Okay, will do.
We're making great progress, but there's certainly more to do.
As you may know, the department has already received approval to extend some 168 backlog staff, which should help us continue to make good progress on the backlog. We've committed to making the investment we need to make, and we will continue to focus on this vitally important issue.
I also want to point out, Mr. Chair, that budget 2021 included some items that affected the veterans community as it relates to benefits, including a program that will immediately cover mental health care costs for veterans with PTSD or depressive or anxiety disorders while their disability benefit application is being processed. The changes to these regulations are currently out for consultation in the Canada Gazette, and we expect this to be fully implemented by April 1.
Mr. Chair, I know another area of concern relates to case management. Our case managers make sure that veterans with more complex needs receive the support they need. It's absolutely vital work, and we're lucky to have the folks who work on this at Veterans Affairs. I know they're dealing with backlogs and workloads that are too heavy. Over the last few years, the department has considerably increased the number of case managers in order to meet the increased needs of our veterans. As of last November, there were 476 of them in the department. We promised during the campaign that we would hire more, and we will.
To close, Mr. Chair, since forming government six years ago, we have invested more than $11 billion in new programs and services for veterans. We've hired the much-needed staff to ensure veterans are getting the services they need. We're going to continue to do everything we can to make things better for the folks who serve with our flag on their shoulder. There's certainly still a lot more to do.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.