POTENTIAL AISH CUTS DECRIED
Source says impact will not be minor
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.
AISH is one of several programs currently under review by the Ministry of Community and Social Services.
A senior source within the department of community and social services confirmed to Postmedia “there is a push to potentially make some cuts” to AISH.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it’s “hard to say” how extensive those potential cuts could be. But there is an indication they would be significant.
“They’re not going to be that minor in nature,” the source said. “They will be more than that.” The government’s discussions are ongoing, with reductions likely to take effect next year.
Such a move would be “thoroughly unfair,” according to Julie Heffel, who lives with cerebral palsy and has received AISH payments for 18 years. She said cuts would leave recipients with tough choices between basic everyday needs.
“As it is, AISH is a program by which you cannot afford to live in housing that isn’t subsidized,” said Heffel, 36.
“You can’t afford to have things like a car because it just doesn’t balance out.”
When it comes to widespread cost reductions, the UCP views AISH as a possible area “for making a little bit of a dent,” according to the source.
In last month’s first-quarter fiscal update, Finance Minister Travis Toews hinted further cuts to provincial services could be in store, in line with the UCP government’s first two budgets, after revealing that Alberta’s deficit is on track to hit $24.2 billion.
“We need to deliver the most cost-effective government services possible,” said Toews, who cited crashing oil prices and the economic fallout linked to the COVID-19 pandemic as reasons for economic misfortune in the province.
“Alberta can no longer afford to be an outlier in terms of the cost of delivering services to Albertans.”
In late 2019, the government announced the de-indexation of AISH payments from inflation, meaning benefits would no longer increase with the rising cost of living.
Community and Social Services Minister Rajan Sawhney said at the time the move would save the province more than $300 million by 2023, which would be necessary to keep the program sustainable.
“We’re not cutting anything, the budget has actually increased,” Sawhney said during a committee meeting last November.
The government allocated $1.29 billion for AISH in its 2020 budget, tabled in February.
AISH clients receive $1,685 per month in basic benefits. That represents $390 per month more than Quebec, the province with the next-highest payments for similar programs, according to the 2020 budget.
“This is the highest budget for AISH Alberta has ever had and represents a third of the ministry’s budget,” Ryan Hastman, a senior adviser to Sawhney, said in an emailed statement.
AISH caseloads increased by 17 per cent from 2015 to 2019, while costs went up by 20 per cent over that time, according to 2020 budget figures. As of July 2020, there were 69,785 recipients of the program.
“As the minister has said previously, she is looking at all ministry programs to ensure they can continue to serve Albertans now and in the future,” Hastman said.
“While no decisions have been made, we are taking a close look at AISH and all of our programs so we can ensure they are delivered sustainably and supports continue to be available for those who need them.”
Recipients of the program and those who advocate for Albertans living with disability say potential cuts stand to make life exponentially more difficult when it comes to affording rent, groceries and other basic needs.
“What it would do is really aggravate our cost of living. It would be very detrimental,” said Ian Young, 57, who has received AISH benefits since 2004 after developing a neurological disorder that caused him to suffer several strokes.
Young called threatened reductions “absolutely inhumane.” He said they make him feel “very hopeless and very frightened.”
“It’s really unfair to pick on already vulnerable people,” Young said.
“I don’t know what I’d do.”
The community and social services source said no AISH recipient would lose the entirety of their benefits following the government’s review. Eligible recipients who qualify for the program would continue receiving a monthly payment, albeit at a possible lower rate.
But even so, “any cut is going to be devastating,” according to Don Slater, who has been an AISH recipient for about 10 years and advocates for those with disabilities.
“Their budget’s already too stretched. People are basically sacrificing the things they need for other things they need,” said Slater.
“With COVID, it’s put extra stress on people. The disabled sort of live in urban isolation because they can’t really afford to take part in the community. It’s almost like being a bird in a cage. You don’t have any money for anything else.”
Slater said many have worried “the hammer is going to fall” ever since the UCP government was elected in April 2019.
He said he’s open to AISH being restructured or simplified to improve the program but any reduction to program funding is not a viable solution with the cost of living continually on the rise.
“There’s a question of, in times like this, is AISH a charity or is it an obligation?” Slater said
“Being disabled is sometimes like being in jail for a crime you didn’t commit. It’s just a life that no one would choose. I know how tough it is. I know what urban isolation is like. I know what not being able to afford going out with my friends is like.”
NDP MLA Marie Renaud, the Opposition critic for community and social services, said word of potential cuts to AISH didn’t surprise her.
If the government is looking for areas to slash its costs, she said AISH would be an inappropriate place to start.
“It really is horrifying that they are looking at cutting from people that are really, really struggling,” said Renaud, adding that even $20 per month in reduced funding could make it more challenging for some to afford basic needs such as food and transportation.
“There’s thousands of people that are on the edge. They are on the edge of being homeless. These are people that are at risk. I mean, they live on $20,000 a year, so it doesn’t take much to push people over that cliff,” she said.
“To actually try to save money on the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in our province — I don’t even have words for it. It is picking on people that don’t have a voice.”
Young said those with disabilities want enough income “to support businesses, not food banks.”
“We’re not looking for a handout, we’re looking for a hand up,” said Young.
“Why kick a person when they’re already down?”