Banff 
Alberta government has revised the payment schedule for the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and Income Support programs.
Starting in March 2024, beneficiaries of these programs will receive their payments four business days before the start of each month.
Per the news release, reflecting feedback from recipients, this change is designed to provide more time for managing bill payments and reducing the risk of late fees.
Recipients will be informed through their February 2024 payment notifications to adjust any automatic bill payments accordingly. The full payment schedule will also be available online for financial planning.
“We know how important it is to alleviate financial pressures for individuals who rely on these benefits. This move aims to provide people with additional time to pay rent, manage their financial obligations and avoid incurring any unnecessary late charges,” said Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services in a news release.
The Income Support program, catering to Albertans in financial need, has specific eligibility criteria. Applicants must be residents of Alberta, at least 18 years old, and meet certain citizenship or residency statuses. Financial eligibility includes limits on income, assets, savings, and the requirement to pursue other potential income sources. Additionally, individuals must either be seeking work, earning below a threshold, temporarily unable to work, in need of job training, or unable to work due to chronic health issues or other significant barriers.
Eligibility for AISH is based on medical conditions that significantly limit earning capacity, with no expected improvement through medical intervention. Applicants must be adults under the age for Old Age Security pension and meet residency and financial criteria.
Beneficiaries of these programs can receive a monthly living allowance, child benefits, health benefits, and additional personal benefits for specific needs.
Currently, around 76,000 Albertans are enrolled in the AISH program, with an additional 50,000 receiving Income Support benefits, marking this change as impactful for a significant portion of the province’s population.
AISH and Income Support payment dates
| Month of assistance | Benefit payment date | Days between payments |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
| February | 02-01-2024 Thursday | 41 days |
| March | 02-26-2024 Monday | 24 days |
| April | 03-25-2024 Monday | 27 days |
| May | 04-25-2024 Thursday | 30 days |
| June | 05-28-2024 Tuesday | 32 days |
| July | 06-25-2024 Tuesday | 27 days |
| August | 07-26-2024 Friday | 30 days |
| September | 08-27-2024 Tuesday | 31 days |
| October | 09-24-2024 Tuesday | 27 days |
| November | 10-28-2024 Monday | 33 days |
| December | 11-26-2024 Tuesday | 28 days |
well, we knew they’d try and spin it as doing people on AISH a favor by making payments earlier. BUT this is how it was before the UCP took over and moved the April 2020 payment to April 1st to try and make an illegal accounting change and make only 11 AISH payments in the 19-20 fiscal year (and thus try and show an 8.3% savings in the AISH budget.) and creating havok for people on a severe budget, who couldn’t afford to miss payments/make payments late and accrue fees, interest and penalties in the first place, not to mention, suddenly, in some cases, have to go without groceries for 3 or 4 days. gee. thanks.