On July 1, Alberta began moving most recipients of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) to a new program, the Alberta Disability Assistance Program, or ADAP.

ADAP is intended for people whose disabilities restrict but do not completely prevent employment. It allows recipients to keep their disability benefits while earning more from their jobs, but its maximum monthly benefit is $1,740, $200 below the current maximum AISH benefit.

The change affects a large share of the nearly 80,000 people who received AISH. Those with severe or profound developmental disabilities or palliative or terminal conditions, among others, remain on AISH. Everyone else was streamed into ADAP unless they successfully reapplied for AISH through a new medical assessment.

The changes also reduce support for households in which both partners receive disability assistance. Starting with the August 2026 benefit period, each partner receives 88 per cent of the maximum individual benefit. Alberta says the change reflects shared household costs.

The policy is meant to encourage employment. But it also exposes a deeper problem in Canadian disability and social policy: income support, employment, savings, family resources and federal benefits are often treated as though they can simply substitute for one another.

When governments reduce one source of support, the assumption is that people will work more, draw on savings or rely on a spouse or........

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