General (age and residency criteria)
- You are at least 18 years old and not eligible to receive an Old Age Security pension.
- You live in Alberta and are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- You are not residing in a correctional institution or a facility designated under the Mental Health Act Forms and Designation Regulation, such as Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
Financial criteria
- AISH looks at the income and assets you and your spouse or partner have.
- When you apply for, or get AISH, you and your spouse or partner must:
- apply for all other income you may be eligible for, such as Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D), Canada Disability Benefit, Employment Insurance (EI) or Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) benefits
- not have income or assets that are higher than the AISH program allows
Income
- AISH typically considers income reported on your income tax form and your spouse or partner’s income tax form.
- AISH does not consider a dependent child’s income.
- How AISH treats income depends on:
- the type of income
- whether you are single or in a family with a spouse or partner and / or dependent children, and
- who receives the income
- Some income is exempt – this means it is not counted and does not affect your AISH monthly living allowance. It includes things like:
- cash gifts
- income tax refunds
- registered disability savings plan (RDSP) payments
- registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) payments
- Some income is partially exempt – this means it is counted at part of its value and may affect your AISH monthly living allowance. These are examples of partially exempt incomes:
- employment income such as a wage paid by an employer, a training allowance or severance pay
- self-employment income such as business, farming or professional income
- passive business income such as interest, dividends, capital gains, trust and rental income
- a spouse/cohabiting partner’s pension income such as Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D), Employment Insurance (EI) and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) benefits
- Some income is non-exempt – this means it is counted at full value and subtracted dollar-for-dollar from your AISH monthly living allowance. These are examples of non-exempt incomes:
- spousal support payments
- an applicant’s/client’s pension income such as Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D), Employment Insurance (EI) and Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) benefits
- Allowable income deductions, such as most Canada Revenue Agency employment deductions (for example, CPP and EI), are applied before exemptions. Find out more about how AISH treats income in the Your Guide to Disability Income Assistance.
Assets
- Assets are items of value like cash, investments, property and vehicles that you and your spouse or partner have.
- Some assets are exempt – this means they are not-counted and include things like:
- a home or quarter section you live in
- a vehicle
- a second vehicle adapted for a disability
- clothing
- reasonable household items
- registered disability savings plans (RDSPs)
- a trust
- Some assets are non-exempt – this means they are counted. Non-exempt assets cannot be worth more than $100,000 when they are added together and may include:
- cash
- chequing or savings accounts
- tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs)
- registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs)
- cash inheritances
- a recreational property or home
- recreational vehicles
- Clients who receive assets are provided a temporary asset exemption and have 365 days to invest the asset in an exempt asset or it will be counted as a non-exempt asset and may impact ongoing program eligibility. This money may include:
- an inheritance
- a gift
- funds from selling the main home or quarter section where you lived and that AISH already considered exempt
- funds from selling your main or adapted vehicle that AISH already considered exempt
- funds from an insurance pay-out to cover damages to, or loss of, your main home or vehicle that AISH already considered exempt
- Find out more about how AISH treats assets in the Your Guide to Disability Income Assistance.
Medical eligibility criteria
- You must have a severe disability that permanently prevents employment.
- AISH will review the medical treatments, therapies, rehabilitation services, and training options available that may help improve your impairment.
- Find out more about how AISH considers your medical situation in the Your Guide to Disability Income Assistance and the Disability Income Assistance Adjudication Guide – July 2026.
Transition period
The following information applies to AISH clients who transitioned to ADAP in July 2026.
If you met one or more of the following eligibility criteria, you were automatically approved for AISH:
- individuals with a severe and profound developmental disability, or who are deemed eligible for or are receiving Persons with Developmental Disabilities services
- individuals with palliative or terminal medical conditions
- individuals living in continuing care homes
- individuals 60 years of age or older
If you were an AISH client whose file transitioned to ADAP on July 2, 2026, and believe that you are eligible for AISH, you may apply using the Disability Income Assistance (DIA) Application. You will be required to submit a DIA Application with a Disability Assistance Medical Report.
We will cover the cost of one Disability Medical Report for AISH clients who transitioned to ADAP in July 2026 and later choose to be assessed for AISH. This support is not time-limited and will be available whenever clients choose to access it.
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