Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for coming out, Minister.
I have two questions. I'll ask them both and then let you run with both of them, because I know if I just ask one, we'll run out of time. This is my way of getting it in.
One of the most heartbreaking parts of being an MP is being in your constituency office and having a widow or a caregiver come asking for help because they've run out and they're at a point where they can't support themselves any more. At this point there are approximately 94,000 veterans' widows and primary caregivers who receive the veterans independence program. It's known as the VIP, as you well know. But some 250,000 survivors do not receive these benefits.
While extending VIP to widows or caregivers of veterans who died before 1981 is one option--one that I think we should seriously consider--are there any plans of giving widows or other caregivers of veterans access to a greater range of VIP benefits, other than the ones just for housekeeping and grounds maintenance? There's a two-pronged question there. Are we extending it, and are we expanding it?
I have a second question. Only widows or caregivers of veterans receiving VIP benefits are eligible for them at the time of their death. So if you weren't receiving them when your spouse who was a veteran passed away, you don't get them later on. But many of these people are of another generation, in which the spouse normally stayed at home and kept a family going. Now all of a sudden they're older, and they probably didn't get a job that paid a lot; they sustained a family. And now they don't get those benefits.
Is there any way of extending it beyond those who passed away prior to 1981? That's the second question.