Do I qualify for Disability Benefits in Alberta?
There are two types of Alberta disability benefits available—Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL). Under the right circumstances, you can qualify for both at the same time.
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)
AISH Alberta is a set of financial and health benefits that are available to eligible residents of the province. To qualify for the disability benefits of AISH, you must have a permanent medical condition that prevents you from earning a living and which cannot be improved through any medical treatment, therapy, rehabilitation, or training.
You must also be at least 18 years old, not eligible to receive Old Age Security, live in Alberta, and be a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident. To explore the full eligibility criteria, visit the official AISH eligibility website or check the AISH Adjudication Guide to learn more about the official process AISH uses to determine an applicant’s Alberta AISH payments and eligibility.
The Disabilities That Qualify for AISH
When it comes to getting approved for AISH, there are no specific disabilities that you need to qualify. However, your disability must meet the requirements. For one, you have to have a medical condition that is likely to remain permanent. Your medical condition must also be the main factor as to why you’re unable to work.
When AISH is determining your eligibility, they’ll look at medical treatments, therapies, and other options available to help you earn a living again. That said, even if you can work, you could still receive AISH if you’re eligible.
AISH Disability Benefit Amounts
The amount that you’ll receive for AISH in Canada is based on the income you receive and the number of dependent children you have. That said, you could get up to a maximum of $1,940 per month for a living allowance. You could also receive the child benefit, which is $232 per month for the first dependent child, and $117 for each dependent child after that. For those who live in a facility, there’s also the modified living allowance.
Along with these benefits, there are also health benefits and personal benefits that you could qualify for. These benefits are approved on a case-by-case basis and are based on your employment income, your dependent child’s income, income taxes and income tax refunds. Your benefits will also be based on any income you earn from the Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP D), Employment Insurance, and other non-exempt income.
The idea of this program is to help cover the costs of basic needs for persons with health conditions. This program offers resources for those who have the ability to earn income and those who don’t. It’ll cover the cost of special diets.
2026 AISH Payment Dates
| Payment Month | Payment Date |
| January | December 22, 2025 |
| February | January 27 |
| March | February 24 |
| April | March 26 |
| May | April 27 |
| June | May 26 |
| July | June 26 |
| August | July 28 |
| September | August 26 |
| October | September 24 |
| November | October 27 |
To learn more about the program or apply for AISH Alberta, click here.
Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL)
The other disability benefits available to eligible residents of Alberta are the AADL—Alberta Aids to Daily Living. This program is designed to help anyone with a long-term disability, chronic illness, or terminal illness pay for basic medical equipment and supplies, such as oxygen, walking aids, wheelchairs, and more.
To qualify for AADL, you’ll need to be assessed by a medical practitioner to determine your eligibility for the program and identify your basic medical needs. To qualify for some medical equipment, your assessment needs to be completed by an approved AADL specialist.
To apply or learn more about eligibility and coverage, visit the official AADL website. ADL website.
Don’t Forget about the Disability Tax Credit
The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) is a tax credit designed to reduce the amount of income tax owed by disabled persons and their supporters. By paying less income tax, you can allocate more of your money towards disability costs.
Furthermore, if you qualify for the DTC, you might also qualify for related programs like the registered disability savings plan, the working income tax benefit, and the child disability benefit.
How to Start Receiving Benefits
If you’re looking to receive AISH Benefits from the Alberta Government, you are going to have to apply. You can apply online or with a paper application. If you’re having trouble, then you can call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre. Once your application is done for the AISH program, it will go to the AISH application processing centre.
When eligible adult Albertans and Alberta seniors fill out the application, an AISH worker through social services will review it to determine if their health status meets the medical and financial criteria in order to qualify for income support. A family doctor should also provide information regarding developmental disabilities and other factors to determine if your disabilities qualify.
In terms of other eligibility, you also need to provide information regarding whether or not you were in a correctional facility, your asset limits for non-exempt assets, and any other income you receive. This includes income from the Workers’ Compensation Board. You’ll also need to provide the number of dependent children you have, if you’re a single person and your direct deposit information.
Appealing a Denied AISH Application
If you’re not approved for AISH when you apply, you’re still able to go through the AISH appeal process. You have 30 days from when you receive your denial letter to submit your written appeal. While you’re waiting for your hearing, you can collect new evidence in order to help prove your claim. Your AISH denial reasons will be listed in your letter and can be used to get more evidence from your health care professional. You can also get help from an Alberta disability advocate and even get another clinical assessment done.
How AISH Differs from ODSP Benefits
Both AISH and ODSP recipients receive comparable benefits that help to cover the everyday costs associated with being unable to work and medical costs that come up if you don’t have a private insurance plan. Each program also offers some employment income exemptions, but spousal income will impact your income assistance benefits.
The main difference between the two is that AISH has an asset limit of $100,000, unlike ODSP’s asset limit of $40,000. You can also get up to $1,901 per month with AISH, and only $1,408 per month with ODSP.
Working While Receiving AISH Payments
While you can be working while on AISH, there are specific rules that apply. Most who work will be put onto the Alberta Disability Assistance Program instead. That said, you can generally earn $350 per month before your income is then reduced by 50% for every additional dollar earned. No matter which program you’re on, you do have to report your earnings.
The PDD Program in Alberta
The Persons with Developmental Disability program is here to help eligible adults with developmental disabilities who are Alberta residents live as independently as possible without having to go into a health care centre or local hospital. In order to apply, all you have to do is go to the PDD Program Alberta website. The supports you have access to include:
- Home living supports
- Community access supports
- In-home respite
- Employment supports
Since having no income substantially limits what you can afford, this program can help with covering some of those benefit costs.
How AISH Differs from Income Support
If you’re looking at income support vs. AISH, you’ll notice there are some pretty large differences. AISH is a permanent disability program for those who have severe and prolonged disabilities that prevent them from working. There are AISH asset limits, and you’ll need a disability determination in Alberta.
People receiving income assistance through income support don’t have to be considered disabled. It’s a short-term benefit for those who are looking to supplement their income while they’re looking for a job or going through training.
With AISH, there are also other benefits you can get, including:
- Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) for those who are treaty status First Nations or Inuit through the Indigenous Services Centre ( formerly under the First Nations and Inuit Branch of Health Canada
- Coverage for your own medical equipment, like hearing aids
- Benefit funding for an occupational therapist
- AADL benefits
Those who qualify for NIHB don’t have to worry about the cost-sharing program since they won’t have to cover the cost-sharing portion for health care.
Asset Limits for AADL Eligibility
The AADL program helps Albertans who are low-income and have a severe disability cover the cost of medical equipment and other benefits. There’s a variety of services and benefits available to the low-income Albertans who need them.
Can I Get a Loan While on Disability?
You can get approved for a personal loan while collecting disability benefits. Read about how you can use your AISH disability benefits as an AISH recipient to get a cash advance loan.
Spring Financial serves Canadians facing all types of credit situations with practical advice and credit-building solutions. We also offer personal instalment loans online, so you can get the financing you need in a few clicks. Apply today to see how we can help!
