a paltry amount, given the economy we're in and the amount of expenses for groceries and rent on top of that, it is a very rigorous process to get accepted onto AISH.'
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Starting July 2026, the province will implement the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), intended to ensure Albertans with disabilities are not negatively impacted from having a job, according to the province. The program will not be replacing AISH.
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Weeks said the province needs to have proper consultation with the community before moving forward with the program and said individuals should be able to choose between AISH and ADAP.
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Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon defended the province's position and said the maximum monthly AISH payments plus $400 in health benefits and a tax reduction is 'above the poverty line.'
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'We have regulations that have been in place under this government, the NDP government, the PC government, to calculate individual's income — income that you receive from the federal government, including things like Canadian Pension Plan are part of the calculation of income,' Nixon said.
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