Question Period Note: SERVICE STANDARDS FOR VETERANS

• This Government is working to ensure every client of Veterans Affairs is treated with respect, with dignity and with fairness when accessing programs and services.
• The principles of care, compassion and respect are the cornerstones of our programs, benefits and services to Veterans and their families.
• Since 2016, our government has invested $10-billion for Veterans.
• It is no surprise that the number of Veterans coming forward with disability benefit applications has increased by approximately 60% over the past four years, since the previous government left office.
• Since 2015, Veterans Affairs Canada has seen an increase of more than 60% in disability applications (first applications, reassessments and departmental reviews). This includes an increase of more than 90% in first applications for disability benefits.
• Whether ten Veterans, or 10, 000 come forward, they will receive the benefits they need. To deal with that increase, we invested $42.8 million in Budget 2018 to help meet the increasing demand for disability benefits.
• We have put in place new programs and have made substantial improvements to the benefits and services offered to Veterans and their families.
• We are taking a hard look at the entire disability application process and are working to implement further measures to reduce the backlog and improve service standards by hiring more frontline staff and simplifying the decision-making process. Also, we introduced a Wait Time Tool in December 2018 so that Veterans can see the average processing time for Veterans Affairs Canada programs and services.
• Lapsed program funds at the end of a fiscal year have no impact on our commitment to improve the lives of those who have dedicated their lives to Canada’s peace and security as Veterans program benefits and services are funded each year based on demand.
• Veterans Affairs Canada routinely reviews its service standards to ensure they are useful to Veterans and other clients. With feedback from Veterans, and the evolution of Veterans Affairs Canada programs and benefits, it is to be expected that a number of service standards will be revised and new ones will be added over time.

BACKGROUND – SERVICE STANDARD REVIEW

On 5 November 2018, the following motion by Member of Parliament Gord Johns (Courtenay – Alberni) was discussed for Opposition Day:

“That, in the opinion of the House, the government should automatically carry forward all annual lapsed spending at the Department of Veterans Affairs to the next fiscal year, for the sole purpose of improving services for Canadian veterans, until the Department meets or exceeds its 24 self-identified service standards.”

Veterans Affairs Canada supported this motion and the rationale was as follows:

The Government already does this. Money returned to the consolidated revenue fund (lapsed) for quasi-statutory programming is accessible the next year to fund Veterans programming based on demand. This is how “quasi-statutory” program authority works. Veteran programs/services are funded based on need regardless of when the Veterans come forward to receive the benefit.

This motion alone would have minimal impact on back logged applications as the department typically has not lapsed more than the currently authorized maximum operating budget carry forward amount. This is funding used to deliver Veteran programs/services. However, if the department were to lapse more than the maximum allowable carry forward, this motion would support retaining all lapsed funding.

We do not need to change how the government does budgetary accounting to invest more money in Veterans and invest in decreasing the wait time for applications to be seen.

Our priority as a department and a government is to help Veterans access the supports and services they need. We do this through the delivery of programs such as disability benefits, education, training and financial benefits. In fact, 93 per cent of the department’s budget goes to funding these programs and benefits. Last year alone, that amounted to $4.4 billion spent directly on Veterans and their families – a billion more than at the peak of funding by the previous government.

Since 2016, our government has invested $10-billion in improving benefits for Veterans and their families and introducing new programs to help return to the life the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces want to live after their military career is over.

Veterans Affairs Canada has seen more than a 60% increase in disability applications since 2015. This includes an increase of more than 90% in first applications for disability benefits. This is good news as more people are coming forward to get the help they so need and deserve. Whether ten Veterans, or 10,000 come forward, they will receive the benefits they need. To deal with that increase, our government invested $42.8 million in Budget 2018 to help meet the increasing demand for disability benefits.
Changing how the government accounts for lapsed money for Veterans programs does not preclude new investment in Veterans.

Private Member’s Bill C-378:
On October 23, 2017, a Private Members Bill was submitted by Member of Parliament John Brassard (Barrie-Innisfil – Conservative) introducing an Act to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs Act (fairness principles) (C-378).
• This Bill will introduce the fairness principles to the Minister of Veterans Affairs. These principles come from Veterans across Canada, Veterans and were developed by MP Brassard in his role as Opposition Critic for Veterans Affairs.
• The principles included in the Bill are that the person, as well as their dependants or survivors, is to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness; that the uniqueness of the person’s profession and of the obligations and sacrifices such a profession demands also impacts the experiences of their family; and that any decision regarding the care, treatment or re-establishment in civil life of the person and the benefits to be provided to them be made in a timely manner.
Better Services for Veterans

Since 2016, the Government has put in place substantial improvements to the benefits and services available for Veterans. For example, the Government has raised financial supports for Veterans and caregivers, introduced new education and training benefits and expanded a range of services available to the families of medically released
Veterans.

Veterans Affairs Canada has a set of service standards to measure and communicate the level of service we provide to our clients and the expected timelines relating to our programs and benefits. Part of our ongoing commitment to Veterans and others we serve is to develop and maintain accurate service standards that are based on client feedback, representative of our actual performance, and comply with Treasury Board’s Policy on Service.

In 2017, Veterans Affairs Canada conducted an External Service Standard Review to ensure that the Department’s service standards accurately reflect the experiences of those that we serve, and to better understand what we are doing right and where we need to make improvements. The outcomes of the review were two-fold; 1) the current service standards were deemed to be appropriate and will be maintained at their current levels; and 2) the organization will focus on improving processes and turn-around times to support quality service delivery.

The Department routinely reviews its service standards to ensure they are useful to Veterans and other clients. With this, Veteran feedback, and the evolution of Veterans Affairs Canada programs and benefits in mind, we expect a number of service standards will be revised and new ones will be added over time.

Wait Time Tool:

In December 2018, Veterans Affairs Canada introduced an online Wait Time Tool available on Veterans Affairs Canada’s website, which allows Veterans to see the current average processing time for Veterans Affairs Canada programs and services. This tool has been developed based on feedback from Veterans and others we serve, and continues to be improved.

Status tracking in My VAC Account:

With the implementation of Pension for Life in April 2019, Veterans Affairs Canada enhanced the status tracking tool in My VAC Account to provide additional information and transparency for Veterans on their application status. This tool will continue to be improved based on Veterans’ feedback.

The 2018-19 service standard results have yet to be compiled, given that the fiscal year just ended March 31, 2019. Year-end processes and data collection for 2018-19 has begun and a service standard results report will be ready for departmental analysis in the coming months.

Veterans Affairs Canada intends to publish the 2018-19 Service Standards results in November 2019, this aligns with the publishing of the Department Results Report.

The Wait time for several programs and services can be found here https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/resources/wait-time-tool. The Wait time tool provides the current average wait time for receiving a decision on an application. We are working on adding wait times for more VAC programs and services in the near future.

None