National Disability Network responds to Alberta's CDB clawback for AISH recipients

The National Disability Network (NDN), representing over 40 disability organizations including AEBC, have drafted a letter to send to the Premier of Alberta and Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services regarding the issue of clawbacks of the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program recipients.  

The NDN received a copy of a government of Alberta letter to an AISH recipient which confirmed that the government will treat the CDB as income for purposes of eligibility and assistance rate for AISH. In addition, it forces all to apply, including paying for the medical certificate as part of the DTC application. As a result, if a person is deemed eligible for the CDB, it will be clawed back. The NDN submitted the following letter in response to this unjust and discriminatory measure:

April 25, 2025

The Honourable Danielle Smith

Premier of Alberta

Office of the Premier

10200 - 107 Street NW

Edmonton, AB T5J 3M1

The Honourable Jason Nixon

Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

205 Legislature Building

10800 - 97 Avenue

Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6

Dear Premier Smith and Minister Nixon,

We, the National Disability Network (NDN), representing over 40 disability organizations, are writing to you with deep concern and frustration regarding Alberta’s recent decision to treat the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) as income for recipients of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program, leading to a dollar-for-dollar claw back. This decision not only undermines the intent of the CDB but also places an unfair and punitive burden on some of the most vulnerable members of our society—people with disabilities.

The CDB was introduced as a crucial federal initiative aimed at lifting people with disabilities out of poverty. It was designed to supplement, not replace, existing provincial income supports. However, Alberta’s decision to claw back the full amount of the CDB from AISH recipients completely negates its fundamental purpose. By treating the CDB as income, the provincial government is effectively taking money meant to support people with disabilities and redirecting it into its own revenue. There is no cost to the Alberta government for the CDB, but Alberta is now attaching a cost to being a person with a disability.

Furthermore, to add insult to injury, Alberta is mandating that individuals apply for the CDB, just so the government can claw back their $200 monthly benefit. To obtain the CDB a person with disabilities must first qualify for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC). To receive the DTC, people with disabilities must apply, often incurring out-of-pocket expenses for a doctor’s visit or assessment, which can be as much as $300+. As there is currently no program in place to assist with the costs of obtaining the DTC, these costs are required to be paid by the person with disabilities. This presents an additional financial burden on individuals who are already struggling daily to make ends meet.

Once these individuals have navigated the bureaucratic hurdles and incurred medical fees to apply for the DTC and CDB, they are told any CDB benefit they receive will simply be taken away by the province, leaving them no better off than they were before. This is not only an unjust and punitive policy, but it also perpetuates the cycle of poverty for people with disabilities in Alberta.

This policy is wrong, contrary to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to which Canada is a signatory. It is unconscionable to ask people with disabilities to endure such financial and emotional hardship for the sake of a benefit that ultimately does not benefit them but only benefits the Alberta government. The CDB, which is a result of years of effort by the disability community, was meant to provide additional financial support for those who need it most - not to be a tool for provincial governments to improve their budgets at the expense of vulnerable citizens.

We urge you to reconsider this decision and commit to ensuring the CDB will be an added financial benefit to persons with disabilities thus reducing the endemic poverty so many experience. We ask that the Alberta government immediately take steps to exempt the CDB as income for AISH recipients, as many other provinces have done. Failure to do so will not only exacerbate the financial insecurity of people with disabilities, but will also harm the local economy by removing an economic stimulus.

We are calling for the Alberta government to publicly reverse its decision and commit to the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) being a means of improving the lives of persons with disabilities. It's essential to establish a clear process for eligible individuals to receive this new national disability benefit without facing punitive claw backs. Ultimately, aligning the CDB with other federal benefits like the Canada Child Benefit is crucial.

Ensuring all recipients realize the full value of the CDB is another step to achieve our shared goal of financial safety, security, and stability – and the benefits it could bring – for people with disabilities. We know from the people we serve, work with, and advocate for, that financial stability has a direct impact in every aspect of life, from not having to depend on food banks, to reducing health system usage, to finding safe and stable housing

The time to act is now. All levels of government in Canada have a responsibility to work together to reduce disability poverty in our country. We urge you to act with the integrity Alberta is known for and prioritize the well-being of Albertans with disabilities by ensuring the CDB is a true supplement to provincial supports, not a means of addressing provincial budgetary challenges. People with disabilities deserve better—they deserve to thrive, not to be trapped in an endless cycle of poverty.

We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this issue further and to work together to find a solution that will ensure that people with disabilities in Alberta fully benefit from the Canada Disability Benefit, as was intended.

We thank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

National Disability Network