The Income and Employment Supports Act (IESA) Part 5 Section 28 (1) states that benefits and other assistance issued under the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) Act are considered to be assistance for the purpose of the Child Support Services (CSS) program. This means the CSW has the authority to pursue support including a finding of parentage for AISH clients.

The AISH General Regulation Section 5(1)(a)(ii) indicates a director may refuse, vary, suspend or discontinue a benefit if an AISH client fails to access all sources of income to which they are entitled. The AISH Act, Schedule 1, Table 1, Section 1(c)(i) indicates child support is exempted income. Adult support received by the AISH client or the AISH client’s spouse/partner is non-exempt income.

INTENT

To ensure AISH clients have appropriate access to CSS according to legislative authority, program policy and CSS guiding principles.

POLICY

AISH clients and/or their spouse or partner are referred to as AISH adults.

Adult support order means spousal support, alimony, or adult interdependent partner support.

The AISH worker refers AISH clients to the Child Support Worker (CSW) when:

• There are dependant children in the client’s household unit, and
• One of the parents is not part of the household unit or
• The AISH adult has an existing adult support order

The CSW assists AISH adults to obtain child support for their dependants and to register with the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) only if the applicant is in agreement. When an AISH adult has an existing support order the AISH adult’s cooperation with the CSW will be a factor considered in determining their ongoing AISH eligibility.

When a support agreement/order is registered with MEP, the worker always directs all support payments to the AISH adult. Mandatory registration with MEP is required only when the AISH adult has an adult support order and they do not receive this support according to the terms of the agreement/order.