EDMONTON — Following the transition from AISH to the streamlined Alberta Disability Assistance Program, the provincial government has clarified that any resulting shortfall in a recipient's monthly income is now best described as a community-level concern, ideally raised at a municipal council meeting on the third Tuesday of the month between agenda items about a contested fence height and a proposed roundabout.

The change, which leaves some couples with permanent disabilities receiving several hundred dollars less per month, was characterized by the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services as an opportunity for local solutions. Affected residents have been advised to address their loss of income directly to a parks-and-recreation board with an annual discretionary budget of $4,200, most of it already committed to a gazebo.

"We've successfully moved the problem from a level of government that has money to one that holds bake sales for the splash pad," explained a senior official, who noted that the reform required no new spending and, ideally, no new spending. "Municipalities are closest to the people. That's why they're the right level to explain, in person, that there's nothing they can do."

Mayors across the province responded with the measured enthusiasm of people who have read the legislation. "My town has one bylaw officer and a community hall with a leaking roof," said one rural mayor. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to backstop the social safety net, but I've been told it's now a strength of our region."

The province emphasized that the new program name tested extremely well, polling significantly better than the amount of money in it. Residents seeking clarification were directed to a phone line, a webpage, and a downtown service office, two of which exist.

At press time, an affected couple who had been told their concerns were a municipal matter were watching a council debate whether to spend $90,000 on a welcome sign reading A Caring Community.