What are the eligibility requirements for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?

To be eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 65, and have lived in Alberta for at least 3 months prior to your application date. Additionally, you must be currently enrolled to receive Old Age Security (OAS) payments. You must also meet certain financial requirements. If you’re single, this means your income cannot exceed $29,630 per year, and for couples, the combined income amount cannot exceed $48,120.

How can I appeal my eligibility for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?

If you receive a letter stating that you are not eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit, but you believe that you are, you can appeal your eligibility. Start by writing a letter of appeal explaining why you are eligible for the benefit and attach any supporting documentation to prove your claims. You can either fax the letter to 780-422-5954 or mail it to: Director Seniors Financial Assistance PO Box 3100 Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W3 If this doesn’t work, you can request a final review afterwards by faxing to the same number above or sending the information to: Assistant Deputy Minister Seniors Division PO Box 3100 Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W3 Or send fax to: 780-422-5954 You’ll receive a Notice of Appeal form in the mail. Be sure to follow the instructions provided with the form.

Alberta Seniors Benefit Payment Dates

Here is the Alberta Seniors Benefit payment schedule for 2023:

Month (2023)	Payment Dates
January	January 25, 2023
February	February 22, 2023
March	March 27, 2023
April	April 24, 2023
May	May 25, 2023
June	June 26, 2023
July	July 25, 2023
August	August 25, 2023
September	September 25, 2023
October	October 23, 2023
November	November 24, 2023
December	December 18, 2023

Source: Alberta.ca

What is the Alberta Seniors Benefit?

The Alberta Seniors Benefit is a program which allows for low-income seniors to receive payments to help with their monthly living expenses.

Am I Eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?

To meet the eligibility requirements to receive the Alberta Seniors Benefit, you must:

Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Be at least 65 years old.
Be receiving OAS. If you or your spouse/partner have chosen to delay or defer these payments, you won’t be eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit.
Have lived in Alberta for at least 3 months prior to your application date.
Meet the financial criteria. In general, this means that to be eligible, total income for single individuals cannot exceed $29,630, and for couples, the combined amount cannot exceed $48,120. These amounts include OAS payments and are based on the January to December period for the year prior to your application.

Alberta Seniors Benefit Payment Amounts

The amount you receive for the Alberta Seniors Benefit will depend on a number of factors, including your income, your spouse or partner’s income (if applicable), whether or not you receive OAS payments, your type of residence, and whether you cohabitate with your spouse or partner.

The easiest way to find out whether you are eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit and get an idea of how much you could receive as monthly payments, use this handy benefit estimator tool.

If you’d like to understand how the benefit payment amounts are calculated, check out the following tables.

For single Albertans aged 65+:

Residence type	Maximum annual benefit (when income is $0)	Phase out rate (the amount the benefit is reduced by for every $1 of income)
Homeowner, renter, lodge resident	$3,637	0.1636
Long-Term Care Centre or Designated Supportive Living Facility	$12,097	Check out Accommodation Benefit rules
Other residence types	$2,534	0.1141

Source: Alberta.ca

For Albertan couples aged 65+:

Residence type	Maximum annual benefit (when income is $0)	Phase out rate (the amount the benefit is reduced by for every $1 of income)
Homeowner, renter, lodge resident	$5,455	0.1640
Long-Term Care Centre or Designated Supportive Living Facility	$15,734	Check out Accommodation Benefit rules
Other residence types	$5,066	0.1524

Source: Alberta.ca

Did You Know?

To help with the rising cost of living due to inflation, the government will be adding $100 to each monthly Alberta Seniors Benefit payment for 6 months, starting in January 2023.

How Can I Apply for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?

You can apply for the Alberta Seniors Benefit online, by faxing your application and supporting documents to 780-422-5954, or by mailing them to:

Seniors Financial Assistance

PO Box 3100

Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W3

For help with your application, you can call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre toll-free at 1-877-644-9992 from Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The process is lengthy and requires quite a bit of support documentation on your part.

Click here to see a full list of all the required documents and forms needed.

Once your application has been reviewed, you’ll receive a letter in the mail to find out if you are eligible to receive the benefit.

Once you start receiving the benefit, they won’t stop unless you leave Alberta permanently, your eligibility changes due to increased income, or you pass away.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the eligibility requirements for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?
To be eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident over the age of 65, and have lived in Alberta for at least 3 months prior to your application date.

Additionally, you must be currently enrolled to receive Old Age Security (OAS) payments. You must also meet certain financial requirements. If you’re single, this means your income cannot exceed $29,630 per year, and for couples, the combined income amount cannot exceed $48,120.
How can I appeal my eligibility for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?
If you receive a letter stating that you are not eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit, but you believe that you are, you can appeal your eligibility.

Start by writing a letter of appeal explaining why you are eligible for the benefit and attach any supporting documentation to prove your claims.

You can either fax the letter to 780-422-5954 or mail it to:
Director
Seniors Financial Assistance
PO Box 3100
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W3

If this doesn’t work, you can request a final review afterwards by faxing to the same number above or sending the information to:
Assistant Deputy Minister
Seniors Division
PO Box 3100
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W3
Or send fax to: 780-422-5954

You’ll receive a Notice of Appeal form in the mail. Be sure to follow the instructions provided with the form.

Tara Al-Khudairi
Tara Al-Khudairi is a freelance personal finance writer who has 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.