Albertans to Start Receiving Inflation-Relief Payments in Coming Weeks

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith holds her first press conference in Edmonton on Oct. 11, 2022. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

Some eligible Albertans can start to apply for a total of $600 in inflation-relief payments in the coming weeks, with the first instalment to be released at the end of January, the provincial government has announced.

Households with a yearly income of less than $180,000 are eligible for the six $100 payments for each senior and child under the age of 18.

Starting Jan. 18, eligible Albertans can start to apply for the relief benefit through an online portal or at a registry office, according to a Jan. 9 press release.

The affordability payment program is part of a $2.8 billion inflation-fighting package introduced by Premier Danielle Smith last month.

Some residents are automatically enrolled in the target relief program, and do not need to apply to receive the benefit.

Albertans receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit (ASB) are automatically enrolled. The distribution of the first $100 monthly payment for six months starts on Jan. 31. Payments will be made either by direct deposit or cheque.

Residents who are receiving regular monthly benefits through the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), Income Support, or those receiving the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program, are also automatically enrolled.

Foster caregivers caring for a child under the age of 18, or their eligible kin, are automatically enrolled in the program and will also receive their first payments at the end of January.

Other eligible parents and seniors are required to enrol for the benefits through a verified account, the province’s digital ID, to use the government portal, the release said.

Matt Jones, Alberta’s minister of affordability and utilities, said in a Jan. 9 press conference in Edmonton that the benefits will go out to millions of Canadians, and that the payment distribution portal will allow the government to deliver the benefits faster and in a more secure fashion.

“With any program at this scale, we can expect that there will be a few bumps along the way,” Jones said. “Our commitment to Albertans is that we will deliver these payments in a safe, fast, and effective way and that we will act quickly to adapt and respond as needed in the months ahead.”

Inflation Relief

With Canada experiencing nearly 40-year high inflation, several provinces have come up with their own inflation relief programs.

British Columbia announced last week that roughly 85 percent of its residents will automatically receive the full or partial B.C. Affordability Credit through the CRA. The program allocates up to $164 per adult and $41 per child with a cap of $410 for a family with two children.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, one-time cheques of up to $500 have already been mailed to the majority of eligible residents, which includes people 18 and older with an adjusted income of $125,000 or less.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador also announced in December that most eligible residents have received a one-time payment of up to $500. To be eligible, an individual must be at least 18 years of age and have filed a 2021 tax return with an adjusted income of $125,000 or less.