Changes to AISH payments have city ‘scrambling’ over low-income transit passes
Some recipients might not have money to buy pass until the first of the month
Mayor Naheed Nenshi said Thursday that upcoming changes to the way the province doles out Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and Income Support could leave people who rely on Calgary’s low-income transit pass in the lurch.
Last month, the province announced that starting in March, the monthly payment date for Albertans receiving AISH and Income Support would shift to the first of the month — rather than a few days before the beginning of the month.
The new policy creates a “crazy situation” in the city, according to Nenshi, as people who need a low-income transit pass might not have the money to pay for it until the first of the month, but may also face paying an additional bus or train fare to travel to purchase a new pass that day.
Nenshi said the change could also see people face extended waits, with a one-day rush to buy the low-income pass.
“These are things I wish the provincial government had considered and consulted on before making this decision,” he said.
“I basically heard about this within the last 10 days and we’ve been scrambling ever since to figure out how we’re going to manage this.”
In a statement sent to Postmedia, a spokesperson for Community and Social Services Minister Rajan Sawhney said her staff have been working with the city “to ensure that vulnerable Calgarians will continue to have access to programs they need.
“We acknowledge this date change may require recipients to make some adjustments to monthly commitments,” the statement continues, adding if people have questions about the situation, they can speak with their case worker or call Alberta Supports.
Calgary’s low-income transit pass is offered on a sliding scale at a cost ranging from $5.45 to $54.50 per month, depending on income. AISH recipients get $1,685 per month for a single person, and Nenshi said that typically puts them in the middle tier for the low-income pass, which costs $38.15 per month.
Many convenience and grocery stores sell tickets and monthly transit passes, but there are more limited options for where to buy the low-income pass.
Besides Calgary Transit’s two customer service centre locations downtown, low-income passes are available only through the city hall cashiers, the Southland Leisure Centre or the Village Square Leisure Centre. Calgarians can also order the pass online, but Nenshi said only about 10 per cent of low-income pass users go with that option.
The city’s transit bylaw requires anyone who rides a bus or the Ctrain to have a valid fare, and transit officers can’t selectively enforce the bylaw and “look the other way” on the first day of the month. City council might try to change the bylaw to deal with the issue. In the meantime, the city is considering opening places to buy the low-income transit pass over next weekend, since March 1 falls on a Sunday.
That would mean paying staff overtime, and Nenshi said it likely isn’t a solution that will work every month.
When the provincial government announced the payment timing changes, Sawhney’s press secretary said it was meant to make payments more consistent and predictable from one month to the next.
But Nenshi criticized the move as “disruptive” for vulnerable people in Calgary.
Sawhney wrote on Twitter last week that people should get ready for the changes by buying their transit pass in advance, but Nenshi said that isn’t realistic for everyone.
“Telling people, ‘Come buy it early’ when they don’t have the cash to buy it is not the only solution here.”
Because March 1 is a Sunday, Income Support and AISH payments will be distributed on Feb. 28, according to the province.
The first time recipients will see their payments shift is April, when the first of the month is a Wednesday.
Telling people, ‘Come buy it early’ when they don’t have the cash to buy it is not the only solution here.