'Why kick a person when they’re already down?': UCP eyes potential cuts to AISH program
The decision could mean reductions to monthly payments received by nearly 70,000 Albertans living with disabilities who rely on the program for income to afford basic needs
The UCP government is considering cuts to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program in 2021 as a result of an ongoing review, a move recipients say would be “absolutely inhumane” and make it more difficult to meet the rising cost of living.
The decision could mean reductions to monthly payments received by nearly 70,000 Albertans living with disabilities who rely on the program for income to afford basic needs.
Update Sept. 17, 2020 — From the backlash to the cuts to AISH, the UCP government has back-tracked and said they will instead, examine eligibility criteria for the program. This could see people removed from the program. Jason Kenney said:
“But the population of people qualifying has been growing far, far faster than the overall population, and so they have to look at issues like that — what are the criteria, how do we define severely handicapped in this day and age? So, those are the kinds of issues they’re looking at.”
By changing the government's interpretation of "severely handicapped" it could mean many of those on AISH no longer qualify.