February 13, 2018 - Ottawa, ON
Recent Pension for Life announcements have sparked debate within the Veterans’ community, and comments made by the Prime Minister last week at his Edmonton town hall infuriated many Veterans.
As the Veterans’ Ombudsman, I’m concerned with one thing: ensuring adequate and sufficient benefits are in place to meet the needs of all Veterans and their families, while at the same time ensuring that benefits and programs are easily accessible to those who need them, when they need them.
In all of my reports and in all of my briefings to the Minister and to Parliamentarians, my focus is on ensuring that VAC is meeting the needs of Veterans. If a Veteran can’t work as a result of their service, their income should be replaced. If they’ve endured an injury and require treatment and rehabilitation, VAC should provide all that they need. When I make recommendations to improve benefits and services for Veterans, I do my due diligence to ensure that my recommendations are viable. I do not, however, consider their cost. Doing the right thing for Veterans and their families is key, and the needs of Veterans must be met.
There are still many details of the new Pension for Life program that are unclear, but my initial analysis suggests that there is some promise. As we learn more, my Office will review and assess this program and report back to you our evidence-based findings.