AISH/ADAP Clients Speak Out - "Minister Is Lying "
AISH/ADAP Clients are hoping for a light at the end of a tunnel (Pedestrian Tunnel Kin Coulee Park - Kelly Allard)
The ministry says the glitch is fixed, the people living it say otherwise.
Rent is due.
Fridges are empty.
And the government is patting itself on the back.
On Friday, the Medicine Hat Owl published a statement from the Ministry of Assisted Living and Social Services boasting that all payment glitches affecting AISH and ADAP clients had been "resolved" and "corrected in full" prior to July 29.
"We are happy to report that the matter has been resolved, and any payment issues related to the technical issue were corrected in full prior to end of day on July 29, 2026."
The ministry was happy to report that.
Since then, we've heard from dozens of people. Their stories don't match the ministry's version.
Not even close.
"Even If They've Fixed the Technical Issues, Not Everyone's Pay Has Been Corrected"
One client told us they - and many others - will be waiting out the long weekend until Tuesday to see the money in their accounts.
Tuesday.
Rent is due today, August 1. Groceries are needed now.
Another client put it bluntly:
"The ministry has talked to all 1,600 people - they claim, I believe it is much higher - to see if they are now relieved... when clearly people are saying they haven't seen the corrections yet. This government is full of shit on a Trumpian level."
The ministry says the glitch affected about 1,800 people - roughly 2% of AISH and ADAP clients.
But on social media, in support groups, and in our inbox, the number feels much larger - and the stories are much messier than the ministry lets on.
"I Have Been Emailing All Week and Gotten No Answer"
One person told us they've been trying to get through all week.
"I have been emailing all week and gotten no answer on either phone line, while watching my neighbours on AISH who also didn't get paid beg for food because they haven't eaten in three days."
Another client shared their ongoing nightmare:
"The cheque inquiry line has been off for a while. Some are told they won't get their cheques till next week."
Next week. Rent is due today.
"I have been sent three receipts with different amounts. Says I'm on ADAP - I'm not. It's so messed up."
Three receipts. Three different amounts. For a program they're not even on.
"The Minister Is Lying"
That's a direct quote.
"This isn't true. In support groups, some AISH/ADAP recipients report that they still haven't received their proper benefit. Some report not receiving anything. Some report being told to expect deposit after the long weekend, meaning August 4. Rent is due August 1. Bills are due August 1. The Minister is lying."
August 1. The day rent is due. The day late fees start accumulating. The day the ministry's "fixed" problem becomes someone else's eviction notice.
"My friend still hasn't received her money - now August 1."
"Definitely Waaaaay More Than 2% Affected"
Clients aren't buying the ministry's numbers.
"Definitely not fixed, and definitely waaaaay more than 2% affected. Also zero communication to clients. Many who do not do online banking have no idea they haven't been paid and are going to NSF on direct pay rent and bills."
Zero communication. Clients waking up to NSF fees they can't afford, for bills they thought were covered, because the ministry couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone or send a single email.
"Definitely not fixed. Called again to be told 4 more days and then if still not paid call again."
Four more days. Call again.
Third Party payments
For a number of AISH and ADAP clients, third-party payments - like rent - are normally paid directly to the landlord or service provider (utility payments, etc).
It's a system designed for people who, for a variety of reasons, cannot reliably manage those payments themselves. Disability. Hospitalization. Mobility issues. Cognitive challenges. The system existed because the government recognized these barriers.
This month, because of the "technical glitch," the government dumped that money directly into some clients' accounts instead.
Now, instead of the comfort of knowing their rent is covered, clients are staring at a lump sum they weren't expecting - and a landlord and /or service provider they now have to pay manually.
For someone who struggles to leave the house, that's not a small task.
For someone in hospital, it's impossible.
For someone whose disability makes financial management overwhelming, it's more than an inconvenience.
Landlords are caught in the middle. Not all are faceless corporations - some are individual Albertans with a single rental property who count on that rent to make their own mortgage payment. The ministry's glitch isn't just squeezing clients. It's squeezing their landlords too.
The ministry will say they "fixed" the problem. But fixing a glitch doesn't fix the fact that rent is still due - and the safety net that was supposed to catch people just threw them onto the street.
The Math the Ministry Isn't Talking About
Recipients were supposed to receive their July benefits on June 25. The next payment was scheduled for July 28.
That's 33 days between cheques.
July 28 came and went. Then July 29. Then July 30. Then July 31.
August 1 - will be 37 days since the last payment.
And if the ministry's own phone lines are telling people "four more days," some clients will have gone 40 days without income.
For people with no savings, no reserves, and no cushion, that's not an inconvenience. That's a crisis.
This Will Cost More Than Money
Financial insecurity is a leading cause of stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety wreck bodies and minds. They exacerbate chronic conditions. They trigger mental health crises. They send people to emergency rooms.
Add the fear of eviction because a payment system failed - and you've got a recipe for a healthcare crisis on top of a financial one.
The ministry's "glitch" won't just cost clients in NSF fees and late charges. It will cost the healthcare system. It will cost food banks. It will cost landlord and utility companies who have to deal with the fallout of late payments and providing documentation for the government reimbursement for these fees. It will cost the community that has to pick up the pieces while the government pats itself on the back.
And for the clients affected? The repercussions won't disappear when the money finally shows up. Direct rent payments aren't a perk - they're often the only reason a landlord will accept a tenant on AISH or ADAP.
The trauma of wondering whether you'll eat this week doesn't vanish with a direct deposit.
For Cheque Recipients, It's Even Worse
The ministry says cheques are mailed six business days before the first of the month. The mail needs to arrive, . banks need to be open. Even if they can deposit via ATM, release holds mean they still can't access the full amount when they need it most.
When Things Are Working Properly
When things are working properly, clients know exactly when their money will arrive. That predictability is the only stability many of them have.
The ministry's own website still directs clients to call the Income Support Contact Centre for "urgent assistance."
Clients say they have been calling all week, they say they're not getting answers.
The ministry has promised to cover NSF and late fees. But that requires clients to navigate a reimbursement process that will take weeks, if it works at all.
The Owl has reached out to the ministry for an update, we will post their response when - and if - they answer.
Are you an AISH or ADAP client affected by this payment glitch? We want to hear from you. Contact us at [email] or reach out on social media. Your story matters.
