AISH and ADAP in Alberta
Alberta split its disability income program in July 2026: AISH remains for some clients, and the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program serves those assessed as able to work.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) pays a maximum living allowance of $1,940 a month in 2026, the rate in force since January 1, 2026. Its new companion, the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), pays a maximum of $1,740 a month since July 2, 2026. ADAP is for Albertans with a severe disability who are assessed as able to work: their condition significantly restricts employment without preventing it. AISH clients who moved to ADAP in July 2026 receive a transition benefit of $200 a month until December 31, 2027, which keeps their total at the former AISH level. Clients who met certain criteria stayed on AISH automatically, including people aged 60 or over, people with a severe or profound developmental disability, people in palliative care and residents of continuing care homes. Work is treated differently in the two programs. A single ADAP client can earn $700 a month before the benefit is affected, against $350 for a single AISH client. Since August 2026 both programs pay a child benefit of $300 a month for the first child and smaller amounts for the next ones. There is a single application for both programs.
Your maximum AISH or ADAP payment
Maximum per month
$1,940
| Living allowance | $1,940 |
| Transition benefit | $0 |
| Child benefit | $0 |
Single client with no non-exempt income; a cohabiting partner on AISH or ADAP changes the living allowance.
Two programs since July 2026
Since the July 2026 transition, Alberta has two income programs for adults with a severe disability. AISH continues for people whose disability prevents them from earning a living. ADAP, which became operational with the July 2026 transition, covers people with a severe disability who are assessed as able to work, meaning their condition significantly restricts employment but does not rule it out. There is one application for both, and Alberta decides which program fits.
| Item | AISH | ADAP |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum living allowance per month | $1,940 | $1,740 |
| Rate in force since | January 1, 2026 | July 2, 2026 |
| Transition benefit per month | – | $200 until December 31, 2027 |
| Earnings exemption, single | $350 | $700 |
| Earnings exemption, parent | $350 | $1,100 |
| Earnings exemption, cohabiting partner | $1,500 | $1,500 |
Who moved and who stayed
AISH clients did not all switch. Those who met at least one criterion remained on AISH automatically: a severe or profound developmental disability, a palliative or terminal condition, living in a continuing care home, or being aged 60 or over. Others were moved to ADAP in July 2026. For them the province added a $200 monthly transition benefit, so that $1,740 plus $200 equals the $1,940 they had before. That protection lasts until December 31, 2027.
The practical consequence is a cliff at the start of 2028 for transferred clients who do not work: their payment would drop by $200 a month, or $2,400 a year, unless Alberta extends the benefit or raises the ADAP rate. New ADAP clients never receive the transition amount and start at $1,740.
Your maximum AISH or ADAP payment
Maximum per month
$1,940
| Living allowance | $1,940 |
| Transition benefit | $0 |
| Child benefit | $0 |
Single client with no non-exempt income; a cohabiting partner on AISH or ADAP changes the living allowance.
Earnings: the main difference
ADAP was designed around work, and its exemption shows it. A single ADAP client can earn $700 a month without any effect on the benefit, twice the $350 allowed to a single AISH client. A parent on ADAP keeps $1,100, and a client with a cohabiting partner, in either program, $1,500. Over a year, the single ADAP exemption is worth $8,400 of earnings, against $4,200 on AISH.
Above the exemption, ADAP does not use a flat rate. Alberta describes a gradual deduction that begins at less than a cent per dollar and increases significantly as annual employment income approaches $45,000. The province has not published the exact formula in the sources we used, so we do not model it; the mini-calculator above shows the maximum before any earnings.
Two budgets within the exemptions
Because the deduction formula above the exemption is not published, the clearest examples are households whose earnings stay at or below it, where the arithmetic is exact.
- A former AISH client moved to ADAP who works a few shifts and earns $700 a month: $1,740 of living allowance, $200 of transition benefit and the full pay, or $2,640 a month and $31,680 over a year.
- A new ADAP client raising two children who earns $1,100 a month: $1,740 plus $417 of child benefit plus the pay, $3,257 a month before the federal child benefit.
The same $700 of monthly pay would exceed the AISH exemption of $350 by $350, and that excess would fall under AISH’s own deduction rules, which our sources do not detail.
Child benefit from August 2026
Both programs pay a monthly amount for dependent children, recalibrated in August 2026 to take account of other child support, including the federal Canada child benefit.
| Child | Per month | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $300 | $300 |
| 2 | $117 | $417 |
| 3 | $88 | $505 |
| 4 | $59 | $564 |
| 5th and each additional | $30 | $594 |
The first child carries most of the amount: two children bring $417 a month, four children $564. Families may also receive the federal child benefit and, depending on income, the Alberta child and family benefit, both paid by the CRA on their own schedules.
Couples
When both partners receive AISH or ADAP, each gets 88 % of the maximum living allowance, reflecting shared household costs. The Alberta policy manual gives $1,708 a month for an AISH client whose cohabiting partner is on AISH or ADAP. A partner’s non-exempt income can also reduce the living allowance.
Federal benefits alongside AISH and ADAP
The federal Canada Disability Benefit is a separate program with its own test: an approved disability tax credit, ages 18 to 64, and income limits. Being on AISH or ADAP does not by itself qualify you, and how Alberta treats the federal payment is set by provincial rules, so ask before counting on the full $204.20. The amount paid to you is the one Alberta confirms. Sources: Alberta, AISH and ADAP policy manual: living allowance and Government of Alberta, Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).