Reasons overpayments and underpayments happen
AISH benefits can be overpaid or underpaid if:
- you forget to tell us your situation has changed and you continue to receive more or less AISH benefits than you are eligible for
- you use your benefits for a different purpose than you are supposed to
- you tell us your situation has changed, but your cheque has already been issued
- we make an error in your payment amount
To prevent being overpaid or underpaid
Report changes in your financial, medical or living situation as soon as they happen.
Contact your AISH worker if you see an error in your monthly benefits.
When overpayments happen
When AISH finds an overpayment, you will be sent a Notice of Overpayment. If you have questions about the overpayment amount or concerns about repaying it, talk to your AISH worker.
If you disagree with the Notice of Overpayment, you have 30 days from the date you get it to:
- make a written request to the AISH program asking to not have to repay the overpayment and explaining why you should not have to repay it
- file a written appeal to the AISH Appeal Panel saying why you disagree with AISH’s decision that you have an overpayment that you must repay, and asking for this decision to be reviewed
If you file an appeal, you also have 30 days to make a written request asking to not have to repay the overpayment. These 30 days start from the day you were:
- asked in writing to reschedule an appeal hearing you did not attend, and you have not rescheduled the hearing, or
- told about the Appeal Panel’s decision.
Contact the Appeals Secretariat or the nearest AISH office if you have questions about appealing AISH’s overpayment decision.
Overpayments become debts
When an overpayment becomes a debt, it means you must pay the Government of Alberta back for the benefits you received and were not eligible for. The Government of Alberta will start collecting a debt:
- after you sign a repayment agreement, or
- once 30 calendar days have passed since you received your Notice of Overpayment and you have not filed an appeal or asked for more time to file an appeal
Debt collection
- Your debt is usually collected by subtracting some money from your monthly AISH benefits.
- The monthly collection amount is 10% of the maximum living allowance or modified living allowance you receive — if you are having a very hard time meeting your basic needs, this amount may be lowered.
- If your AISH file closes, you still have to pay your debt:
- AISH will send you a letter to explain how to make these payments
- if you do not make payment arrangements, your debt may be sent to a collection agency
When underpayments happen
If you receive less AISH benefits than you are eligible for:
- AISH pays the full amount of an underpayment for the entire time you received less benefits than you were eligible for
- before you are paid, money from an underpayment may be used to pay debts you have to the Alberta government
Contact your AISH worker if you think you have been underpaid.
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