ADAP Alberta Guide: Eligibility, Payment, Working & the AISH Transition

ADAP is a Government of Alberta disability income program. It is designed to empower Albertans with severe disabilities to pursue employment while continuing to receive financial, health, and personal supports. You can read the ADAP benefit page on Accessible Compass at Alberta Disability Assistance Program, or go straight to the official Alberta page.

On July 2, 2026, ADAP became operational. There is now a single combined application for both ADAP and AISH, and Alberta places eligible applicants in the program best suited to their unique situation. ADAP's core benefit rate is among the highest in the country, and it allows the highest level of employment income while receiving financial benefits of any comparable disability income program in Canada.

To be eligible for ADAP, all of the following must be true:

• You are at least 18 years old and not eligible to receive an Old Age Security pension.
• You live in Alberta and are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• You are not residing in a correctional institution or a facility designated under the Mental Health Act Forms and Designation Regulation, such as Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
• You meet the medical criteria (below).
• You meet the financial eligibility criteria (below).

ADAP eligibility (Alberta.ca)

AISH and ADAP are two distinct programs. In general, Alberta explains: an individual with a severe disability that results in them being permanently unable to work will qualify for AISH. An individual with a severe disability who is assessed as able to work will qualify for ADAP.

To be medically eligible for ADAP, Alberta's rules state you must have:

• A severe disability that significantly impedes employment continuously or episodically.
• Alberta also describes this as: the severe disability must be determined to significantly restrict, but not prevent, a person from being employed.

Alberta reviews the medical treatments, therapies, rehabilitation services, and training options available to you that may help improve your impairment. Medical eligibility for ADAP is decided by an adjudicator; if appropriate, your case may be referred to the AISH Medical Review Panel.

ADAP medical criteria (Alberta.ca)·ADAP fact sheet (Alberta)

ADAP's core financial benefit is $1,740 per month. These financial benefits are in addition to health and personal benefits valued at about $400 per month on average.

Depending on your situation, you may receive:

• a monthly living allowance (the $1,740 core benefit, reduced by any countable income);
• a monthly child benefit;
• health benefits for you, your spouse or partner, and your dependent children; and
• personal benefits for specific needs over and above your living allowance.

ADAP benefits (Alberta.ca)

ADAP is built around employment. It offers higher employment-income exemptions than AISH so you can pursue work while still receiving support.

The $1,500 cohabiting-partner exemption applies to the partner's own employment earnings — the earnings of a spouse or partner who lives with you — before those earnings affect your ADAP benefits. It is not an additional exemption for the recipient.

ADAP reviews your income monthly. How it treats income depends on the type of income, whether you are single or in a family, and who receives it.

Even after an ADAP client with employment income reaches the maximum income threshold and no longer qualifies for monthly financial benefits, they continue to remain eligible for essential health supports through to age 65.

How ADAP treats income (Alberta.ca)

The combined non-exempt assets of you and your spouse or partner cannot be worth more than $100,000 when added together — the same limit as AISH.

If you receive a large asset — an inheritance, a gift, funds from selling your main home or adapted vehicle, or an insurance payout for damage to your exempt home or vehicle — you have 365 days to invest it in an exempt asset before it is counted.

Unusual or complex assets are decided case by case. Confirm with your ADAP worker before assuming how an asset is treated.

ADAP health benefits cover you, your spouse or partner, and your dependent children, on the same framework as AISH: prescription drugs, basic dental, optical, diabetes supplies (including continuous glucose monitors), emergency ambulance, and Alberta Aids to Daily Living (AADL) with no cost-share. You may also coordinate with the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) for dental coverage.

ADAP is designed so Albertans with disabilities can pursue meaningful employment while continuing to receive financial, health, and personal supports. The main employment support built into ADAP is the higher employment-income exemption (above) and the continuation of health benefits regardless of earnings.

Alberta's main ADAP pages do not detail a separate, named ADAP employment-support package beyond these. For broader employment services, Alberta points to its general Employment Services. Confirm with your ADAP worker what employment supports apply to your situation.

Your CPP Disability benefits are non-exempt income — counted at full value and subtracted dollar-for-dollar from your ADAP financial benefit.

A spouse or cohabiting partner's CPP-D is partially exempt: as of July 2026, the first $1,200 per month of your spouse or partner's pension income is fully exempt, and 25% of the remainder is also exempt.

When you apply for or receive ADAP, you and your spouse or partner must apply for all other income you may be eligible for, including CPP-D, the Canada Disability Benefit, EI, and WCB benefits.

The federal Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) provides up to $200 per month to eligible Canadians with disabilities aged 18 to 64. ADAP uses the same shared Disability Income Assistance income framework as AISH, and ADAP clients must inform the program of the approval or denial of their CDB and Disability Tax Credit applications.

If you also receive AISH, see the CDB section of the AISH guide for the AISH-specific rules (including the $200 consequence for not applying).

There is one combined application for AISH and ADAP. Alberta places eligible applicants in the program best suited to their situation.

How to apply for AISH and ADAP (Alberta.ca)

An Application Assessor checks general eligibility (age and residency) and a Program Assessor checks financial eligibility. An Adjudicator then reviews the medical information to determine medical eligibility for ADAP and, for AISH, makes a recommendation to the AISH Medical Review Panel. The AISH Medical Review Panel makes the final AISH medical eligibility decision. Eligible applicants are placed into the program that best suits their needs and abilities. Applications are reviewed in the order received.

ADAP decisions are split between two appeal panels, and some decisions cannot be appealed at all.

You have a 30-day deadline from when you are told of the decision. If you miss it, you can ask the Minister's delegate for more time. CAP and MAP decisions are final and not subject to further appeal within the program.

Appeal an ADAP decision (Alberta.ca)

ADAP clients can apply for an AISH assessment if their medical condition or ability to work changes. This requires a new combined application and a medical reassessment to confirm they meet AISH criteria.

For AISH clients who were transitioned to ADAP in July 2026 and later choose to be assessed for AISH, Alberta will cover the cost of one Disability Medical Report — this support is not time-limited (see the transition section below).

How the transition happened

• In mid-May 2026, Alberta notified all AISH recipients with information specific to their situation — whether they would remain on AISH, transition to ADAP, or be affected by regulatory changes.
• On July 2, 2026, affected files were automatically moved to ADAP. No new application and no medical reassessment were required for the automatic move.
• The move itself cannot be appealed.

Who automatically stayed on AISH

These groups automatically remained on AISH, unless they chose to transition to ADAP to benefit from ADAP's higher employment-income exemptions:

• individuals with a severe and profound developmental disability, or who were deemed eligible for or were receiving Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) services;
• individuals with palliative or terminal medical conditions;
• individuals living in continuing care homes; and
• individuals 60 years of age or older.

The $200 transition benefit and what you can do

• AISH clients transitioned to ADAP in July 2026 receive a $200 per month transition benefit, keeping their financial benefit the same as their existing AISH amount, until December 31, 2027.
• During this time, you can choose to remain on ADAP or apply for AISH.
• Alberta will cover the cost of one medical assessment (a Disability Medical Report) for transitioned clients who later choose to be assessed for AISH. This support is not time-limited and is available whenever you choose to access it.

After December 31, 2027

From January 1, 2028, the $200 transition benefit ends. If you are still on ADAP and have not re-qualified for AISH, your benefit drops by $200 per month to the ADAP core rate of $1,740 per month. Your health benefits continue.

ADAP fact sheet — transition approach (Alberta)·ADAP program (Alberta.ca)

This is the full comparison of Alberta's two disability income programs. Every cell is drawn from current Government of Alberta sources. For the AISH-focused guide, see AISH Alberta Guide.

The $200 per month transition benefit for AISH clients moved to ADAP in July 2026 runs only until December 31, 2027.

From January 1, 2028:

• The $200 transition benefit ends.
• If you are still on ADAP and have not re-qualified for AISH, your financial benefit drops by $200 per month to the ADAP core rate of $1,740.
• Your health benefits continue regardless.
• You can still apply for AISH at any time — the covered cost of one Disability Medical Report for transitioned clients is not time-limited, so it remains available even after December 31, 2027.