The fundamental principle of the new Veterans Charter is about rehabilitation and reintegration. It's about people getting well as opposed to people continuing to be ill.
Under the old system of the Pension Act, individuals were given a monthly pension, but the amount was rather small. On average I think it was somewhere around $700. That's not a lot to live on in today's world. It did not provide the type of supports that are there today.
In the early 2000s, with Canada's involvement in Afghanistan and our previous involvement in the Balkans and Rwanda and other places, it was becoming increasingly clear that we were not meeting the needs of veterans by simply giving them a pension.
Through a lot of research that was conducted by academia, veterans organizations, and the department, it was determined that we needed a more holistic approach. The holistic approach was the new Veterans Charter, which provides support before somebody leaves the Canadian armed forces. We work very closely with our colleagues at the Canadian armed forces. That is why today I have over 100 staff who go to work at Canadian Forces bases or wings. They work shoulder-to-shoulder in the integrated personnel support centres. Veterans are also given a transition interview before they leave the Canadian armed forces. In fact, for those who are being medically released, our case manager works with the DND or the Canadian armed forces case manager hand-in-hand so that, when somebody is medically released from the Canadian armed forces, they're not with a new case manager. That way they've already developed a relationship.
In addition, we have introduced various rehab programs with the goal of getting people reintegrated into the workforce. But also there are various what I would call financial safety nets. The reality is that the extent of injuries of some veterans are such that they will probably not be able to gainfully participate in the workforce. We have financial safety nets for the small numbers of veterans who just cannot go through the rehabilitation program and go back into the workforce.
In summary, it's holistic. It's about getting better. This is where our network of case managers come in. They work with the veterans to ensure that they get the services and benefits they need to recover.