A lot of people are hearing bits and pieces about Alberta moving some people from AISH to the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and are left with the same basic question: what actually happens to me?
This post is a plain-language explanation of what Alberta says is changing, based on official Alberta.ca information available as of May 28, 2026.
The short version is this: AISH is not disappearing, but starting in July 2026, Alberta says current AISH clients will either remain on AISH or transition to ADAP depending on their situation. Alberta also says all existing AISH clients will be assured a place in either AISH or ADAP.
First: AISH is still staying in place
That matters because many people are hearing the change as if AISH is simply ending. According to Alberta's official ADAP page, that is not what the province says is happening.
Alberta says the longstanding AISH program will remain available for people with permanent and severe disabilities who are unable to work. ADAP is being added as a separate disability-income program for people with severe disabilities who are assessed as able to work, even if they still need major financial, health, and personal supports.
What Alberta says will happen in July 2026
According to Alberta.ca, starting in July 2026 there will be a single combined application for both AISH and ADAP. Alberta says eligible applicants will be placed in the program that best fits their situation.
For current AISH clients, Alberta says there will be a transition process in July 2026:
- some people will remain on AISH automatically
- some people will transition to ADAP
- some people may also be affected by other rule changes, such as partner and child-benefit recalculations starting in the August 2026 benefit period
Alberta also says AISH recipients would be notified in mid-May 2026 with information specific to their own file.
Who Alberta says will automatically remain on AISH
According to the official ADAP transition page, current AISH clients who meet one or more of these criteria will automatically remain on AISH, unless they choose to move to ADAP for its higher employment-income exemptions:
- people with a severe and profound developmental disability, or people who are deemed eligible for or are receiving Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) services
- people with palliative or terminal medical conditions
- people living in continuing care homes
- people who are 60 years old or older
That means many current AISH clients will not be reassessed into ADAP automatically if they fall into one of those categories.
Who may move from AISH to ADAP
Alberta says current AISH clients who do not fall into those automatic-AISH categories may transition to ADAP in July 2026.
The province describes ADAP as the program for people with a severe disability that significantly restricts employment but does not completely prevent employment. In plain language, Alberta is drawing a line between:
- AISH: severe disability and permanently unable to work
- ADAP: severe disability, but assessed as still able to work in some way
That distinction is the core of the whole transition. It is also the part many people are most worried about, because it changes which program they are placed in and what assumptions the system makes about their ability to work.
What the $200 transition benefit means
One of the most important official details is this: Alberta says AISH clients who transition to ADAP in July 2026 will receive a $200 monthly transition benefit that keeps their financial benefit the same as their existing AISH amount until December 31, 2027.
That does not mean everyone on ADAP gets a permanent extra $200 forever. It means Alberta says people who are moved from AISH to ADAP in July 2026 will have a temporary transition amount added so their financial benefit stays level with what they had under AISH during that transition period.
Alberta also says that during that period, people can choose to:
- remain on ADAP, or
- apply for AISH
What Alberta says about reassessment back to AISH
If you transition to ADAP and later want to be assessed for AISH, Alberta says the government will cover the cost of one medical assessment for current AISH clients who transition to ADAP in July and later choose to be reassessed for AISH.
Alberta also says this support is not time-limited. In other words, the official page says it will still be available whenever a transitioning client later chooses to access it.
What is changing about work and earnings
One of Alberta's biggest arguments for ADAP is that it allows people to work and still keep more support.
As of May 28, 2026, Alberta's official page says:
- AISH single or parent: $350 in employment income before financial benefits are affected
- ADAP single: $700
- ADAP parent: $1,100
- AISH or ADAP cohabiting partner: $1,500
Alberta also says ADAP clients can earn up to $45,240 annually in employment income while continuing to receive financial benefits, and that ADAP health benefits continue regardless of employment income.
So if someone is able to work at least a little, Alberta is clearly trying to make ADAP the more work-connected program.
Other benefit changes Alberta says are coming
The transition conversation is not only about whether a person is placed in AISH or ADAP. Alberta's official page also says there are broader benefit-structure changes beginning in the August 2026 benefit period.
Those include:
- Partner rate change: if 2 adults in a household receive disability income assistance, Alberta says each partner will receive 88% of the maximum individual benefit to reflect shared household expenses.
- Child benefit recalibration: Alberta says child benefit rates under AISH and ADAP will change to $300 for the first child, $117 for the second, $88 for the third, $59 for the fourth, and $30 for each additional child.
Those changes are not the same thing as the AISH-to-ADAP placement decision, but they may affect what households actually receive after the transition begins.
How the new combined application is supposed to work
For new applicants, Alberta says there will be one application for both AISH and ADAP. The application will collect general, financial, and medical information.
According to Alberta's description:
- if someone meets the general and financial requirements, an adjudicator reviews the medical information
- the adjudicator may determine the applicant qualifies for ADAP
- or the adjudicator may refer the application to a panel of medical professionals for an AISH eligibility determination
In practice, that means Alberta is creating a front-end process where people are first filtered into the disability-income system, then placed into either the work-capable stream (ADAP) or the permanently-unable-to-work stream (AISH).
What if your condition changes later?
Alberta says ADAP clients can apply for an AISH assessment if their medical condition or ability to work changes.
That matters because one of the biggest fears people have is getting moved into a work-oriented program even though their condition may worsen, fluctuate, or become less manageable over time. Alberta's official position is that people are not permanently locked out of AISH just because they were first placed in ADAP.
What if you disagree with the decision?
Alberta says there are appeal routes, but the route depends on what kind of decision you are challenging.
According to the official ADAP page:
- some ADAP decisions can be appealed through the ADAP Medical Appeal Panel
- non-medical decisions can go to the Citizen's Appeal Panel
- a decision not to refer an application to the AISH Medical Review Panel for an AISH eligibility determination can also be appealed
If you think the decision about your work capacity, medical eligibility, or program placement is wrong, the practical step is to get the decision in writing, confirm exactly what kind of decision it was, and ask which appeal path applies to your case.
What current AISH clients should do now
If you are currently on AISH, the most practical steps right now are:
- read any letter or notice Alberta sent about your file
- check whether you fall into one of the groups Alberta says will automatically remain on AISH
- if you are being moved to ADAP, look closely at whether the decision turns on your assessed ability to work
- keep copies of medical records, worker notes, and any communication about your file
- ask how to appeal if you disagree
If you have not received your transition information, Alberta's official contact path on the ADAP page is the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 780-644-9992 or toll-free 1-877-644-9992, option 9.
The bottom line
As of May 28, 2026, Alberta says the AISH-to-ADAP transition is scheduled to begin in July 2026. AISH is staying in place, but some current AISH clients may be moved into ADAP unless they fall into categories Alberta says will automatically remain on AISH.
The most important points are these:
- AISH is not ending
- all current AISH clients are supposed to have a place in either AISH or ADAP
- some people will automatically remain on AISH
- people moved to ADAP in July 2026 are supposed to get a $200 monthly transition benefit through December 31, 2027
- Alberta says one medical reassessment cost will be covered for transitioning clients who later want AISH reassessment
- appeal options exist, but the route depends on the type of decision
Note: This post is general navigation help and not legal advice. Disability-income rules can change, and individual files can be different. For decisions about your own case, confirm details directly with Alberta Supports or AISH/ADAP staff.