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Are you an Albertan with a permanent medical condition that prevents you from earning income? You need to know about the AISH payment dates for 2024.

Since 1979, Albertans like you have been benefiting from the annual AISH payments.

But the thing is, not every disability qualifies for the AISH payments. This means that some disabled Albertans have no business with the AISH payment dates.

This begs the question, are you eligible for the AISH payment? How much benefit will you get? When are the AISH payment dates?

In this article, I answer all your potential questions about the benefit to help you know your stance.

AISH Payment Dates For 2024

The provincial government of Alberta determines the AISH payment dates annually. Usually, the payments are scheduled on the first of each month.

However, you may receive the payment on the last business day of the previous month if the first day of the month falls under a weekend or holiday.

That being said, below are the AISH payment dates for 2024:

Payment For	Payment Dates
January	December 22, 2023
February	February 1, 2024
March	February 26, 2024
April	March 25, 2024
May	April, 25, 2024
June	May 28, 2024
July	June 25, 2024
August	July 26, 2024
September	August 27, 2024
October	September 24, 2024
November	October 28, 2024
December	November 26, 2024

Note: The Alberta government has changed the 2024 payment dates that it earlier released. The February payment date was not changed.

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Once you meet the AISH eligible and applied, you will receive the benefit through a direct bank deposit at midnight on the above payment dates.

However, you can receive the AISH payments by cheque which may take up to 3 business days starting from the AISH payment date.

That said, you should contact your AISH caseworker or the nearest AISH office if you didn’t receive your benefits beyond the above schedule.

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What is AISH?

Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, abbreviated as AISH, is an Alberta-funded financial and health benefit administered to eligible disabled Albertans.

The benefit is administered monthly to eligible Albertans that are unable to earn a living due to a permanent medical condition.

On each AISH payment date, eligible Albertans receive a one-lump payment consisting of living allowance, personal benefits, health benefits and child benefits – depending on the individual situation.

With these benefits, eligible Albertans can have less financial burden and focus on improving their health. This makes it worthwhile to know about the AISH Alberta payment dates.

Eligibility For the AISH Payment

To be eligible for the AISH payment or benefit, you must meet all the following three criteria:

1. Age and Residency Eligibility

This condition requires you to be 18 years of age or older and not a beneficiary of the CRA-administered Old Age Security pension (OAS).

In addition, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in any place in Alberta except:

• Mental health facilities
• Correctional facility

2. Medical Eligibility

You must have a permanent or potentially permanent medical condition that’s the major reason behind you not earning a living.

Depending on your situation the AISH program will give you access to therapy, medical treatment, rehabilitation and other treatment that will help you become financially independent.

That said, you will still receive the AISH benefit even if you’re able to earn a living with your permanent medical condition.

3. Financial Eligibility

This condition considers your income and assets together with your spouse or partner’s income and assets.

Accordingly, the program requires you and your spouse or partner to:

• Apply for other government benefits you may qualify for, such as employment insurance (EI), Canada Pension Disability (CPP-D) and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB).
• Have income/assets that are below the AISH benefit in value.

Below is a closer look at the income and assets criteria of the AISH financial eligibility:

●     Income criteria

The income criteria are based on your spouse or common-law partner’s total income on the income tax form.

That said, the Alberta government will evaluate your income based on your marital status and the number of dependent children.

●     Assets criteria

The assets criteria are based on you and your spouse or common-law partner’s property, investment, and cash among others.

That being said, exempt assets don’t impact your AISH payment but non-exempt assets do.

The following table shows the example of exempted and non-exempt assets on your AISH payment. 

Exempt Assets	Non-Exempt Assets
*Home *Clothing *Vehicle *Trust *Registered disability savings plans (RDSPs) *Etc.	*Cash *Inherited cash *Savings account or chequing account *Registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs) *Tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) *Recreational vehicles *Recreational property *Etc.

Notably, the total value of your non-exempt assets can’t be more than $100k.

The government requires you to invest any non-income fund you earn in exempt assets. This includes:

• Inheritances
• Gifts
• Returns from an exempted vehicle car sell
• Insurance funds for expenses on exempted properties

Failure to invest the funds into exempt assets within 365 days will convert the funds to non-exempt assets.

How Much Does AISH Pay Per Month?

The amount of AISH benefit you will receive per month depends on several factors including your marital status, income, living condition, number of dependent children, and health condition.

Let’s go over each of the benefits that determine your AISH payment.

1. Living Allowance

The living allowance is determined based on your place of living. The following are the two types of allowance under this benefit:

• Standard living allowance: You will receive this allowance if you are a homeowner, homeless, or living in a rented apartment, living with your family, friend or a private group home.
• Modified living allowance: The government will send you this allowance if you’re living in an accredited auxiliary hospital, designated supportive living facility (DSL) or nursing home.

The exact amount of living allowance you will get depends on your income and the income of your spouse or common-law partner.

That said, the following incomes are exempted when calculating your living allowance:

• RRSP and RDSP payments
• Cash gifts
• Income tax refund

However, the following incomes are considered as non-exempt and partial exceptions which impact your living allowance:

• Salaries and other employment income
• Pension 
• Passive business income
• Self-employment income

2. Child Benefit

The AISH program offers a supplementary child benefit to the federal Canada Child Benefit (CCB).

However, you will receive a child benefit on the AISH payment dates alongside other financial and health benefits.

How much child benefit you get under the AISH program depends on the number of dependent children you have.

3. Health Benefits

The AISH program also administers the following health benefits to individuals and their spouses or common-law partners.

• Prescription drugs: This benefit covers the cost of prescribed drugs on certain medications. It also covers over-the-counter items and nutritional products. This coverage also allows you to request from your pharmacist or doctor any medical items you need. 
• Dental coverage: With this coverage, you will get access to the basic dental services you need, such as teeth removal, teeth cleaning, x-rays, fillings, checkups, dentures etc.
• Optical coverage: This coverage allows you to access optical services from your optician, eye doctor or ophthalmologist. These services include eye examinations and annual eyeglasses for yourself and your dependent children.
• Diabetic supplies: With this coverage, the costs of your diabetic supplies are covered. These include the cost of test strips, lancing devices, insulin syringes and pen needles, infusion sets, insulin cartridges/reservoirs and glucose calibration solutions.
• Emergency ambulance: As the name implies, this coverage covers all the costs of taking an ambulance to an emergency room.
• Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL): This coverage covers the costs of any AADL-approved items you need.

4.  Personal Benefits

The AISH personal benefits are additional benefits to your living allowance and child benefit administered on the same day.

The following are the categories of benefits under personal benefits: 

• Health-related personal benefits: This covers the cost of health-related items and services, such as chiropractic, medical alert service, massage therapy, physiotherapy, arch supports/foot orthotics, acupuncture, oxygen supplies, hearing aid batteries, and special diets among others.
• Personal benefits for children: This additional coverage is aimed at helping you offset the cost of educating and raising your dependent children in Alberta.

Besides the above benefits, the Alberta government may also give you other personal benefits for funding the following expenses:

• Employment and training expenses
• Funeral expenses
• Leaving an abusive home
• Home maintenance in a remote community
• Building a new home
• Trips for health, court attendance and training engagement
• An emergency that surpasses your income and puts you and your dependents in danger.

Below are the minimum eligibility for the AISH personal benefits:

• Be ineligible for other government programs
• Show concern about the benefit
• Be in a difficult financial condition or your non-exempt assets should be less than $5,000

AISH Payment Increase 2024

The provincial government of Alberta increased the AISH payment rate by 6% to offset inflationary pressure.

This general increase came into effect on December 22, 2022, under the January 2023 payments and will reflect on the subsequent AISH payments.

A lot of AISH recipients are complaining that the increase is insignificant in the face of the increasing cost of living and inflation in the province.

Notwithstanding, as inflation is hitting the roof, we expect the Alberta government to further increase the AISH payment.

In addition to the 6% increase, AISH beneficiaries also received a $100 temporary additional payment per month for up to 6 months in 2023. 

In January 2024, the Alberta government increased the AISH rates as per regular annual increase. No special increase has been announced yet.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on AISH payment increase.

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How to Apply For AISH Payments

There are two parts to the AISH Alberta application process. You’re to fill out Part A while your doctor is to fill out Part B.

Download the Part A of the application form here and fill it out. You can submit it online through this link, AISH office, Alberta Supports Centre or through fax or mail using the following contact and address:

1-877-969-3006 (toll-free) or 587-469-3006 (Edmonton area)

PO Box 17000 Station Main, Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 4B3

That said, you will need to download or ask your medical doctor to download and fill out Part B of the application through this link.

The doctor can submit the completed Part B form to the above Fax and Mail address. Preferably, you can submit the form together with your completed form.

Regardless of whether you’re eligible or not, the Alberta government will contact you after you submit the completed forms.

But if you’re not approved, you can appeal for your AISH eligibility decision within 30 days of the disapproval.

Verdict on AISH Payment Dates 2024

That’s everything you need to know about the AISH payment dates. If you’re not an existing recipient of this benefit, now you know how to get started.

But if you’re an existing AISH beneficiary, it’s essential you make good use of the benefits to improve your financial situation.

Ensure you inform your AISH caseworker about any changes in your situation in order to receive the maximum benefit you deserve.

Overall, endeavour to apply to as many other provincial and federal government benefits you are eligible for to improve your cash flow.

If you need more clarification, kindly let me know in the comment section below.

FAQs on AISH Payment Dates 2024

Does AISH come early?

Yes, AISH payments come yearly from the Alberta government. However, eligible Albertans receive monthly benefits from the program from January to December each year.

Can you buy a house on AISH?

The AISH benefits may not be enough to buy you a house in Alberta or other parts of Canada. However, the AISH program offers personal benefits that help you build a new home and maintain a home in a remote community.

What are AISH income limits?

The AISH income limits refer to the amount of benefit you will get based on your income, marital status and number of dependent children.

Is AISH considered income?

AISH is not considered income but it’s reported to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Is AISH taxable income?

AISH benefits are not taxable. This means that you don’t need to report the benefits when filing your tax return.

What is AISH income exemption 2024?

The AISH income exemptions for 2024 were the same as in the previous years. They include income that doesn’t count against your AISH benefit, such as: 

• Income tax refunds
• Cash gifts
• Registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) payments
• Registered disability savings plan (RDSP) payments

Is AISH only in Alberta?

Yes, AISH is a provincial program of Alberta administered only to eligible Albertans.

Can you transfer AISH to another province?

No. You can’t transfer your AISH benefit from Alberta to another province. If you’re relocating to another Canadian province, you may need to apply for the provincial equivalent or a federal benefit.

For example, Ontario has Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Saskatchewan has the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability (SAID).

What if I have more questions?

If you have more questions about your AISH payment, kindly contact your AISH worker or call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992 (toll-free).