Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH): The Impact of Raising Employment Income Exemption Limits on Employment Rates – A Focus on Recipients with Schizophrenia

Date
2013-08-30
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Volume Title
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Abstract
Alberta’s Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program provides financial and health-related assistance to adults who have a permanent disability that prevents them from fully participating in the labour market. Recognizing the benefits of employment, AISH encourages its clients to work to the extent that they are able. However, employment income earned beyond a set exemption limit reduces the assistance received. In 2008, the upper threshold of the exemption limit increased by $500. This study explored the policy’s impact on AISH recipients with schizophrenia compared to those with other mental health disorders. As well, the personal characteristics associated with the level of employment among AISH recipients with schizophrenia were assessed. The findings suggest that employment did not increase after the policy-amendment for either group. Marital status, number of children, age, and place of residence were associated with employment income for AISH recipients with schizophrenia.
Description
Keywords
Mental Health
Citation
Marriott, B. (2013). Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH): The Impact of Raising Employment Income Exemption Limits on Employment Rates – A Focus on Recipients with Schizophrenia (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25036