Question Period Note: 2026-27 DEPARTMENTAL PLAN

• The 2026–27 Departmental Plan (published on March 13, 2026) lays out the Department’s priorities for the year and provides an outline of the important work that it will undertake.
• More than 90% of the $8.2B in planned spending for 2026–27 will be for payments directly to, or on behalf of, the people Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) serves, in the form of compensation, financial support, treatment benefits and commemoration.
• The work of the Department is supported by 3,241.1 FTEs.

The 2026–27 Departmental Plan (DP) provides Parliamentarians and Canadians with a clear view of the results VAC aims to achieve and how resources will be used to deliver for Veterans and their families. It is tabled in Parliament annually and published online to ensure transparency and accountability.
Highlights from the 2026–27 Plan include
Benefits, Services, and Support
• Advancing a multi-year modernization of disability benefits, focused on improving timeliness, consistency, and client experience through streamlined processes, stabilized capacity, and updated digital tools.
• Strengthening mental health supports, including continued delivery of Operational Stress Injury clinics and therapist-assisted, internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy.
• Improving delivery and oversight of income support programs, including the Income Replacement Benefit, informed by program evaluations and performance measurement improvements.
• Continuing to advance the National Veterans Employment Strategy, including work to encourage and recognize employers who support Veteran hiring and retention.
• Supporting Veterans’ education, training, and transition to civilian life, with a focus on flexibility and accessibility
• Preventing and reducing Veteran homelessness through continued delivery of the Veteran Homelessness Program, rent supplements, wraparound services, and partnerships with other federal departments and community organizations.
• Strengthening engagement with equity-deserving Veterans, including women, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, Black, racialized, and other underrepresented groups, to improve accessibility and culturally appropriate services.
Commemoration
• Marking significant anniversaries and milestones, including the 35th anniversary of the conflict in the Persian Gulf and other key events in Canada’s military history.
• Beginning construction of the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan, with activities planned to engage Veterans, families, and Canadians.
Veterans Ombudsperson
• Strengthen its ability to resolve complaints and ensure Veterans and their families are treated fairly.
• Expand outreach through virtual and in-person engagement.
• Build on past progress by refining tools, adding new capabilities, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Internal Services
• Digitizing service delivery and adopting innovative communication strategies to make our programs responsive to Veterans’ needs and accessible in both official languages.
• Strengthen security governance and oversight by fully implementing a new Security Governance Framework. This will give stronger assurance that our operations and information are protected and help us maintain trust and continuity of service for Veterans.
• Promote diversity and inclusion by sustaining our commitment to a workplace that empowers and supports employees.
• Continue to transition from legacy systems to modern accessible platforms to reduce risk, increase operational efficiency and enable responsible integration of automation and AI.

Benefits, Services and Support
• Key focus is on delivering faster and easier‑to‑access services for Veterans and their families.
• Simplifying processes, updating technology, and improving the way we communicate to make it easier for Veterans to understand and access benefits and services.
• Deliver more consistent, accessible, and timely services and help Veterans meet their physical, mental, social, and financial needs throughout post‑service life.
Forecasted Spending and Workforce (FTEs)
• Spending forecasts reflect the demand-driven nature of VAC programs and may change as updated projections become available.
• Planned spending in outer years reflects early forecast assumptions; more recent demand forecasts suggest increases in program uptake, and future updates will ensure resources remain aligned with program needs.
• Future decreases in spending and human resource levels reflect the planned conclusion of time-limited funding initiatives and adjustments to operational needs and do not represent reductions to core benefits or services for Veterans.
Comprehensive Expenditure Review
• This section is included in this Departmental Plan, per TBS’ direction, to show how we will help to meet the government-wide spending restraints. As part of meeting this commitment, we are planning the following spending reductions:
o 2026–27: $88,000,000
o 2027–28: $101,000,000
o 2028–29: $110,000,000
• We will achieve these reductions by reducing the rate of reimbursement for cannabis under the Cannabis for Medical Purposes benefit from $8.50 per gram to $6.00 per gram to align more closely with current market rates.
Commemoration
• Continue delivering commemorative programming and ceremonies and marking significant anniversaries, including the 35th anniversary of the conflict in the Persian Gulf.
• Construction of the National Monument to Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan is planned to begin in 2026–27.
• Advancing more inclusive approaches to commemoration that reflect the diversity of Canada’s Veteran community, informed by recent engagement forums and feedback.