Inclusion Alberta is pleased by the Government of Alberta’s decision to ensure that couples where both partners receive provincial disability benefits such as AISH or ADAP receive their full benefit entitlement. People with disabilities should not be financially penalized because they are living with a partner or married. Strong relationships provide stability, support, and protection against poverty. Government policies should support, not discourage, those relationships.  

We thank Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Nathan Neudorf for listening to concerns raised by Albertans with disabilities and their families and for responding quickly to correct this policy. This move reverses one of the recent changes, the reduction of benefits for couples where both partners receive disability assistance, leaving each person with only 88 per cent of their full benefit entitlement. Affected recipients will also receive retroactive payments fully reimbursing the difference back to the August 2026 payment. Government has indicated that no action is required from affected recipients, and that they will receive their retroactive payment before the end of the year. 

While this announcement addresses one ‘marriage penalty’, significant financial penalties associated with marriage and cohabitation remain. This summer’s changes to AISH and introduction of ADAP reduced the employment income exemption for spouses and partners who do not receive AISH or ADAP from $2,612 per month to $1,500 per month before benefit reductions begin. Many Albertans with disabilities continue to see their benefits reduced because a spouse or partner works. Reducing benefits based on household income can create financial dependence, discourage workforce participation, and place pressure on people to avoid relationships. 

The Alberta government also called on the federal government yesterday to improve access to Employment Insurance (EI) for people with disabilities and has advocated for reducing barriers to the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). While these efforts may help some Albertans, recipients of AISH and ADAP will see little or no direct financial benefit as long as EI and CDB payments are fully offset through corresponding reductions to provincial disability benefits. 

This announcement is a positive step. Our hope is that moving forward the government listens and responds to concerns raised by Albertans affected most by these program changes.