Fair Entry and ADAP: Understanding the New Income Verification Process
We’ve heard from many residents about recent changes to the province’s AISH/ADAP income support program for Albertans with disabilities, and the impact those changes are having on people who rely on these supports to meet their basic needs.
Because income support is a provincial jurisdiction, many of the concerns residents have raised are outside of the City’s authority to directly address. Council has communicated these concerns to the province and advocated for refinements where changes are creating difficult or unintended outcomes for Calgarians.
One issue that does fall within the City’s jurisdiction is how ADAP is considered as part of our Fair Entry program. Previously, AISH recipients could automatically be approved for Fair Entry, The City of Calgary’s centralized application program that allows eligible low-income residents to access reduced-cost City services and subsidized programs through a single application.
Changes to how the province administers ADAP now allow some recipients to earn other forms of employment income while continuing to receive benefits. As a result, not all ADAP recipients will automatically fall within the income eligibility threshold to qualify for Fair Entry. The City has therefore updated its intake process to require proof of household income, such as a federal Notice of Assessment, when residents apply.
We recognize that this may feel like an additional step for residents who were previously accustomed to automatic eligibility. However, the change is necessary to ensure Fair Entry eligibility is assessed using the current provincial program and our established income thresholds.
Fair Entry staff are available to help applicants understand the new requirements and obtain the documentation they need. Residents who are currently approved for Fair Entry remain eligible until their existing approval expires. At which point, they can reapply with an updated proof-of-income.
For more information, please call 311 or visit calgary.ca/fairentry.
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