Alberta Government Announces $330M in Funding for Social Sector

The Alberta government has announced a $330 million increase for the province’s social sector on Monday as part of the UCP’s 2023 budget.

The funding will be spread over three years, with majority used to fund wage increase for front-line social workers and increases for administration funding, reports Calgary CTV News. The Minister of seniors, community and social services, Jeremy Nixon said “the government is committed to making sure these valuable services are available for Albertans.”

“The social sector provides essential care to thousands of Albertans, and our government is committed to supporting its workers. Increasing wages is a huge step we are taking to better attract and retain staff that care for vulnerable Albertans”, said Nixon in a statement.

According to the province, 21,275 front-line social service workers will receive the increase. This includes about 19,500 disability support workers, about 1,600 homeless shelter workers, and about 175 family violence prevention workers. Nixon says it is the first increase for disability workers since 2014.

The announcement made on Monday means social workers will now be earning about $22 an hour. The province said $25 million of the funding will be used to help cover rising administration costs and operating costs in the disability sector.

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