People on AISH deserve support from the provincial government

One of Rachel Notley’s many achievements during her time in office was to index the Assured Income for the Handicapped program (AISH for short). The NDP did this so that Alberta’s disabled community would be able to keep pace with inflation. Soon after, the UCP provincial government reversed the NDP decision, causing the real value of AISH benefits to fall, forcing many persons with severe disabilities below the poverty line.

For Albertans who are not familiar with AISH, the program covers a broad range of disabilities, some visible and some not so visible. AISH combined with other support programs like PDD, home care and Aids to Daily Living, help individuals with lifelong disabilities to confront social and economic barriers and to live a life with some dignity. Community inclusion would simply not be possible without these benefits, leaving many of our less-fortunate Albertans to a life of poverty and isolation.

I believe that most Albertans respect AISH and rate the program highly. They take pride in knowing that Alberta leads the nation in recognizing the unique needs of persons with disabilities, and are well aware that every single penny invested in vital programming like AISH, goes right back into our local economy.

With housing and food prices sky-high, I am asking the UCP government to do the right thing for our most vulnerable citizens, by ensuring that AISH and low-income senior supports keep pace with the cost of living.