Imagine a family displaced by a wildfire. Their home is gone and personal belongings are lost. Identification, bank cards, and access to online banking may no longer be available.
In moments like these, the speed and accessibility of government support move from an abstract policy concern to directly affecting whether people can secure food, fuel, transportation, and shelter.
Traditional disbursement methods can cause unintentional hardship. Direct deposits may depend on banking credentials recipients no longer have access to. Cheques can be delayed, difficult to cash without valid ID, or unusable outside standard business hours. Vouchers may cover some needs but not others, limiting flexibility in unpredictable circumstances.
For government agencies responsible for delivering disaster recovery assistance, these challenges raise a critical question: how can funds be delivered quickly, securely, and equitably without adding barriers for the people who need them most?
This was the challenge facing the Government of Alberta as it looked to modernize and strengthen its disaster recovery payment options.
Working with Berkeley Payments, the Government of Alberta introduced an additional disbursement method providing eligible recipients with immediate access to funds while maintaining oversight, accountability, and program control.
The Challenge
The Government of Alberta’s payment needs span multiple departments with different timelines, eligibility rules, and operational constraints.
Two programs in particular highlighted the problem:
- Disaster Recovery: Including floods and fires, where delays in payments materially impact safety and stability.
- Family & Social Support: Where funds must be delivered reliably and respectfully to vulnerable populations.
Historically, government disbursements relied on cheques (slow/easy to lose), cash (hard to secure/stockpile), or bank transfers (inaccessible for the unbanked or those who lost access to accounts during a disaster).
In disaster scenarios, these methods often break down entirely. People need help immediately, and governments need a way to respond without sacrificing oversight or public accountability.
Why the Government of Alberta Chose Berkeley
This was the Government of Alberta’s first program with Berkeley, and it required high levels of customization and technical advocacy.
Berkeley acted as the implementation and program backbone, handling complex regulatory requirements so that government teams didn’t have to reinvent infrastructure.
Key selection factors included:
Technical Advocacy & Compliance Expertise
Berkeley secured a specific written exception approval from Visa to use a non-intended BIN (Bank Identification Number) for a “government loaded” classification. This allowed the program to move forward even though a standard government BIN was not yet available.
Accessibility-First Design
Unlike standard programs, Berkeley enabled the government to activate cards on behalf of the recipient. This ensures support is immediately usable for elderly individuals, those who are not “tech-savvy,” or citizens who are cognitively impaired and might struggle with standard web-based registration.
Immediate Secure Usability
Cards are issued with generic government branding, then activated and assigned to individuals at the point of distribution. Security mirrors standard card programs, including address verification and transaction monitoring.
The Solution
With a goal of implementation before the beginning of wildfire season, Berkeley leveraged relationships with partners (including banks, Visa, and card manufacturers) to speed up the timeline and ensure that the program was ready on time.
Berkeley implemented a prepaid card program designed specifically for public-sector disbursement needs:
Immediate Access, Without Cash Handling
Government departments hold inventory of blank cards that are worth nothing until loaded in front of the recipient. Funds are available instantly for essentials like groceries or online purchases.
This approach is known as the “instant issuance” prepaid model.
Reloadable Cards for Ongoing Support
Cards can be used for subsequent emergency support or recurrent payments (like a monthly stipend) without issuing a new card, reducing administrative overhead.
Granular Spending Controls
The Government of Alberta can apply custom restrictions, such as grocery-only usage, daily or monthly spending caps, ATM withdrawal limits, or category-level restrictions. Controls can be tailored by individual or by program.
Reclamation of Unused Funds
Funds remain government property until spent, and the government can withdraw unused funds from cards to ensure fiscal responsibility.
Fee Flexibility
To enhance the citizen experience and maintain public trust, the government chose to assume the cost of ATM and support line fees. This prevents the negative experience of a citizen receiving aid only to have it immediately depleted by fees.
Implementation at Scale
Rolling out a program to approximately 1,000 government employees - a significantly larger group than typical corporate programs - required a customized training approach:
- Five live training sessions using a train-the-trainer model.
- Interactive training materials that simulate the live system without security risk.
- A dedicated test environment allowing staff to practice real workflows safely.
- Documentation and recorded sessions covering both common and edge-case scenarios.
This approach ensured thousands of government employees could confidently administer the program while maintaining security and consistency.
Results & Current Status
- Impact: The Disaster Recovery Program has been live since May 2025, delivering rapid financial assistance to thousands of residents, disbursing nearly $1M in emergency support to date
- Scalability: Momentum is building. The Family & Social Support Program is fully approved and ready for deployment, and Berkeley’s partnership includes a third program that can be tailored and launched quickly once government funding is allocated. This modular approach makes scaling seamless across departments.
- Future Integration: While currently using Berkeley’s out-of-the-box solution for speed, the government is planning a deeper API integration to allow staff to manage the entire program from within their own internal tools and dashboards.
Setting a New Standard for Government Disbursements
By partnering with Berkeley, the Government of Alberta expanded its existing disbursement options, adding a modern, accountable, and more humane disbursement model alongside traditional methods.
The program proves that governments can achieve both rapid speed and tight oversight while providing a dignified experience for citizens in their time of need.
With immediate access for recipients, configurable controls for policymakers, and scalable infrastructure for future programs, the Government of Alberta has built a payment foundation designed for real-world emergencies and everyday support alike.
To learn how Berkeley helps governments deliver funds faster, with full control, transparency, and compliance built in, contact us today.
