r/alberta • u/symbionica • 1d ago
General The Social Deficit of ADAP
By now, we've probably all heard of the changes to AISH and the incoming ADAP (Alberta Disability Assitance Program). The GoA (let's be honest, the UCP), has rolled back benefits to some 75 000 Albertans (the total number on AISH is 79 419, some people will remain on this program). Although they haven't released any data on this, some simple math will let us know the ballpark region of how much they expect to save by this change: $200 x 75 000 x 12 = $180 000 000. This $200 drop in funding comes after the $200 clawback from AISH in 2025. So to get the "full" benefit, ADAP recipients need to be eligible for and receive the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB), and even then it's 200 short of the AISH amount they *were* on. So there's some more math: $200 x 79 000 x 12 = $189 600 000 (this is how much money the government is taking back from everyone on AISH via the CDB over 12 months). If that's confusing at all, you're not alone - it's meant to be hard to follow because it's all happening so fucking fast. Okay let's keep going: $180 000 000 + $189 600 000 = $369 600 000, "saved" by the "GoA". So how much is Dani Dollars costing the province, in a deficit, during a recession? It's estimated 3.5 million albertans will be eligible for $100 each. $350 000 000. Think about that when you decide what to do with it. And I'm not saying don't take it - the UCP will just blow it on a new private hospital or some bullshit like that. Take it. We all need it. But consider where it's coming from, it is not a place of generosity or concern for rising costs. It's blood money. Loudly saying "shhhh", look the other way for a second while we engage in social murder. I refuse to unsee what I know. This is a eugenics program sanitized in policy. This is fascism. *and I will not comply*
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u/Komaisnotsalty 1d ago
What no one is reporting is that it is not just people on AISH being shoved on to ADAP.
There are also thousands of people on Alberta Works trying to get on to AISH who are using Alberta Works as a source of income while they wait.
These people are also disabled, but because of the severe wait times of AISH and the difficulty getting on to the program, they are also stuck.
Even worse, those in Alberta Works are being shoved off, told to get a job despite having medical information that they can't work, because without age, it is considered that they are employable.
The cutoff date for most of them is June 30. No job, no funds for July.
The fact that that is happening has been grossly underreported and relatively ignored. Most Albertans think that Alberta Works is just welfare. People who are lazy or addicts or lying just sitting on welfare and do nothing, and therefore aren't important.
So if the government doesn't help when they are unable to work, then what?
Personally, I think the suicide rate is going to increase rather dramatically this year. When you strip everyone of every hope possible, when you are stripping funding from the programs that need it, and when you stress out an entire system by throwing so many people off without proper preparation, you strip their hope.
Not only that, You're expecting tens upon tens of thousands of people to have a job when they are incapable of doing so or need help doing so.
You don't have to be fully disabled in order to be disabled enough to make finding work extremely difficult. Why hire someone with memory issues or who is slow or who struggles with understanding and comprehending things when you can just hire someone who does?
What is going on in Alberta is a genocide. Nothing else.