Alberta families to get $600 per child, senior citizen under $2.4 billion affordability package

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Tuesday announced a $2.4 billion affordability package from the provincial government. Under the package, beneficiary families will get $600 for each child and senior citizen in order to combat inflation.

“We can’t solve this inflation crisis on our own, but due to our strong fiscal position and balanced budget, we can offer substantial relief so Albertans and their families are better able to manage through the storm,” Premier Smith iterated during a televised address.

Smith also announced that the provincial government intends to re-index social support programs to inflation in January, including the assured income for the severely handicapped (AISH), persons with developmental disabilities (PDD) and income support.

The Premier Smith-led government intends to introduce an Inflation Relief Act in the legislature during the assembly next week.  Smith detailed the “first steps” that her government will take to provide inflation relief.

• For families with household incomes under $180,000, $600 over six months to parents for each child under 18 as well as for every senior will be provided.

•  $600 over six months to AISH, Income Support and PDD recipients.

• Suspension of all of the provincial fuel tax for at least the next six months.

•  Re-indexation of provincial tax brackets to inflation to protect workers from penalisation while receiving a slight pay raise.

• $200 per home in rebates to be provided on the consumer electricity bill.

• Limiting spikes in winter electricity rates

•  Continue the natural gas rebate program to be employed in case of price exceeding $6.50 per gigajoule.

• Investment in food banks and low-income transit passes. An announcement to further detail food bank funding is scheduled to happen on Wednesday in Calgary.

Smith also touched on the ongoing healthcare crisis in Canada, reiterating her pledge to quickly address crises in Alberta’s healthcare system. Smith stated that wait times for ambulances, emergency rooms and for surgeries are the most urgent problems right now.