Overview
- All current AISH recipients are slated for automatic transfer to the Alberta Disability Assistance Program on July 1, 2026.
- Reporting estimates about 79,000 people would be affected and provincial savings could total roughly $175 million annually.
- Premier Danielle Smith has argued the approach keeps Alberta programs competitive and discourages inflows driven by higher benefits.
- Disability advocates and columnists describe swift, alarmed reactions from recipients, including accounts of people expressing despair.
- The policy shift is unfolding alongside letters and commentary raising concerns over provincial governance, judicial independence and policing direction.