For immediate release – November 26, 2025 

Inclusion Alberta is deeply disappointed with the introduction of Bill 12, which enables a 10% benefit cut to tens of thousands of AISH recipients who will be moved to the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and sweeping changes to AISH. These changes will harm thousands of Albertans with disabilities, erode fundamental rights, and push many deeper into poverty. This bill affects more than 79,000 Albertans currently on AISH and their families. 

Since the Alberta government announced plans to overhaul AISH and introduce ADAP, Albertans with disabilities and their families have been living with fear and anxiety over how the changes will impact their lives.  

“Bill 12 confirms their deepest fears of increased poverty and uncertainty,” says Trish Bowman, Inclusion Alberta’s CEO. “The options for people with severe disabilities are either having benefits cut and trying to scrape by in the job market or being confined to a program that restricts employment and fosters isolation. Not only are these bad options, but government will place people with significant disabilities in one or the other and deny them the right to appeal.” 

What Bill 12 does: 

• Moves thousands from AISH to ADAP without appeal rights
  Bill 12 allows the government to reassign individuals from AISH to the new ADAP program, a decision that cannot be appealed. ADAP eligibility is defined as a ‘severe disability that substantially impedes employment’ yet assumes tens of thousands will find jobs that provide adequate income despite systemic barriers—prejudice, transportation gaps, Alberta’s 8% unemployment rate, and disability-related limitations. 

• Cuts benefits and income exemptions
  ADAP benefits will be $200 lower than AISH ($1,740 vs. $1,940), leaving most people worse off even if they work. Earnings exemptions drop from $1,072/month under AISH to just $350/month, after which benefits are reduced dollar-for-dollar on AISH or partially on ADAP. 

• Eliminates annual indexation from legislation
  Bill 12 removes legislated cost-of-living adjustments. This creates fear that benefits will be frozen without cost-of-living increases.  

• Adds stress and strains the healthcare system
  Repeat assessments for individuals seeking to move from ADAP back to AISH will burden the healthcare system and create added stress for those already facing significant challenges. 

“ADAP expects people with severe disabilities to work regardless of the barriers they face,” says Ashton Kennedy, an Inclusion Alberta board member who receives AISH. “The other program, ‘New-AISH’, strips people of dignity and purpose by labeling them as ‘permanently unemployable’.” 

These changes mean impossible choices—between food and rent, medication and transportation. For many, Bill 12 will mean deeper poverty and isolation.  

Inclusion Alberta calls on the Government of Alberta to withdraw Bill 12 immediately and engage the disability community in genuine consultation on what changes would enhance AISH and enable greater employment. We urge all Albertans to speak out, contact their MLAs, and demand that government protect—not undermine—the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. 

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Inclusion Alberta Chief Executive Officer Trish Bowman is available for interviews. Please contact Sara Protasow, Inclusion Alberta Communications Coordinator at sprotasow@inclusionalberta.org or 780-906-4693.  

About Inclusion Alberta: Inclusion Alberta is a family based, non-profit federation that advocates on behalf of children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families. Together, we share a dream of meaningful family life and community inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities. As an advocacy organization we support families and individuals in their desire to be fully included in community life.