House Veterans Affairs Committee says feds should ‘acknowledge gaps’ in its case managers comms strategy, but department says stakeholders were consulted during process

The rehab program intake process is ‘unique to each veteran,’ says a Veterans Affairs spokesperson. ‘The timelines for assessments are tailored to their individual needs.’
A veteran’s pension shouldn’t depend on when or where they were injured

It is unacceptable that we continue to have laws in Canada that provide a higher level of benefit to a veteran injured prior to 2006 compared to a veteran who is injured post‑2006.
‘Long overdue’ update to whistleblower law should include veterans, says retired Air Force officer and accountability advocate

Bill C-290 is a Bloc private member’s bill to amend the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, the basis for the disclosure of misconduct in the public sector and protects whistleblowers. And it’s attracting attention.
‘Veterans are not getting the services they need’: vets, mental health clinicians, and Veterans Affairs union sound alarm over new rehab services contract

Veterans Affairs’ assistant deputy minister Steven Harris says the department is still migrating veterans from the old contract into the new system, and it will take until summer to get everything running.
We need to protect the National War Memorial

It would be much more practical to give the jurisdiction for Wellington Street from Bank Street to Sussex Drive to the PPS and extend it to Confederation Square.
‘Even one case is too many’: Legion says veterans are ‘feeling really traumatized’ from news reports of a case worker discussing MAID

With the Special Joint Committee on MAID having already set drafting instructions for its report, Senator Pamela Wallin said ‘unacceptable behaviour by an errant employee’ does not indicate that MAID laws need to change.
Veterans Affairs Canada employees struggling with new rehab contract for vets

Employees at Veterans Affairs Canada are struggling this summer to try and implement a new rehab contract for veterans. As the union representing employees at the department, including the case managers who have the greatest responsibility for this work, we have been trying to get the minister’s attention to what we feel is an impending […]
Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees cries foul over private rehab contract that feds say will mean ‘fewer steps’ for vets, case managers

The union representing Veterans Affairs Canada workers is sounding the alarm over a $560-million contract for rehabilitation services that national president Virginia Vaillancourt says is a “contracting out of many of our functions to a private sector entity who does not have the same level of concerns for our clients.” But Veterans Affairs spokesperson Marc […]
Accessing disability benefits a battle for veterans

While the world follows the explosive events in Ukraine, an important decision has just been made which will impact veterans much closer to home. The federal government has announced that it will commit $140-million toward working off the backlog of veterans’ disability claims. Sounds like quite the boon for our veterans, doesn’t it? Not so fast. […]
Wounded veterans deserve better, says Ottawa reader
Every November, Canadians honour those who have served in the military; especially the dead and wounded. Unfortunately, war remains a permanent feature of human existence. Poppies remind me that wars are fought by working people who are often discarded when their courage is no longer required. While every combat veteran is a hero, the same […]