Government announces rollout of online applications for Alberta income supports

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A new portal designed to make it easier for Albertans to access income supports is now online.

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Community and Social Services Minister Jason Luan announced Wednesday the website can now take applications online for the ministry’s support programs after piloting the process during a “soft-launch” in the spring.

The province rolled out a similar online process for the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program in May.

“The new system allows applicants to quickly determine if you meet the basic eligibility criteria, reducing the worries and eliminating the concerns they need to find multiple documents all over the place and wait for a long time to get a decision,” said Luan.

Luan said applicants can save the hassle of trying to find a government office, a fax machine, or submitting paperwork at a post office.

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“All vulnerable Albertans deserve easy access to supports they need,” he said.

The website, at applyincomesupport.alberta.cascreens applicants for eligibility and makes sure they have all the documents they need to be approved for supports to pay for expenses like food, clothing and shelter.

Luan said it would also free up time and lessen the administrative burden for government employees, but in-person support will still be available at local Alberta Supports offices.

Oxford House Foundation of Canada, CUPS Calgary, the Alex Community Health Center, the Bissell Center, and the Boyle McCauley Center participated in the pilot program before Wednesday’s launch.

Earl Thiessen, executive director of the Oxford House Foundation, which operates recovery housing, said its support workers found using the portal much quicker and easier to navigate than the paper-based process, which often involved visits to many different offices.

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“One of the biggest factors when a person is starting over or starting their journey or starting their process of getting financially stable is ease of access,” he said.

Carlene Donnelly, executive director of CUPS Calgary, said with more than 100 people coming through their doors every week, the online process helped staff help clients navigate the process and get faster turn-around times.

“The difference that makes is it reduces the risk of homelessness and addiction,” she said.

The government said in a news release that about 12,000 applications are submitted annually to the AISH program, while about 8,900 Income Support applications were submitted every month in 2021.

Luan’s press secretary Justin Marshall, when asked if the ministry expected an uptick in applications and approvals, said in an email that eligibility criteria and assessment are not changing.

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“However, with more opportunities for employment, increased resources to help people return to work, and a stronger economy, we anticipate fewer Albertans accessing income support,” he said.

NDP Opposition critic Marie Renaud, in a statement Wednesday, welcomed the move to make it easier for Albertans to apply, but noted AISH supports were cut when they were uncoupled from inflation in 2019.

“Food insecurity, increased risk of homelessness and unsafe housing are the result of growing poverty the UCP cuts and destructive policy changes have created,” said Renaud.

Despite balancing the budget in February, the UCP government did not reverse it’s decision to de-index AISH payments to inflation.

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