Earlier this year, the Alberta government decided that the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) will be considered “non-exempt” income for Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) recipients. This means that the CDB will be clawed back dollar-for-dollar from AISH benefits and AISH recipients will not see an increase to the amount of money they collect each month. There is an exception for residents of Continuing Care facilities, who receive a modified AISH living allowance.
To date, Alberta is the only province to make the decision to claw back the CDB from provincial benefits. The federal government has stated that the CDB will be considered exempt income for federal benefits.
The Alberta government has notified all AISH recipients that they must apply for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and the CDB, and notify AISH by phone, email or fax by September 5th, 2025, on the status of both applications. To be eligible for the CDB, you must have first been found eligible for the DTC. Currently, there is no requirement for AISH clients to provide physical documentation/proof of the status of their applications.
While AISH recipients do not have to obtain DTC approval by the deadline, recipients must inform the government of the status of their application—whether they are in the process of speaking with an advocate for assistance, obtaining a medical practitioner, or if they have submitted an application to the CRA. If an AISH recipient fails to notify the government on the status of their applications by the September 5th deadline, $200 may be deducted from their existing benefits beginning in October.
We know that this must be distressing and disappointing news for AISH recipients.
AISH will cover the medical fees related to the completing the DTC for eligible recipients, but this amount will need to be repaid to AISH, and there is less information about the repayment process. Recipients should be prepared to repay this amount to AISH if and when they are reimbursed by the federal government.
If you have any questions about the information above or need help navigating conversations with the Alberta government or with DTC and CDB applications, please contact Disability Alliance Canada at dtc@disabilityalliancecanada.ca.
Here are some related resources created by other organizations:
- Plan Institute has created a guide that includes templates for letters that you can use to update your local AISH office on the progress of your CDB and/or DTC application: https://www.canadadisabilitybenefit.ca/will-the-cdb-affect-other-benefits
- Inclusion Alberta has also created a comprehensive fact sheet on AISH and the CDB: https://inclusionalberta.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CDB-Fact-Sheet-2025-July-28-2025-2.pdf
Disability Alliance Canada 
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