Honourable Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, on behalf of the Legion's Dominion president, Wilf Edmond, it is a pleasure for me to appear today at your committee to continue discussions related to the new Veterans Charter.
We have consulted, and the following veterans associations are in agreement with our Legion presentation today: the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada; the Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping; the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association; the National Aboriginal Veterans Association; the Air Force Association of Canada; the Canadian Naval Air Group; the Naval Officers' Association of Canada; and the Last Post Fund.
Your support of veterans and their families is exemplary. It is obvious that you care. There should be no doubt that the Royal Canadian Legion also cares for veterans and their families.
You have been briefed by Veterans Affairs Canada officials on the new Veterans Charter programs, and by other advocates, including members of the NVC advisory group.
We are struck by two obvious trends in the testimony that you have heard. First, there seems to be a reluctance by VAC officials to acknowledge gaps in the NVC programs, notwithstanding the very thorough analysis and the concrete recommendations of the New Veterans Charter Advisory Group.
Second, it is becoming very clear that the NVC programs have duplicated other programs that were already in place, resulting in more confusion and delays, when the objective of the new Veterans Charter was to facilitate rapid intervention. The introduction of the NVC has resulted in more confusing eligibility grids, which have put into question whether or not all veterans are treated equally and fairly.
The outcome of any legislation should be fairness. This is even more fundamental for those who put their lives at risk for the protection of the nation and of national values.
In their report of October 3, 2009, the NVC advisory group identified gaps in three areas: family support services, financial security, and rehabilitation services and outcomes. VAC has always defined the new Veterans Charter as a family of interrelated outcomes that cannot be viewed as stand-alone elements. The Legion still supports the new Veterans Charter's broad goal of “wellness”, which is meant to facilitate the reintegration into civilian life of the disabled veterans while meeting the needs of their families. However, we are greatly concerned that the “living Charter” focus has been set aside.
We are concerned that the issues of fairness and equality are not being addressed. Improvements are required on a critical basis in the following areas: mental health support for families in their own right, and greater access to vocational assistance for veterans and spouses, including post-secondary education. Children of deceased veterans already have this benefit. It is of note that if you want to work for the public service, the lack of a university degree, even under the priority appointment programs for certain medically released CF members and spouses, is often the cause for screening out applicants.
Another improvement required is that of improved access to skilled health care providers. There are too many disparities between rural and urban centres in regard to lack of access to specialists, etc. All released members, especially medically released members, often do not have access to medical care.
Other improvements needed are: improved support to family members caring for critically injured veterans; increased support for survivors and families of the fallen; and, under financial security, ending the legacy of the insurance-based approach to economic benefits. Veterans deserve a better model than the SISIP workers' compensation model. This is an area of clear duplication, which even VAC recognizes in their internal documents--and we'll get to that.
Other improvements needed are: to improve earning loss benefits by raising the earnings loss to 100% taxable and establishing a higher base salary consistent with normal rank progression and probable earnings models; to increase access to permanent impairment allowance; and to increase disability awards to at least match the maximum cap awarded by the civilian courts, by including a structured settlement option that recognizes that some disabled veterans may not be able handle a large lump sum.
Under rehabilitation services, the following improvements are needed: a modernized rehabilitation program to provide integrated physical, social, and vocational rehab services, and this is linked to the elimination of SISIP rehab services; improved case management, not only for veterans, but also for their families, while addressing clients' needs; improved access to VAC rehabilitation services; and repair of damaged relationships with health care providers.
You will have noticed that the issue of SISIP is a recurrent theme. In a recent internal audit, VAC has come to some very interesting conclusions on the new Veterans Charter programs. Copies of this audit are included in your handout. I will quote directly from VAC's cryptic observations that there are some similarities to other programs.
Under disability award, it is stated:
SISIP is an insurance plan offered by the CF...to serving and former members of the CF and their spouses.... Through SISIP, veterans can apply for an Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan which provides a lump-sum benefit...if [dismemberment]...is attributable to military service.... This benefit may appear to duplicate the Disability Award; however, the purpose is very different.... [SISIP dismemberment]...is an insurance payout while Disability Award is for pain and suffering....
The audit report then addresses rehabilitation:
SISIP Long Term Disability Vocational Rehabilitation Program provides training and education to eligible beneficiaries with the goal of enhancing the former member's existing education, skills, training and experience. This program is administered to provide eligible individuals with the skills to obtain gainful employment in the civilian workforce. This program overlaps with VAC’s vocational rehabilitation services.... It is estimated that approximately 15% of the 3,700 Veterans currently in the SISIP Vocational Rehabilitation Program will go on to access VAC’s vocational rehabilitation services.
Note that figure of 15%.
The report continues:
The difference between these programs is that through SISIP the vocational training is centered on the existing education while VAC’s vocational rehabilitation services concentrates on providing training for a skill that is appropriate for the client’s health interests and in the long term will provide gainful employment.
Of note, the VAC audit report fails to acknowledge, however, that both SISIP long-term disability and VAC's rehab program result in a monthly payment equivalent to 75% of salary at release—the so-called VAC earnings loss benefit—while we are well aware that SISIP payments are offset by disability pension payments or by EL benefits. Why make a comparison to the NVC disability award when addressing the SISIP long-term disability, while not making a similar comparison when dealing with the new Veterans Charter earnings loss benefits?
Other similarities exist in the area of career transition. Again, let’s refer to the report:
DND provides CF members a Transition Assistance Program which assists medically releasing CF members in making the transition into the civilian workplace. VAC provides a similar service within the Rehabilitation Program by providing vocational assistance to help medically released CF members find suitable employment. There is some overlap present in that both programs provide medically releasing CF members with information on résumé writing, job search assistance and job finding assistance. The difference is that DND’s Transition Assistance Program actively recruits prospective employers; in both the public and private sector.... DND’s Second Career Assistance Network is designed to assist CF members in order to provide transferable skills analysis, as well as counselling and training to individuals who are preparing for civilian life. VAC’s Job Placement program is integrated with this network and a VAC-DND program arrangement was developed to establish the roles and protocols for VAC to now deliver these services which were previously delivered by the DND.
We are suggesting that we are not dealing with similarities; rather, we are dealing with duplication and sometimes triplication. One must ask why VAC developed a new Veterans Charter that in a number of areas duplicates services that were offered by DND and SISIP, while in other instances, some of the new programs seem to have resulted in significant savings for the department while creating additional categories of veterans.
Another concern is that in some programs VAC has grossly overestimated the uptake. Again, I'm quoting from the report:
Additionally, the estimated number of clients was based on a sample of 400 released CF members.... Since the Job Placement Program was not designed for clients with a disability the methodological flaw was increased. In addition, from this sample only 162 clients participated...indicating that they would have “liked help in finding a job after release.” This percentage was then used as the basis for estimating that...52% of the approximately 4,000 CF [members] who release annually, would access the...[Job Placement Program]. VAC further estimated that...90%...would access the career counselling and job finding assistance components. However, since...October 2007, only 1,490 clients have attended a workshop with only 18% receiving career counseling and 3% accessing job finding assistance.
In an attempt to increase participation, VAC has been mailing out letters to those who might be eligible. “However”, says the report, “the response from the mail-out resulted in only a few hundred additional Veterans applying.”
One wonders how many other design flaws have been built into the new Veterans Charter. To correct the last flaw in the so-called job placement program, VAC has found the perfect bureaucratic remedy. It is redesigning—rebranding, as they say—this program as the career transition services.
Since all the current VAC brochures refer to the job placement program, what will the cost of this rebranding be?
What credibility can we assess to the VAC audit statement that this program is “relevant and highly valued” when only 3% of the participants have access to job-finding assistance?
Gaps in the new Veterans Charter have been identified by a reputable advisory council of academics and representatives of veterans organizations chosen by Veterans Affairs Canada. We are still waiting for an official reply from the minister on the findings and recommendations of the New Veterans Charter Advisory Group. If the NVC is indeed a “living Charter”, when will it be modified? Changes are needed now.
Thank you.
