TAMRMS#: B06
12.1
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Alberta Disability Assistance Program
Notice given by: Councillor Patrick
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PROPOSED MOTION(S):
recommendation
That the City of St. Albert:
1. Formally request that the Government of Alberta pause the implementation of the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), including the transition of recipients from the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program; and
2. Call upon the Province of Alberta to undertake meaningful, accessible, and transparent consultation with persons with disabilities, disability advocacy organizations, and municipal governments, including the City of St. Albert, to ensure that ADAP reflects the lived realities and actual needs of Albertans with disabilities prior to further implementation.
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ADMINISTRATION’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTENT OF THE MOTION
This motion requests that Administration facilitate a response from Council regarding the Government of Alberta’s intention to implement ADAP in July 2026, and this response request that the Government pause this implementation and consult with key organizations, including the City of St. Albert, to ensure that ADAP reflects the needs of the Albertans it will service prior to the program being implemented.
ADMINISTRATION’S RECOMMENDATION
Administration does not have a formal recommendation related to Council’s decision on this matter.
However, Administration recommends that the motion is modified slightly to better align with other similar motions that have been passed by other Albertan municipalities in 2026:
That the Mayor, on behalf of City Council, write a letter to the Government of Alberta advocating for the Government to:
1. Pause the implementation of the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), including the transition of recipients from the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program;
2. Undertake meaningful, accessible, and transparent consultation with persons with disabilities, disability advocacy organizations, and municipal governments, including the City of St. Albert, to ensure that ADAP reflects the lived realities and actual needs of Albertans with disabilities prior to further implementation; and
3. Publicly report on the social and economic impacts of these changes prior to moving forward.
Amending the motion in this matter clarifies how the City of St. Albert is to specifically request a pause in the implementation of ADAP and will ensure alignment and consistency with advocacy messaging among other municipalities that are advocating to the Province on this topic.
PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to present a motion for which Councillor Patrick gave notice on April 20, 2026.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
N/A
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In Q1 2025, the Province announced the creation of the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), with a targeted launch of July 2026. The stated intention of ADAP is to provide Albertans with disabilities more flexibility for obtaining pathways to employment while still receiving benefits, as opposed to the one-size-fits-all solution offered by the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program. The Province intends to maintain AISH, however the program will be reserved solely for those with permanent/severe disabilities that do not enable them to work at all.
In August and September of 2025, the Province conducted public engagements on topics related to ADAP such as program eligibility, applications, benefits/income, employment supports, and client transitions. The results of these engagements culminated in amendments to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped Act that were approved in the Legislature in December 2025, laying the final groundwork for ADAP implementation in July 2026. An overview of this process, the changes to AISH and stipulations for ADAP, as well as general information from the Province’s perspective on this file, are all provided in Attachment 1 to this report.
When these finalized amendments were announced in December 2025, various community organizations and affected Albertans began to notify their elected representatives at the local and provincial level about their concerns, including:
• An overall cut of 10% in monthly benefits for recipients of AISH that end up being moved to the new ADAP program in July 2026 (a ~$200/month reduction, from $1,940 to $1,740);
• Exempt employment income for single individuals will be lowered from $1,072/month under AISH, to $350/month under ADAP, meaning some Albertans who are transferred to ADAP maybe be financially worse-off if they are employed;
• The distinction of whether or not an individual would qualify for ADAP or AISH appears to be linked specifically to their ability to work instead of their ability to obtain secure and stable employment, which could result in some individuals that have disabilities not being able to find meaningful employment, despite being transitioned from AISH to ADAP;
• Concerns regarding fairness in determining ADAP or AISH eligibility, as such eligibility is determined by “disability assistance adjudicators” who will review information provided on a “disability assistance medical report” that is to be completed by a medical professional as part of an individuals application (there will be a single combined application for AISH and ADAP benefits).
• Community organizations that represent Albertans with disabilities have stated that they were not meaningfully consulted on the need for ADAP or its proposed design.
It should be noted that Administration is aware of the following municipalities having passed similar notices of motions regarding the AISH/ADAP topic since January 2026 (this list is not exhaustive):
• City of Edmonton
• City of Calgary
• City of Lethbridge
• City of Red Deer
As referenced above, Attachment 1 - which was published by the Province in March 2026 - highlights the Government’s response to some of the concerns raised by the advocacy that has followed these motions.
It should be also noted the City previously supported a similar motion through the Intercity Forum on Social Policy, which on February 12, 2026 passed:
The Intercity Forum on Social Policy advocate to the Government of Alberta:
1. To immediately pause implementation of the recent changes to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped Act and Alberta Disability Assistance program.
2. That the Government of Alberta undertake meaningful, accessible consultation with persons with disabilities, advocacy organizations, and community partners including healthcare.
3. That the Province publicly report on the social and economic impacts of these changes prior to moving forward.
Subsequent letters to the Premier and Minister Nixon were submitted to this effect.
IMPACTS OF MOTION
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks
None at this time.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Community Well-Being
Item aligned to Strategic Plan:
Not Applicable
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
N/A
ALTERNATIVES
If Council does not wish to support the proposed motion, Administration presents the following alternative for Council’s consideration.
Alternative 1:
Council could support an alternative motion, requesting that the Government increases FCSS and/or other funding mechanisms that support low-income individuals through municipal programs and services to support increased demand due to AISH/ADAP changes lowering monthly income supplements for at-risk individuals.
This alternative would ensure that Council’s advocacy efforts do not tread into provincial areas of jurisdiction such as healthcare and income support, and instead remain rooted in municipal impacts of provincial decisions (i.e., increased demand on locally funded support services such as the St. Albert Food Bank).
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks
None at this time.
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Report Date: May 19, 2026
Author: Monty Killoh
Department: Government/Indigenous Relations & Environment
Department Director: Trevor Duley
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher