Last verified: October 7, 2026
Alberta is restoring full AISH benefits for couples where both partners receive Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) or Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) payments. The province says affected clients will automatically receive retroactive payments covering the difference back to the August 2026 benefit period.
No application is required. Alberta says the reimbursement will arrive before the end of 2026, although it has not published a specific payment date.
The change reverses a rule introduced in August that paid each member of a two-recipient household 88% of the maximum individual benefit. Restoring the remaining 12% can add more than $400 a month to an affected household before other income adjustments.
How much the restored 12% can add
The exact increase depends on each partner’s program, other household income and any transition benefit. The figures below show the maximum standard living allowance before those adjustments.
| Couple’s programs | Amount under 88% rule | Restored full amount | Monthly household increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both partners on AISH | $3,414.40 | $3,880.00 | $465.60 |
| One partner on AISH, one on ADAP | $3,238.40 | $3,680.00 | $441.60 |
| Both partners on ADAP | $3,062.40 | $3,480.00 | $417.60 |
PaycheckGuru calculation: Alberta’s disability-assistance discussion guide lists the AISH maximum at $1,940 a month, while the ADAP core benefit is $1,740. The former rule multiplied each person’s maximum by 88%. The restored amount returns that calculation to 100%.
For example, two AISH recipients were eligible for a combined maximum of $3,414.40 under the 88% rule. Restoring the full $1,940 for each person raises the household maximum to $3,880, a difference of $465.60 for every affected benefit period.
These are not guaranteed deposit amounts. AISH and ADAP benefits can be reduced by employment earnings, pension income or other income considered by the programs. Some former AISH clients who moved to ADAP also receive a $200 monthly transition benefit through December 31, 2027. Alberta has not published an individualized formula for how that top-up will appear in every retroactive calculation.
Who qualifies for the automatic reimbursement
The October 6 announcement applies to couples where both partners receive AISH or ADAP. That includes households with two AISH recipients, two ADAP recipients, or one person in each program.
The Alberta government announcement says affected clients will be reimbursed for the full difference beginning with the August 2026 period of assistance. It also says no action is required.
The change does not create an extra benefit for households where only one partner receives disability assistance. Those households were not subject to the two-recipient 88% calculation. A spouse’s or partner’s income can still affect eligibility and the monthly amount under the normal AISH and ADAP income rules.
When will the retroactive payment arrive?
Alberta has committed to paying the reimbursement before December 31, 2026. It has not announced an exact deposit date or said whether the retroactive amount will be combined with a regular monthly payment.
Affected recipients should compare the reimbursement with their payment statements for each benefit period beginning in August. For a household receiving the maximum amounts, the monthly difference should match the relevant figure in the table above. A household with income deductions may see a different amount.
If the payment does not arrive by year-end, or the calculation appears incomplete, contact the local AISH and ADAP office listed on Alberta’s Disability Income Assistance page. Keep the August and later payment statements because they provide the clearest record of what was deducted.
The 88% rule lasted only a few months
Alberta introduced the two-recipient household calculation for the August 2026 benefit period. Under that approach, each partner received 88% of the maximum individual benefit. The province said the adjustment reflected shared household costs and was consistent with how other jurisdictions structure disability assistance.
On October 6, the province reversed that approach and committed to restoring the full amount. The announcement did not identify a new percentage or replacement household formula. It simply states that eligible couples will again receive full benefit amounts and that the reduction will be reimbursed retroactively.
This matters because a 12% reduction is much larger when applied twice in the same household. At the maximum AISH rate, each partner lost $232.80 per benefit period, producing a combined reduction of $465.60. For two ADAP recipients at the core rate, the combined reduction was $417.60.
Returning from ADAP to AISH is also getting easier
The same announcement changes the process for former AISH clients who moved to ADAP and later apply to return to AISH. Alberta says the non-medical portion of the application has been shortened by 75% because the program can reuse information already on file.
A medical report is still required. The province will continue paying for one Disability Income Assistance Medical Report for a former AISH client who transitioned to ADAP and wants an AISH assessment. There is no time limit on that support, and nurse practitioners can now complete and sign the report in addition to physicians.
ADAP is intended for people whose severe disability substantially limits employment but does not permanently prevent it. AISH is for people whose permanent and severe disability prevents employment. An ADAP client whose condition or capacity to work has changed can ask for an AISH assessment.
The EI proposal is not a federal rule change
Alberta also asked the federal government to make Employment Insurance easier to access for workers with episodic disabilities. The province wants more flexibility around qualifying hours when a medical condition temporarily interrupts employment.
That request is advocacy, not an enacted change to EI eligibility. Current federal rules still apply unless the Government of Canada announces and implements an amendment. PaycheckGuru’s guide to the current temporary EI measures explains the federal changes already in effect.
What affected couples should check next
- Keep every AISH or ADAP payment statement from the August 2026 benefit period onward.
- Do not submit a separate request for the restored-couple payment. Alberta says reimbursement is automatic.
- When the retroactive payment arrives, compare it with the monthly reduction shown on each affected statement.
- Contact the local AISH and ADAP office if the reimbursement is missing after December 31 or does not cover every affected period.
- If you receive the federal Canada Disability Benefit as well, treat it as a separate program. PaycheckGuru’s Canada Disability Benefit supplement guide explains the 2026 federal payment.
Sources: Government of Alberta, Stronger supports for Albertans with disabilities; Government of Alberta, Alberta Disability Assistance Program; Government of Alberta, Transforming Disability Income Assistance in Alberta discussion guide; Government of Alberta, What you get with AISH. Figures verified October 7, 2026. Calculations by PaycheckGuru.