Alberta is reversing some changes to disability benefits after people with disabilities and advocates raised concerns over the summer. The province announced Tuesday that it had adjusted the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) in response to community feedback.

Changes introduced over the summer lowered how much people receiving AISH could earn through work and moved tens of thousands of AISH recipients to ADAP. Alberta had said the new rules would let people with disabilities who could work earn more before their benefits were reduced than under the revised AISH rules.

The province said it will restore full benefit amounts for eligible couples in which both partners receive AISH or ADAP. People who lost income because of changes made in August will receive retroactive payments to make up the difference, it said.

The changes had raised concerns about the effect on household income. Rob Arkell told CTV News in June that he could previously earn up to $1,007 under the original AISH rules before his benefits were reduced. Under ADAP, he said, he would be able to earn only $700 before benefits were affected. He and his partner were also anticipating monthly deductions because of changes to how spousal income was treated.

The province also said it has streamlined the transition from AISH to ADAP. It has shortened the non-medical application process by 75 per cent and now allows nurse practitioners to complete and sign off on medical reports. Alberta is also asking the federal government to make it easier for people with disabilities to access employment insurance when they are temporarily unable to work.

“Albertans with disabilities have told us where they need more support. These changes respond to those concerns by making it easier to access assistance and giving people greater stability as they plan for their future,” Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Nathan Neudorf said in a provincial media release.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Sandra Azocar called the reversals a positive step, while saying they do not go far enough. “The government is reversing some of its decisions, but that is not good enough,” Azocar said in a Tuesday media release. “ADAP still reduces monthly benefits by $200 dollars. In this economy, that can be the difference between paying a utility bill or going hungry.”

The benefit changes drew pushback from Albertans with disabilities and disability advocates during the summer. The province said its latest adjustments were made in response to that feedback. CTV News Edmonton’s Hannah Kavanagh and Karyn Mulcahy contributed to the report.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton.