Question Period Note: 2024-25 DEPARTMENTAL RESULTS REPORT

• Veterans and their families are at the core of everything we do - over 90% of our budget goes directly to them.
• We are improving service delivery by reducing administrative burden, modernizing tools, and making benefits easier to access.
• We are strengthening mental health care, expanding access to providers, and investing in research to better support the unique needs of all Veterans, including women and Indigenous Veterans.
• We are helping Veterans build financial security, find meaningful employment, and stay safe and independent through targeted programs and strong partnerships.

The 2024–25 Departmental Results Report (DRR) provides parliamentarians and Canadians with a clear account of what Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) accomplished and how we achieved results against the priorities outlined in the 2024–25 Departmental Plan. It is tabled in Parliament and published online to ensure transparency and accountability.
Highlights from the 2024–25 Report include:
• Improving Disability Benefit Decisions: Despite a 7% increase in applications and the loss of trained decision-makers, VAC processed 6% more disability benefit applications than in 2023–24. VAC is taking action through a long-term staffing plan, development of automation tools, and the continued modernization of services to further improve the timeliness of disability benefit decisions.
• Strengthening Health and Mental Health Supports: Over $2.1M was invested through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund to support research on women Veterans and brain injuries. Access to care was expanded by adding more than 26,000 providers to the Medavie Blue Cross registry, after adding more than 52,000 the year before.
• Supporting Financial Security: A clearer policy for the Canadian Forces Income Support (CFIS) program was introduced to help low-income Veterans return to work. VAC also provided urgent financial aid through the Veterans Emergency Fund.
• Helping Veterans Transition and Find Purpose: The first National Veterans Employment Strategy was launched in June 2024, and 90% of its action items are already underway. VAC hosted webinars, presentations, and one-on-one employer interviews, resulting in strong employment outcomes for Veterans.
• Housing and Long-Term Care Support: VAC provided support through the Veterans Independence Program to help Veterans, caregivers, and survivors stay in their homes. Through the new Veteran Homelessness Program, Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness were actively case-managed and connected with housing and wraparound supports.
• Indigenous and Northern Outreach: VAC completed outreach visits to northern and remote communities, exceeding its annual target. Culturally safe mental wellness supports were strengthened to better meet Indigenous Veterans’ needs.
• Modernizing Services: VAC continued to improve digital tools, including My VAC Account (75% user satisfaction), and introduced automation to reduce paperwork and speed up benefit decisions. Work also continued to update the Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines (EEGs) and the Table of Disabilities (TOD) to improve fairness and consistency.

QUICK FACTS & FIGURES
VAC Budget
• Total actual spending: $7.63B.
• Over 90% went directly to Veterans, their families, and other program recipients.
Disability Benefits
• Average wait for first applications cut nearly in half since 2021–22.
• 47% of applications met 16-week service standard (down from 69% in 2023–24 due to rising demand and a loss of trained decision-makers). However, we completed 6% more applications than the previous year.
Mental Health
• 54% of OSI Clinic clients reported improved mental health.
• Over 8,300 Veterans accessed virtual mental health care ($24M in claims).
Income and Emergency Support
• $1.43B paid in Income Replacement Benefits to 34,285 Veterans/families.
• 1,069 Veterans Emergency Fund applications approved.
Employment & Transition
• 2,100+ Veterans supported through Career Transition Services (88% achieved positive outcome).
• 5,569 transition interviews completed for releasing CAF/RCMP members; 107 job placements through job development services.
Housing & Independence
• $391M through Veterans Independence Program for 78,309 recipients.
• 253 Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness actively supported.
Community Support
• 81 community-based projects funded.
• $14.4M in new funding provided for these initiatives to improve housing, jobs, and mental health services.