By Chris Brown

Eligible Albertans can apply for $100 monthly payments starting Jan. 18

Jan 9, 2023 | 11:06 AM

The provincial government says Albertans will get financial relief this month.

In late November the government announced a $2.8 billion inflation relief package as the rising cost of living stretched budgets to their limits.

Part of the announcement was that seniors with a household income under $180,000 and families with children whose household incomes are under $180,000 would eligible for $100 monthly payments for six months.

Affordability and Utilities Minister Matt Jones said today that eligible Albertans will be able to apply for their payments after creating a verified account on the government’s website.

“On or after Jan. 18, they can return to alberta.ca/affordable to apply for their affordability payments. Online is the quickest and easiest way to sign up but we will also have other options available for those who need them,” Jones said.

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“Starting Jan. 18, the same day as the portal opens, Albertans will be able to apply in person with any registry agent in the province or through Alberta supports, which has 50 offices across Alberta and offers services in over 100 languages. Call-in and online support tools will also be available for those who need extra help.”

According to the government’s news release, payments will start to roll out Jan. 31.

Kinship or foster caregivers caring for a child under the age of 18 will be automatically enrolled in the program and do not need to sign up to receive their affordability payments.

In the case of shared custody of a child, both parents must apply and will split the payments each month.

The same $600 over six months is also available to those on support programs like AISH, the Persons with Developmental Disabilities, the Alberta Seniors Benefit and income support.

People who fall into those categories do not need to apply and will get their payments automatically starting Jan. 31.

Children’s Services Minister Mickey Amery says the payments will be considered exempt income and won’t affect any other benefits people are currently receiving.

“This has been such a tough time for families and caregivers lying awake at night wondering how to deal with their bills, wondering what they’ll have to go without,” he said. “We know that parents have been forced to make choices they shouldn’t have to make and we want to help.”

Eligible parents and seniors will need a verified account on the government’s website. Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish says all that’s needed is the information on your valid Alberta driver’s licence or ID card. The province has used verified accounts since 2015 to allow Albertans to safely and securely access a growing number of government services

Glubish says this online portal was made with privacy, security and accessibility in mind and that this system will get money to Albertans faster than had the province used the Canada Revenue Agency.

Following the announcement, Alberta NDP MLA Irfan Sabir said he hopes “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.”

“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.”

Other relief measures in the government’s plan include relief on utilities in the form of rebates and price protection. As well, the government suspended the provincial fuel tax on Jan. 1 for at least six months.