‘People are living in pretty dire circumstances’: Inclusion Alberta upset with province’s AISH rent increase

Inclusion Alberta CEO Trish Bowman discusses the provincial government’s decision to increase rent for people receiving AISH supports.

Inclusion Alberta CEO Trish Bowman speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the provincial government’s decision to increase rent for people receiving AISH supports.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length

Michael Higgins: The degree of anger over Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) supports at that town hall was it was palpable.

If we start with context on the rent increase, how much is it? What impact does that carry?

Trish Bowman: For individuals who are living in social housing, who have the right rent calculated based on AISH and there’s a bit of an exemption for a portion of their age income, this change will mean that, effective October 1, anyone new to social housing will see rent that is about $220 more than it is currently for individuals on AISH.

As individuals, rent is renewed upon review of their income, they’ll see their rent go up about $220 a month, which is about 63 per cent from what they’re currently paying.

MH: That’s significant.

TB: It is absolutely very significant.

MH: How was this increase communicated and what’s your understanding of why it’s being implemented?

TB: We actually found out about it the same way everyone else did, which was literally through the media. I believe it was communicated to the social housing providers and then they have communicated that to their tenants.

In terms of the rationale, as I understand it, it’s to produce greater equity for individuals in social housing, around how their rent is calculated, but it kind of fails to recognize the fact that people with disabilities typically have, and many expenses that people without disabilities don’t have. So right there, there’s an inequity.

Also it’s quick. Finding another $220 in your income when you’re trying to live on $1,900 a month is significant, and giving people time to figure that out is going to be really critical.

It just doesn’t factor in the unique costs and challenges that people living with disabilities experience.

MH: Is it that Alberta is the only province clawing back that $200 a month federal disability benefit?

TB: Yes, Alberta is the only jurisdiction out of 13 provinces and territories that is clawing the Canada Disability Benefit back.

MH: How much of a difference would that $200 a month make?

TB: It would have made a huge difference. We have story after story after story of individuals saying it would have made the difference between being able to eat more than once a day, or being able to buy healthy food, or being able to have enough money to buy the over the counter medication or prescriptions that aren’t covered through my age benefits. It would make the difference between me being able to see a podiatrist and have my feet cared for, so maybe I could avoid amputation. It’s significant.

MH: Recipients, though, are required to apply for this benefit. Are they?

TB: That’s correct.

MH: So what then happens to this federal funding?

TB: AISH will be reduced by the equivalent amount. So if people apply for the benefit, and not everybody who applies for it is going to be eligible, because first you have to apply for the disability tax credit, that’s the first step. And there is a cost to applying for the disability tax credit, so that’s another expense people will have to figure out.

If you are approved for the Canada Disability Benefit, then that will be a reportable income that you’ll have to report to the province and the province will then reduce your AISH by the equivalent amount.

MH: Very complicated.

TB: It is. The process of navigating, even applying for the disability tax credit, is really complicated and can be expensive and very difficult for individuals to navigate.

A lot of people don’t even have a doctor and you need a doctor to fill out the form. As I said, it can cost anywhere from $200 to $500 to have those medical forms filled out. You’re talking about people who don’t have $200 to $500 extra to get that form filled out.

MH: The premier responding at the Alberta next town hall this week, she says Alberta has a whole package of supports different than other provinces. The next closest province provides between $400 and $500 less a month, and that Alberta provides rental supplements and a plan that covers medical expenses the equivalent of another $400.

How do you respond to the government’s positioning?

TB: I think that it’s actually really hard to compare benefits across provinces and territories because, as she mentioned, there are all sorts of other benefits that people can access in different provinces.

A really thorough analysis of that would need to be done before you could say with any confidence that you’re better off in Alberta. In fact, I believe in one of the territories, the benefit rate is higher.

So I guess my greater answer to that is, I’m not sure what difference it makes to say that people are poorer in other provinces when you’re still living below the poverty line and can’t afford to eat healthily or more than one meal a day, or to take care of yourself medically.

I think that really it’s about people are living in pretty dire circumstances frequently, and it really doesn’t matter if people in other provinces are also living in dire circumstances. We can and should do better and that should be our goal.

MH: If you were sitting across the table right now from the premier, what would your message be?

TB: Go out and talk to people, see how they’re living, understand what their daily experiences are. When you have the opportunity to do that, it’s pretty hard to justify taking $200 away from them every month.

There’s a recognition that costs have gone up, people are struggling, and it’s pretty desperate for lots of people.