003. Money and Work Under ADAP

In this episode of We Advocate, Gordon and Annie continue unpacking Alberta’s proposed Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP), this time focusing on income, benefits, and employment expectations under the new system.

The discussion dives into what the government’s discussion paper outlines for people with disabilities who have “some ability to work,” including how income exemptions will change and what the new employment supports might look like.

In This Episode

• ADAP vs. AISH income differences:
  ADAP’s monthly payment is set at $1,740, compared to $1,940 under AISH — a $200 reduction that assumes recipients can make up the difference through work.
• Lower income exemptions:
  The amount individuals can earn before clawbacks drops from $1,072 to $350 per month, significantly impacting those who can only work a few hours.
• Government case studies:
  • Jasmine: A fictional participant who moves from AISH to ADAP, receives employment supports, and supposedly finds 24 hours of work per week — a scenario Gordon and Annie argue is unrealistic for most.
  • Joe: Another case claiming increased earnings through more work hours, despite unrealistic assumptions about wages, supports, and employer availability.
• Employment supports and realism:
  The hosts question whether meaningful, sustained employment opportunities — and qualified job coaching — truly exist at the scale ADAP assumes.
• Systemic concerns:
  • Many individuals on AISH already struggle to find stable, accessible employment.
  • Alberta’s minimum wage hasn’t increased while costs of living continue to rise.
  • The government’s assumption that jobs and supports will materialize may not reflect real conditions.
• The bigger question:
  Why couldn’t these employment initiatives simply be added to AISH, rather than introducing a new system that reduces benefits and adds uncertainty?

Key Takeaways

• ADAP introduces less money and lower income exemptions — even before clawbacks.
• Government case studies paint an overly optimistic picture that doesn’t match the lived experience of most AISH recipients.
• Employment supports sound good in theory, but questions remain: who’s providing them, are they disability-informed, and are they ongoing?
• Hosts stress the importance of holding the government accountable for ensuring supports are real, continuous, and accessible.
• The next episode will explore how transitions from AISH to ADAP will occur — and what risks recipients may face during the shift.

Transcript

Welcome back to We Advocate. Today we're talking about money and work under ADAP.
We started and relaunched We Advocate from a few years ago to talk about this new
ADAP program, the Alberta Disability Assistance Program. Thank you if you listen to
the other episodes. We appreciate your support and Wanted to jump into his third
episode about the benefits, what are the income rules and the employment expectations
from what we know on the government's discussion paper. Again, to recap, the
government has said they're making these changes. They're coming into effect in July
of 2026, and they've published a discussion paper. And we're going to get into a
little more detail regarding some case studies today in this particular episode, but
that's what we have to work with. And let's jump into what some of those benefits
are and analyze some of the cases and our comments on employment services.
Yeah, so ADAP will pay 1740 a month, less than AASH, but the government says you
can make it up by working more hours. Again, making the assumption that you're able
to work at all and that this somehow will make up that $200 less.
Right. And if you take them at face value or kind of on paper,
you were going to go, this is a benefit to the disability community, at least this
is what the government is saying, going, well, Aish is restricting your ability to
work for some reason. I don't know, we challenged that, I think. And we've said
that in prior episodes. But on paper, they're saying, okay,
if somebody has a disability, maybe they can work. So if they can make more money,
that's a good thing, right? Because they need the money. We're living in inflationary
times. And it's, you know, we're below poverty levels in terms of the supports that
are there. So people could use some more money to provide some financial security
and a good quality of life. And that's a good thing for the government to support.
But it raises some tough questions that I want to, I think we talk about a little
later in the episode about, well, is there anybody out there actually hiring or
prepared to hire people and they're frustrated because people aren't coming forward
and this new program's going to fix that problem? What supports are going to be
available? I think we've experienced in our practice and even in our personal lives,
it's fine to say somebody can work, but somebody with a disability needs more
supports. You can't just say, well, here's a job description, go figure it out,
right? These are, you know, you need supports to have success.
And so, so with that, you know, we also have concerns about what if health concerns
get in the way. What are,
the ability to work becomes compromised over time. What does that look like? How
does the system handle that? And what does that look like? So maybe let's jump in
in this first segment where we talk a little bit about some of the benefits and
the, and, and the income.
So first of all, as we've stated before, I think you said in your intro as well,
Annie, and we said on prior episodes, that ADAP benefits is 1740 a month. This is
2026 numbers, and AISH is going to be 1940. So they're distinguishing there's $200
less if you have the ability to work. If you can't work at all,
then it's then it's 1940 under the H program on there. You will be eligible for
health and personal benefits, like, for example, dental coverage, drugs, optometry, and
the like.
There's other benefits, but the health benefits can be significant, and we've
highlighted that in a previous episodes. But there's also going to be different
income exemptions. So what's interesting here is under the current exemption for AASH,
under the, You know, the pre -AAP H program, what we have right now is that a
single person can earn $1 ,072 without clawback and then amounts above that up to a,
you know, a higher amount are 50 % clawed back and then, and then 100 % clawbacked
if they make too much. But if we're just looking at somebody who's making, you
know, sort of minimum wage and not, maybe not working full time, but is able to do
some work, that, that, you know,
basic exemption amount, but it's reduced from 1 ,072 to 350.
So if that's all you earned in a month, right, I guess you do the math and, you
know, 350 divided by $15 an hour, how many hours can you work without any clawback?
That's the formula. So a lot less compared to a thousand and 72, which it's
interesting for those that only are able to work a little bit. It doesn't ring
know, for a single person can earn up to $40 ,000 a year on kind of a graduated
rate a little bit higher if it's in, you know, if you have dependence. So we're
going to have to study those rules very carefully to say, well, is somebody going
to be better off? But right off the bat, they're worse off because the exemption
amount goes down. Well, and one of the things that we didn't talk about prior was
that with the program starting July of, of 2026,
they are saying that until December of 2027,
that people will continue to receive the Aisha mounts.
But again, we haven't seen the details, and so I want to be cautious on sort of
presenting that when I don't know sort of the details of that.
a future topic, right, to cover off the transitions to the new program.
But the government put in the discussion paper a few cases together, and the first
one related to, they're saying a person called Jasmine, and they're going through her
situation. Do you want to take us through that case study that the government has
in the discussion paper, and then you can give us some of your thoughts, because I
know you do have thoughts. I do have thoughts. Regarding the case study of Jasmine.
So there's two case studies that were presented.
And as it were being presented, I thought I'm not quite sure where you're finding
the people who are able to do what you're saying. But basically, Jasmine's case
study was very much something that she was on Aish. She very much would like to
work, hasn't been able to at this point. So she remained unemployed while she was
on Aish and was receiving in the 1940. In the case study,
they said, well, then she received ADAP and that she then suddenly was receiving
some employment supports. Again, no detail on what that looked like or her ability
to be able to take part in the learning part or whatever they're presenting. Well,
did they describe Jasmine's disability?
who wasn't born with a disability, but was, let's just say, there was a car
accident, she's in a wheelchair, sounds like cognitively all there, has the ability,
presumably would like to work, but can't. Somehow there was an impediment to that
under the age program. This is the problem they're trying to solve and coming up
with the new ADAP program to encourage them. So again,
it just said to receive employment supports, which again I'm not quite sure what
that means and then the long -term outcome was that with this there was a simulated
workplace placement which led then to permanent work and now she was able to do 24
hours a week again how they came up with that 24 hours a week It's basically then
like a, that's quite a bit for most people that I'm working with over the years,
24 hours a week would be a very difficult thing for someone with a disability to
do. But that was their, that's what they presented.
And that with that, then her ADAP benefit would have been 1566 per month after the
deductions of 174 and that she would then have earnings of 1 ,492.
They did say that she was earning minimum wage and that that would then give her
$358 per month and she would keep having her health benefits, which they've,
so that was scenario number one. Again, I guess the frustration for me is it made
it appear that all of a sudden there was going to be a job placement, there was
going to be a job available, there was job supports available, and all of a sudden
she was going to wanting to work but hadn't been able to up to 24 hours a week.
It just doesn't seem like a realistic scenario that they're presenting. Yeah, and I
think what we hear from parents and caregivers is they would love to try to find
work, but they can't, Right? It's not realistic. Obviously, we're dealing with, you
know, people right across the province, but a lot of people in southern Alberta, in
the Calgary market in particular, is like, well, you know, where are the jobs going
to magically come from, you know, and is this realistic with that? The other
commentary with regard to that is, I don't know,
like, if you talk about somebody being in a car accident, if that was, or some
sort of accident and somebody's in a wheelchair, there's usually cognitive issues as
well. Like they've presented a case of somebody who's like perfectly capable of
holding down a job, but usually a disability involves a loss of some executive
function and the normal requirements of what an employer would expect of an employee
to work independently and, and to be able to analyze and produce and provide value
to the employer, maybe that applies. But I think, I mean,
when I first read it, I'm going, well, of the 77 ,000 people on age, how many
would this apply to? I mean, maybe is, you know, what's that actual number?
Of course, we have no way of knowing, but it's not a lot. And, you know, it's,
it's maybe in the hundreds. Is it even in the thousands? I don't know. But that's,
you know, going to the okay, but like, is that the average person on Aish?
And I guess our experience is that doesn't fit the average person on Aish, is what
I hear you saying. Well, and you have to remember that she applied for Aish, prove
that she couldn't earn a living and got put on Aish. So again, she had to fit a
pretty strict test already. But then all of a sudden, ADAP started and it all
changed. So it just doesn't seem like a very real situation.
All right. Talk about Joe's case. That was the other case study that they put in
the discussion paper. So Joe was single, been a nation since 2021.
He had no other sources of exempt income. He works part -time, but wants to work
more. And so,
but he was, they said he was worried about the fact that if he worked more, then
he would have a reduction in his age benefits and therefore, and his health
benefits. And so therefore he wasn't doing more. So then again, in some way he's a
very unrealistic situation because you're saying that someone's sort of not working
more simply because they're concerned. Most people would want to work if they're able
to work as much as they can. So that was sort of the scenario. So again, he was
receiving, suddenly he was receiving H benefits. He was working 13 hours per week at
$20 an hour. Again,
possible. But very,
But again, most people that are in Aisha are very, are not making $20 an hour.
Well, if I can interject at this point, it's interesting to note that a variety of
provinces in Canada have increased the minimum wage recently.
The sole exception to increases in minimum wage is Alberta.
So that's interesting, that,
you know, you're encouraging people to work and you want to give them more financial
security and the ability to support themselves through employment, but you're not
increasing the minimum wage. You're keeping it at $15. So interesting aside, that,
you know, it seems like wouldn't you have increased the minimum wage? Would that
have not helped the people you're trying to target in terms of financial support by
saying, well, even $16 or $17 an hour might make a difference in terms of their
take -home pay and the like. So anyway, just interesting that a lot of provinces
said we'd need to do some adjustments, maybe just to keep up with inflation, but
Alberta has not. So again, they continued on with that he was remaining on Aish,
didn't want to work more hours because he thought he was going to then have Aish
taken away. And so he was receiving the 1940 plus his income of $1 ,059,
giving him $2 ,99, a month. So that was with the,
again, the exemption that he was allowed to make $1 ,072.
Then Aidep now was in place. He was, again, receiving employment supports,
whatever that means. Again, remember he was in a workplace working the 13 hours.
So he was already in a place where he was maintaining. So he must have been
supported in some ways. Who knows sort of what they're adding to that?
He wanted to increase employment to 30 hours per week. At again,
the $20 an hour. And that with the aim of him eventually being able to work part
-time or full -time, sorry. And so again, a scenario that is looking at someone who
now is working 13 an hour or 13 hours a week,
that he sometime will be moved up to 40. So again, not a very real situation in
my view. and that then he would be, in the scenario,
he would have a benefit of 1 ,257 per month from ADAP and that he would have 2
,250 per month of employment income, giving him $3 ,510 per month,
which again when you sort of look is basically a little over $500 more per month
from him moving up from 13 hours to 30 hours,
which again is quite a big jump. He's making only an additional 500 on the ADEC
program, so not as great of an increase as you would think. And then the
interesting thing is they had a little preamble after that he would increase to 40
hours a week at one point, and then he would get $4 ,034. So again,
a scenario that is, I'd love to believe that those are possible, but they are very
rare. But those are the two scenarios that they're giving to show how it's going to
be better for people on ADAP. And to me, that's not the average of who's actually
on Aish. And so a scenario of someone who was maybe able to work more limited
hours in the part where they were showing that he was going to work 40 hours a
week, they also moved him up to $29 per, or $29 per hour,
which again does not seem like a very reasonable scenario. So both of them made me
frustrated when I saw them because I thought that's not, you're reflecting something
that's not really possible. Right. And might there be barriers in that?
Certainly there's a general stigma of somebody with a disability working in the
workforce and what's the human dynamic of them being accepted? It's for those that
have, I think done a lot of advocacy and work in terms of inclusion into the
workplace would say it's a tough road to hoe, right? There's, there's, there are
those problems and, and how is the program going to make that work? The assumption
here is that these people are going to be gainfully employed and happily accepted
into the workplace. Everybody's smiling and all the co -workers are very happy. That's
not always the case. And, and of course, there may be limits on the job market
availability. You know, what if somebody struggles with mental health and has a
relapse and is not able to show up to work? How are they treated in the workforce?
How are they supported in that? So while there could be some success stories,
I think the concern we have is, well, for the vast majority of the 77 ,000 people
who are on there, this may seem like a fairy tale. It's not realistic.
And they may be worse off on that compared to the current program.
And again, why can't those success stories happen under Aish? Yeah.
Yeah. Why not just adjust the system a little bit? Let's talk a little bit about
the employment services because, I mean, the presumption is for Jasmine and Joe in
the case studies is that they are being support it. They can't.
and stimulated work sites.
But again, trying to have a critical view of that, one could hope that,
well, if that's the objective, is that going to be reality? Is that what we're
going to see? It seems,
in some cases, you could argue even somewhat fanciful that the government is going
to be able to accomplish that. You know, are they going to have the support of the
private sector and the public sector in terms of that kind of training.
What are they going to, can somebody, isn't just going to flick a switch and go
from 13 hours to 30 hours, that might require a huge adjustment, which the average
person might be able to adjust rapidly to that, but a person with a long -term
disability might struggle. How's that, What's that going to look like? I think what
I hear you saying is it's not just a quick, you turn a switch and now life is
good and you can make so much more money. I mean, that's not reality, right? Well,
and I think what bothered me a lot when I was listening to them presenting it was
that they just made it, they made it appear that these people were already sort of
available and ready to sort of do this and that they had people who could do the
job coaching and skills training and I'm thinking again why then haven't you done
that to start with and who are these people do they understand disability do they
do they really understand they talked a little bit about wage subsidies and I'm
thinking okay so you're going to have wage subsidies for someone to work somewhere
does this employer sort of understand the needs of that person and are they going
to be treated properly in that setting or is the person going to not treat them
well but maintain them because they're getting wage subsidies? That concerns me a lot
sort of in the scenario. But they made it sound like they're all of these people
were, you know, ready and waiting to be able to do this training and this coaching.
And I'm thinking, I don't know where you're getting your people from. Most of the
programs that are out there have huge turnover. And so I'm thinking, I don't, if we
can't maintain, you know, workers in all the different programs that already have
people with disabilities, how are you going to then get all of these additional
people to do these jobs? I just don't know where they're going to come from or do
they have the understanding of disability? Exactly. I think those are all legitimate
concerns, and this is, I think, for the average person, if you put yourself in the
shoes of somebody who's being told this is the new program and your benefits are
going down, you're having struggle, you're struggling to make ends meet, and you're
going to go, I have to go out and do this work without support, it's not on,
it's, it's very easy to be empathetic with somebody who has an extremely high stress
level about that prospect, right, without the assurances. And I guess we'll have to
continue to monitor this because we can only take the government at its word to say
they're going to do this. And they've indicated in the town halls that they have a
significant budget in place to be able to provide this and that they're good at
this sort of thing and they're going to do it for the people on Aish, which I
guess trying to look at it from a positive perspective would be,
well, that would be a good thing if it doesn't exist now, but it also leads to
the cynical approach, which is, well, why haven't you done it yet? Like why, why do
you need this new program to provide supports to people? You know, if that's
something you wanted to do, well, why didn't you do it before? But I guess, leaving
that aside, if that, I mean, it could be a potential improvement, right? I mean,
if, in fact, they are dedicating financial resources to helping people work,
maybe some good will come of that. And some people, because, you know, we'll get,
you know, more benefits in their quality of life by virtue of having meaningful
employment. And, you know, I think we would all say that's a good thing, right?
People should work and if they're in a supported environment and they're feeling good
about themselves because they're contributing and they're connecting with coworkers and,
you know, there's lots of benefits in working versus just staying at home or doing
other activities. But the concern would also be like, so you're setting up the
supports,
is it a continual support because a lot of the problems and a lot of the different
programs that are out there is there's a six month sort of time period where you
get support and then all of a sudden the support's taken away and then they wonder
why someone can't maintain and so when they're talking about it I want to see the
details so is this is an ongoing thing that you're always going to be there because
the prompting that they're going to need is always going to need to be there so
I'd like to see the details of that as well. Yeah. And are the benefits secure?
Are, you know, I guess our starting point is life isn't that neat and tidy,
as the case studies may suggest. And so we're really going to have to see and
advocate with the government to say, well, you need to, you can't, if you're going
to have a program that's emphasizing the ability to work and you're encouraging
people to work, you've got to provide supports, right? They said they're going to do
it, and I guess we'll have to see how that works out
and continue to hold the government accountable
for those ongoing supports that are in place. So, you know, are the benefits really
secure? Can they, you know, are they, you know, what about an evolving job market?
So there's lots that we don't know. I guess, you know, I think I hearkening back
to my opening comments on the very first episode is there seems like we have more
questions and answers. And I think particularly in this area, right, in terms of the
supports that are in place. Yeah. So we're, so again, the next time we'll turn to
more transitions, how people are currently on Aish and when they're moved to ADAP,
whether the
the change of that, the process of that puts them more at risk for other things,
right? So we want to look at that and see how that fits with that transition.
Yeah. So until then, continue to subscribe and yeah, we'll continue to advocate.
I think those that are listening will want to continue to advocate for their loved
ones. And we hope in this episode that you gain some valuable information,
but continue to subscribe because there's much more to come and we're looking forward
to future guests where we can bring on. If you have some ideas of topics you'd
like to cover, please feel free to share them with us and we thank you for
listening.