Provincial affordability payments on track to start in January; details promised 'very soon'

The Alberta legislature can be seen in this file photo.

Cheques for the province's affordability payments to families with a combined income of less than $180,000 a year are still going to be in the mail this month, according to a statement from the minister's office.

Each eligible family will receive a total of $600 per child under the grant, paid out in monthly instalments of $100.

But so far, the province has not started allowing applications.

A statement from the office of Affordability Minister Matt Jones says the cheques will go out this month, adding:

"We are looking forward to sharing more details, including timeline and the application portal, very soon. Stay tuned."

The payments will also help seniors and people on AISH.

But the opposition says the coverage is not targeted enough.

"Incomes generally are not keeping pace with inflation," said NDP MLA Kathleen Ganley.

"So you have a lot of working people who are really having challenges making their bills whether they have kids or not and those people are not being helped either."