Calgary city council is wading into the debate over planned changes to provincial disability support, as Ward 8 Coun. Nathan Schmidt calls for a more collaborative approach. 

In a notice of motion set to be heard at the April 14 executive committee meeting, Coun. Schmidt is seeking approval for Mayor Jeromy Farkas to write a letter to the Government of Alberta to halt implementation of the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and proposed cuts to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).

The motion also calls on the province to consult directly with people with disabilities, advocacy groups and municipalities, as well as publicly report on the social and economic impacts before moving forward.

Coun. Schmidt said the motion came about after hearing concerns from advocates and constituents, and follows similar calls from other Alberta municipalities, including Edmonton, Red Deer, Camrose and Lethbridge.

“My focus was specifically on the effects this could have on Calgary, but knowing that we’re not alone in asking for this is definitely helpful,” he said. 

“The united front with municipalities is, I think, always beneficial.”

Under the proposed provincial framework, the majority of current AISH recipients, roughly 23,000 Calgarians, would transition to ADAP starting July 1. According to the Government of Alberta website, under ADAP, recipients would lose $200 a month in benefits and anyone earning more than $700 a month would see a reduction in their benefits. Under AISH, income over $1,000 caused reductions.  

For Coun. Schmidt, those seemingly small reductions are massive for those living paycheque-to-paycheque.

“When we’re talking about people who are on AISH, a couple of hundred dollars a month can be the difference between affording food, transit and the place they live,” he said.

“The concerns are really around the uncertainty of how they will be able to function with dignity in our city.”

The motion also highlights the financial burden this will place on the city, community organizations and taxpayers, which will have to fill the gaps created by these cuts.

“We as a city will bear the brunt of the potential negative effects of this type of change, because of the programming that we fund and deliver to people who have income insecurity,” Schmidt said. 

Frontline organizations are already stretched thin

Gabriella Wong Ken, co-founder of Good Neighbour and a practicing nurse, said demand for basic needs like food and clothing is already high. If ADAP goes forward, she expects it to only get worse for her clients, many of whom are on AISH or other social service programs.

“They’re already accessing services where they can get free or low-cost clothing and food and hygiene items from us, just based on their current income level,” she said. 

“So, that likely will just continue to get worse.”

She added that the nonprofit is already serving more than 200 people a day, which is stretching their resources thin. She warned that Good Neighbour isn’t the only organization feeling the burden.

“I think the nonprofit sector as a whole has been sounding the alarm for many years now about how the demand for everything has gone up exponentially, and how a lot of our services just cannot keep up anymore,” she said. 

Wong Ken pointed out that this will further strain Alberta’s healthcare system and worsen the health of Albertans already facing difficult situations. 

“We’re talking about folks who already are living with disabilities and likely have extensive health needs. So this will likely also put more stress on our healthcare system, which is already stressed,” she said. 

“You’re also impacting people’s mental health, their social ability, their ability to go out and enjoy their life.”

Like Coun. Schmidt,  Wong Ken emphasized the need for meaningful consultation before any changes move ahead.

“I think being able to pause this decision and really take the time to do some proper engagement with them, I think will be crucial and will actually show the government what would be beneficial for folks that are on these programs,” she said. 

If approved by committee, the motion will move forward to the regular council meeting to be considered for approval in late April.