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441-01294 (Veterans' affairs)
- Keywords
- Backlogs
- Disability benefits
- Veterans benefits
Original language of petition: English
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED
We, the undersigned Citizens or Residents of Canada draw the attention of the House to the following:
WHEREAS:
The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act states that Canada is obligated "to show just and due appreciation to members and veterans for their service to Canada";
Many veterans who suffered injuries during the course of their service have been inadequately compensated;
The process by which Veterans Affairs Canada evaluates disability benefits claims exceeds reasonably expected time frames;
The five year statutory limit on back-pay eligibility unjustly punishes veterans for Veterans Affairs Canada's application processing delays; and
The Minister's mandate letter specifically lists a dedication to the "one veteran, one standard" approach.
THEREFORE, YOUR PETITIONERS call upon the Minister of Veterans Affairs to remove any statutory limits on back-pay eligibility for the disability allowance and work with individual veterans to achieve just and due compensations for disability allowance in a timely manner.
Response by the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay
The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act was replaced by the Veterans Well-being Act on April 1, 2018. Under the Veterans Well-being Act, Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans are eligible for Pain and Suffering Compensation if they have experienced a service-related disability. The Pain and Suffering Compensation is a monthly benefit that is payable from the later of: the date of application; or the day that is three years before the first day of the month in which the Pain and Suffering compensation is granted. As well, the Veterans Wellbeing Act permits the Minister to grant an additional payment to the member or Veteran in an amount not exceeding an amount equal to the Pain and Suffering Compensation payable to the member or Veteran for two years.
The backlog of disability benefits applications waiting beyond the service standard has been reduced by 70%, from 22,138 on March 31, 2020 to 6,621 on March 31, 2023. Veterans Affairs Canada has also been able to eliminate its backlog of reassessments and is currently processing reassessments within the service standard. While Veterans Affairs Canada has made progress and has a better understanding of the challenges in processing disability benefits, it is continuously looking for ways to accelerate the decision-making process. Veterans Affairs Canada published a Strategic Direction document, Timely disability benefits decisions: Strategic direction for improving wait times, in June 2020 and updated in March 2023. This document outlines the measures it is taking to improve services to Veterans and their families by changing the way it works to make faster disability benefits decisions including work on automation, health records search tools and updating tools for decision makers.
Given the current turnaround times for Pain and Suffering Compensation applications at Veterans Affairs Canada, no amendments are currently being considered to the effective date or additional payment sections of the Veterans Well-being Act.
- Presented to the House of Commons
-
Elizabeth May
(Saanich—Gulf Islands)
April 17, 2023 (Petition No. 441-01294) - Government response tabled
- May 31, 2023
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.