AISH Payment Dates (2024)

Here are the AISH payment dates for 2024:

Benefit Month Payment Date
January 2024 December 21, 2023
February 2024 February 1, 2024
March 2024 March 1, 2024
April 2024 April 1, 2024
May 2024 May 1, 2024
June 2024 May 31, 2024
July 2024 June 28, 2024
August 2024 August 1, 2024
September 2024 August 30, 2024
October 2024 October 1, 2024
November 2024 November 1, 2024
December 2024 November 29, 2024

What is AISH?

AISH stands for ‘Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped’.

Established in 1979, this Alberta-based program financially supports Albertans that live with a permanent and severe disability that affects their ability to earn a living.

For eligible residents of Alberta, the AISH payment can come in the form of:

  • A monthly allowance to help cover living costs like utilities, rent and food.
  • A monthly payment to help with raising children that are dependents.
  • Health benefits to support with health expenses for you, your spouse/partner and dependent children.
  • A personal allowance for custom needs that may come up.
Alberta cityscape

Who is Eligible to Receive Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)?

There are 4 sets of eligibility criteria:

  • Age 
  • Place of residence
  • Medical
  • Financial

In terms of age and residency criteria, here is the required eligibility:

  • You are a minimum of 18 years old and unable to get Old Age Security.
  • You reside in Alberta and are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.
  • You aren’t in a correctional facility or in a certain mental health facility, like Alberta Hospital Edmonton.

In terms of medical criteria, here is the required eligibility:

  • You must have a permanent medical condition (or one that is expected to stay permanent.)
  • Your medical condition must be the main obstacle that impedes you from earning a living.

In terms of financial criteria, the AISH will study the income and assets that you and your spouse or partner have and ensure that they aren’t higher than the program’s threshold.

Keep in mind that you can be employed and still be eligible for AISH at the same time.

Which Medical Conditions Qualify for AISH?

To be eligible for AISH, you must prove that you have a severe handicap.

The eligibility criteria you need to meet are:

  • You have an impaired mental or physical function.
  • Your impairment considerably impedes your ability to earn a living.
  • Your impairment is, as of now, expected to be permanent.

How Much Will My AISH Payment Be?

As mentioned before, AISH offers 4 different types of payments: a monthly living allowance, a monthly child benefit, health benefits and a personal allowance.

The amount you earn for any of these will depend on your personal situation.

The most you can receive in terms of a monthly living allowance is $1,863. This amount increased in both 2023 and 2024, after staying constant for 4 consecutive years.

The most you can receive in terms of a monthly personal allowance is $357.

In terms of child benefit, you can receive $222 monthly for your first eligible dependent, and $111 monthly for each dependent child after that.

With regards to benefits, you’ll be eligible to receive an AISH benefits card that you could show to doctors, dentists and other medical professionals to get coverage for prescriptions drugs, basic dental procedures including check-ups, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, and other services, optical coverage, diabetes supplies and emergency ambulances.

To read more about AISH allowances, click here.

Did You Know?

AISH offers support to around 70,000 Albertans that live with permanent medical issues.

How to Apply for AISH?

To make things super easy, you can follow this Guide to Completing the AISH Application when applying for AISH. Otherwise, follow the simple steps below:

  • Start by filling out the AISH Application Part A.
  • Ask your doctor to fill out the AISH Application Part B.
  • Get your application form and all the other necessary documents for your application and submit them through one of the following methods:

After you apply, you will be contacted to be notified that your application was received.

While waiting to hear back about the status of your application, you can call 1-877-759-6810 (toll-free) or 587-759-6810 if you’re in the Edmonton area and have any questions.

If your application is approved, you’ll get a confirmation phone call and letter.

Then, you’ll be contacted to schedule a meeting with an AISH worker.

Once all is said and done, you’ll start receiving your benefits, and don’t worry – they’ll be backdated to the month that AISH got all the information they needed to be able to successfully process your application.

If, for whatever reason, your application is not approved, you’ll receive a letter on why you aren’t eligible for AISH, what information they may have been missing from you, how you could appeal the status, and information on other financial and health benefit programs that may be beneficial to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I own a home on AISH?
  • At what age does AISH end?
Tara Al-Khudairi

Tara Al-Khudairihas worked in the financial services industry since 2017. She graduated from McMaster University with a degree in Finance and is pursuing her CFA.

She has worked at a major Canadian financial institution in various client-facing advisory roles, starting as a bank teller and working up to a Client Services Associate within the Asset Management division. She specializes in simplifying concepts of personal finance for people of various financial backgrounds.

When she’s not examining the markets looking for the next SHOP.TO, she’s either practicing yoga, planning her next vacation, or has her nose buried deep in a book.