Alberta stands alone in its decision to treat the Canada Disability Benefit as non-exempt income.

We are currently the only province in Canada that has decided to claw back the benefit from recipients of the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped. While other provinces are allowing people with disabilities to receive the full benefit, Alberta is treating the CDB as an indirect transfer and deducting it dollar-for-dollar from provincial supports.

The CDB is a new federal cash benefit up to $200 per month — $2,400 per year — intended to help working-age Canadians with disabilities afford basic necessities. It’s not a lot, but for someone living on the margins, $200 can mean groceries for the week, a utility bill paid on time or money for transportation to get to a medical appointment.

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