AISH expected to increase in New Year, recipients say it’s not enough
Posted December 5, 2023 4:00 pm.
Last Updated December 5, 2023 7:36 pm.
With Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) expected to go up by $75 a month this coming year — recipients say while it is welcome — it’s still not enough to keep up with the rising living costs.
“When they de-indexed AISH a few years ago, it put us behind, and we still haven’t caught up yet,” said Tarah Patterson, an AISH recipient.
According to data from human rights policy analyst Maytree — in 2022 a single person on AISH in Alberta made just over $21,000 a year — putting it ahead of provinces like B.C. and Ontario.
But with everyone struggling with the increased cost of everything, Patterson says it’s still hard to get by.
“My rent is $1,100 a month, and I do get a rental subsidy to help pay for that, and I’m usually spending about 300 or more a month on groceries.”
Kathleen Biersdorff, Albertans Advocating for Change Together said in a statement, “The $75 a month increase this year looks like the right amount for the 3.1 per cent inflation rate but still does not address the deficit in buying power from before. While the consumer price index includes increases in food costs, the inflation rate in food is greater than 3.1 per cent.”
CityNews also reached out to the province, they say Alberta’s AISH payments are the highest out of the 10 provinces.
