Income and Employment Supports Act, Schedule, Section 10
Income Support, Training and Health Benefits Regulation, Schedule 4, Section 16.1
Ministerial Order 2022-007, Prenatal Needs Payment

INTENT

To assist with covering additional expenses during pregnancy.

POLICY

Eligibility
To receive the Prenatal Needs Payment, the eligibility criteria outlined in the Supplementary Benefits policy must be met.

The Prenatal Needs Payment may be provided to assist with prenatal expenses for a member of the household who is at least 14 weeks pregnant.

The Prenatal Needs Payment is payable each month:

• Starting the first day of the month that the person reaches 14 weeks of pregnancy; and
• Continuing until the last day of the month in which the person’s expected date of delivery occurs.

Substantiation
A letter from a physician or nurse practitioner is required:

• Confirming that the person is pregnant, and
• Indicating the person’s expected date of delivery.

Rate
$111.00 per month
The maximum benefit rate payable is $111 per month, per pregnancy. The payment is not increased if the person is pregnant with twins, triplets or other multiples.

Need Code
1740 Prenatal Needs

Authority Level
Career and Employment Consultant, Supports and Financial Services Coordinator or equivalent role (the Worker).

PROCEDURE

Determining When a Person Reaches their 14th Week of Pregnancy
According to Alberta Health Services guidelines, most babies are born between 37 weeks and 42 weeks of pregnancy.

To determine when a person reaches (or has reached) their 14th week of pregnancy and qualifies for their first Prenatal Needs Payment, the Worker:

• Uses the date provided in the physician’s letter, if it indicates when the person will reach their 14th week of pregnancy; or
• Calculates the date the person will be 14 weeks pregnant by counting back 24 weeks from the person’s expected date of delivery, using a calendar.

Example

• If the person’s expected date of delivery is October 14, they will be 14 weeks pregnant on May 6.
• In this case, the person would be eligible for the Prenatal Needs Payment for each period of assistance between May 1 and October 31.

If unsure, the Worker may also contact the person who is pregnant and have them confirm the date.

Issuing the Prenatal Needs Payment
Once the Worker establishes the period of assistance the person’s 14th week of pregnancy falls within, the Worker:

• Issues the Prenatal Needs Payment using LISA Need Code 1740 for the month the person reaches their 14th week of pregnancy, and for each subsequent month up to and including the month that the person’s expected date of delivery occurs.
• Records in Compass Comments:
  • The name and expected date of delivery of the household member who is pregnant.
  • The first month the benefit was issued.
  • The last month the benefit is to be issued.
• Enters a Reminder in Compass to remove the Prenatal Needs Payment from the budget, for the month following the person’s expected date of delivery.