Question Period Note: COMMITMENT TO VETERANS

• The well-being and financial security of Veterans has and will always be a top priority.

• Our Government is committed to supporting and honouring Veterans and their families. We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure Veterans receive the respect, support, care, and economic opportunities they deserve.

• Since 2016, our Government has made new investments totaling $10.3 billion in Veteran programs and services.

• Our Government continues to monitor the impact of these new benefits so that Veterans and their families receive the honor, respect, support and care they rightly deserve.

BACKGROUND - COMMITMENT TO VETERANS

Overview of Recent Initiatives and Supports for Veterans and their families

• Since 2016, new investments totaling $10.3 billion have been made in Veteran programs and services. In broad terms, the government has:

• Increased financial supports for Veterans, caregivers, and survivors, for example:
o Through Pension for Life, we have strengthened financial security with the Income Replacement Benefit and raised the amount payable to them from 50 to 70%.
o The Caregiver Recognition Benefit recognizes the important role of a caregiver by providing them $1,000 per month, tax free.

• Supported a continuum of mental health services, including advancement of initiatives as part of our Joint Suicide Prevention Strategy; and introduced a Veterans Emergency Fund that addresses short-term, emergency financial needs of Veterans and their families.
• Made important investments to ensure Veterans are appropriately recognized and commemorated, including formal acknowledgement of the contribution of World War II Métis Veterans.
• Announced additional investment to address repairs and to ensure that the graves of those who served are well maintained. The work began in 2018 and will continue into 2023.
• Expanded supports to assist Veterans in securing employment through a new Education Training Benefit and enhanced Career Transition services.
• Expanded a range of services, such as:
o The Veteran Family Program expanded access through the Military Family Resource Centres to enhance information and referral services for medically released Veterans and their families.
o Reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices that were previously closed and opened a tenth one in Surrey, B.C.
o Expanded departmental outreach to Veterans and their families in the territories and northern communities.
• Significantly improved services by streamlining benefits (six benefits into 1 new Income Replacement Benefit) and introduced innovation to enable ‘end to end’ digital processing of applications.
• Made foundational investments in research and innovation through two new Centers of Excellence (Mental Health and Chronic Pain); introduced the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund, which in the first two years funded 43 initiatives; and by supporting the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research.
• We continue to work closely with the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence to ensure seamless transition from military to life after service.
• In April 2019, our Government introduced the Pension for Life program — a comprehensive benefits package that provides recognition, income support and stability to Veterans and members who experience a service-related injury or illness.
• Some 80,000 Veterans and other recipients were successfully transitioned from the previous suite of disability and financial programs to the new Pension for Life program suite.
• All of these investments serve to support Veterans and their families to receive the honor, respect, support and care they deserve.

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