Thank you for that. Again, this essentially goes to one of the gaps that the committee identified in its report.
What was very clear was that veterans who were totally and permanently incapacitated, in other words, were unable to return to work after they left the military and could not be successfully rehabilitated, were eligible for the earnings loss benefit, an income support benefit. They would receive that benefit right up until age 65, but on turning 65, the benefit stopped. The only benefits that then continued were essentially the permanent impairment allowance benefit and the permanent impairment allowance supplement. Again, these are benefits paid under the new Veterans Charter.
Effectively, that gap, which this committee identified as being a significant issue, is being addressed now through this proposed RISB, the retirement income support benefit. That will ensure that the effects of that gap are mitigated through the assurance of the 70% minimum income based on a calculation of both the earnings loss benefit that was being received and the permanent impairment allowance and supplement benefits