Question Period Note: ACCOMPLISHMENTS - (General support and recent investments for Veterans)

• Our Government is committed to supporting and honouring Veterans and their families.
• We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that Veterans receive the respect, support, care, and economic opportunities they deserve.
• This includes maintaining the department’s level of service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
o Adapted and expanded services to support Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
o Provided coverage for personal protective equipment and telehealth services for eligible Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Since Budget 2016, new investments totaling over $10 billion have been made in Veteran programs and services. In broad terms, we have:
• Developed a multi-initiative plan to address the wait times for disability benefits. The document “Timely Disability Benefit Decisions” focuses on current and planned initiatives to improve wait times for Veterans applying for disability benefits.
• This plan, including a $192 million funding commitment over the next two years, intended to:
o Retain case management and disability adjudication resources provided in Budget 2018 to keep pace with incoming applications;
o Innovate adjudication processes; and
o Hire additional employees, dedicated to making decisions and reducing wait times.
• Introduced the Pension for Life program in April 2019, a comprehensive benefits package that provides recognition, income support and stability to Veterans and members who experience a service-related injury or illness. Key features include:
o Access to life long monthly benefits in recognition of the impact of service-related disability.
o Strengthened financial security for survivors through increasing the amount of Income Replacement Benefit payable to them from 50 to 70% post age 65.
• Increased the Earnings Loss Benefit (now Income Replacement Benefit) from 70 to 90% of the Veteran’s military salary.
• Improved services by streamlining six financial benefits into one and introduced innovation to enable ‘end to end’ digital processing of applications.
• Made foundational investments in research and innovation, including:
o Two new Centers of Excellence (Mental Health and Chronic Pain);
o Introduced the Veterans and Family Well-Being Fund, which in the first two years funded 43 initiatives; and
o Supported the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research.
• Delivered on our Mandate Commitment to ensure funding for the Juno Beach Centre (Normandy, France), an interactive educational facility and museum that offers information on Canada’s role in the Second World War.
• Some 80,000 Veterans and other recipients transitioned from the previous suite of disability and financial benefits to the new Pension for Life program suite.
• Over 9300 Veterans and survivors eligible for the Supplementary Retirement Benefit as of April 1, 2019 have received their payout.
• Increased financial supports for the Caregiver Recognition Benefit which 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.
• 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.
o $30M contribution is being managed by the Métis National Council.
• 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 Expanded departmental outreach to Veterans and their families in the territories and northern communities.
• 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.
• A new Office of Women and LGBTQ2 Veterans was formally announced in March 2020 to begin to identify and address systemic issues specific to women and LGBTQ2 Veterans and to advance gender equality, diversity and inclusion for all Veterans.
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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