The UCP says monthly $100 affordability payments for families, seniors, and vulnerable people will start receiving their payments by January 31..Albertans can act now to get ready with a new portal launching on January 18..Starting this month, six months of affordability payments will begin for Albertans through an application and distribution which the provincial government says is a "system that is fast, effective and safe.".“Our government is committed to keeping Alberta affordable," Matt Jones, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, said.."By the end of January, most Alberta seniors and families will be able to apply for and receive monthly affordability payments that will provide real relief and help to offset inflationary pressures.”.Starting January 18, seniors 65 or older who are not receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit and eligible parents with children under 18 can apply online through the government portal or in person at locations across the province for $600 in monthly affordability payments..In order to use the portal, eligible parents and seniors will be required to have a Verified Account. To ensure that the application process is as smooth as possible, Albertans should sign-up for their Verified Account or confirm they have an existing Verified Account with accurate information as soon as possible..“Alberta’s government has heard loud and clear that families, seniors and vulnerable Albertans need relief, and the approach we’ve taken ensures they get that support now," Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish said.."We have designed a secure system that will allow eligible Albertans to apply for benefits quickly and easy. Our top priorities during development of the inflation relief portal were privacy, security and accessibility. I’m proud of the work our civil servants have done over the last two months to bring this much-needed program to life.”.Many Albertans who are receiving these targeted relief payments are automatically enrolled for the program and do not need to apply to receive the benefit..Along with foster and kinship caregivers, anyone currently receiving regular monthly benefits through Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), Income Support or Alberta Seniors Benefit, or receiving services through the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program will automatically receive their first payment starting January 31..Payments will be delivered the same way as a client’s regular monthly benefits, whether by automatic deposit or a physical cheque..Payments will be delivered by physical cheque for existing PDD clients who are not receiving AISH or Income Support benefits..Beneficiaries will also be notified directly about their enrolment in the payment program and related information..These payments will be treated as exempt income by the AISH and Income Support programs and will not impact eligibility or financial benefits..Parents in these programs with children under 18 can also receive $600 in additional payments per child. They will need to apply online or in person for these payments starting January 18..Affordability payments for seniors.All Albertans 65 or older with household incomes below $180,000 will soon be eligible for $600 over six months in monthly affordability payments..Albertans receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit are automatically enroled in the program and do not need to sign up to receive their benefits. The distribution of additional monthly payments will begin January 31..Eligible seniors who are not receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit will need to apply for affordability payments by creating or confirming their Verified Account and applying for benefits via the online portal or in person at a registry office or through Alberta Supports when the portal opens on January 18..Affordability payments for parents or guardians caring for children under 18.Families with household incomes below $180,000 per year will soon receive a total of $600 for each dependent child under 18 over six months. Eligible parents can apply for affordability payments by creating or confirming their Verified Account and applying for benefits via the online portal or in person at a registry office or through Alberta Supports when the portal opens on January 18..Affordability payments for foster and kinship caregivers caring for children under 18.Eligible kinship or foster caregivers caring for a child under the age of 18 are automatically enroled in the program and do not need to sign up to receive their affordability payments. They will receive their first payments at the end of January..Payments will be delivered the same way as regular monthly benefits, whether by automatic deposit or physical cheque..Monthly payments will be rolled out starting January 31..The UCP will use CRA 2021 tax data to verify eligibility based on income. Applications can be submitted until June 30, with payments being retroactive to include previous months when a person was eligible..Once the application process is successfully completed, most Albertans will receive payments at the end of that month. Exact timing will vary for each individual..Alberta has had verified accounts since 2015 as a way for Albertans to safely and securely access a growing number of government services..“I sincerely hope that the UCP’s portal functions properly and Albertans are able to use it easily but nothing in the UCP’s record suggests that will be the case," Alberta NDP MLA for Calgary-Bhullar-McCall Irfan Sabir said..“In fact, the UCP’s history of developing these online tools has been one failure after another. As recently as Saturday, Danielle Smith said she expected this would likely crash on day one. Meanwhile, there’s an existing system that we all use to pay our taxes which the UCP could have made use of. Instead, Albertans are paying for the UCP to build a duplicate system that may or may not work. And for many Albertans there are no benefits available through this new portal.".Additional information, including a video and answers to questions, is available at alberta.ca/affordable.
