Question Period Note: Backlog/Disability decision wait times

• The Government is fully committed to the health and well-being of Veterans and their families.
• Since 2015, Veterans Affairs Canada has seen an increase of more than 60% in disability applications.
• Veterans Affairs Canada continues to streamline the disability benefits process and to work with its partners to speed up access to service health records.
• We know there is more to be done – that is why we are working hard to change how decisions are made and will continue putting Veterans first.

On February 10, 2020, Lee Berthiaume published an article for The Canadian Press titled “Backlog of applications for veterans' benefits grows by the thousands.” He wrote that more Canadian Veterans than ever are waiting to find out whether they qualify for disability benefits, despite repeated government promises and efforts to get the situation under control. He also identified that new figures from Veterans Affairs Canada show more than 44,000 applications from Veterans for assistance were sitting in the queue at the end of September, a 10 per cent increase from only six months earlier. The Minister of Veterans Affairs noted that Veterans deserve to receive their benefits in a timely manner.

Current State (February 14, 2020):
Although additional staffing and numerous process improvements have enabled Veterans Affairs Canada to increase the number of disability claims processed, it has had a limited impact on the backlog of disability claims as the number of applications has outpaced the increase in capacity.
In 2018-2019, the overall volume of claims completed by the Department increased by 15%. However, these gains are being outpaced by the number of Veterans applying for disability benefits.
Over the past several years, there has been a significant increase in demand for services and benefits. The reasons for the increase include:
• the growing need for mental health services;
• the rising number of medically releasing Veterans;
• the introduction of Pension for Life; and
• improved outreach and communication about benefits and services.

Rising program demand is expected to continue. The Department forecasts receiving approximately 67,000 disability applications during fiscal year 2019-20.
In 2018-2019, Veterans Affairs Canada:
• used a first-in first-out model, adjudicating the oldest claims first;
• made more than 41,000 disability benefit decisions;
• processed more than 40% of initial disability applications through the streamlined decision-making model; and,
• modified several medical questionnaires to minimize the administrative burden on health professionals.
As of January 2, 2020, wait times were: 41.5 weeks for first applications, 16.6 weeks for reassessments and 25.6 weeks for departmental reviews.
As of January 2, 2020, the total number of pending applications was 46,003. Of this total, 20,022 were waiting more than our 16-week service standard (considered backlog) and 20,979 were incomplete applications. Applications can be identified as incomplete at different stages for different reasons before they are adjudication ready. An application might be waiting to be reviewed for completeness which could require contacting the applicant or it could be waiting for supporting documents such as proof of identity or information from the applicant’s health professional. Other possible reasons include if the Department needs to order Service Health Records from the Department of National Defence or Library and Archives Canada, or if the Department needs more information to make a decision.
Applications are fast tracked for those who are medically at risk or have an immediate, unmet health need related to their claimed condition.

Veterans Affairs Canada Action:
Veterans Affairs Canada continues to streamline the disability benefits process, to simplify the decision-making process for some medical conditions, and to work with its partners to speed up access to service health records.
Budget 2018 committed $42 million over two years for service excellence, which included funding to reduce the case management ratio. Approximately $20 million was designated to hire employees to support disability making capacity.
In 2018-19, Veterans Affairs Canada hired 168 new staff to support the disability decision making process. The increase in temporary employees allowed the Department to increase the overall volume of claims completed by 15%. However, these gains are being outpaced by the number of Veterans applying for disability benefits.
Without this funding the backlog would have been more than double its current size, with 49,000 applications waiting for adjudication.
Veterans Affairs Canada is piloting a Veteran Benefit Team structure that groups all the resources required to process a disability application from beginning to end into one team. This reduces the duplication of effort, minimizes applicant and staff frustration and decreases delays.
• Trial teams using this structure demonstrated a 13% increase in processing efficiency.
• As of 1 April 2020, Veterans Affairs Canada will have 16 operational Veteran Benefit Teams.

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