I was just in Hamilton visiting our front-line staff and our team there, who are grateful for the re-staffing efforts. They're looking forward to the conversation I'm going to be having with the Minister of National Defence on closing the seam. They presented some very good ideas for us on how we at VAC and the Department of National Defence can work better. I can attest to the great work going on in Hamilton.
If we look at the changes we've made to the earnings loss benefit it was really something that had been called for by the veterans' community since the implementation of the new Veterans Charter in 2005, and some of the gaps that they saw emerging. Moving it from 75% of a pre-release salary to 90% of what that salary would be ensures that veterans of all categories, whether they be a private, corporal, or otherwise, will have more financial security. They will be able to build their lives. Really it's more in correlation with what other programs of service delivery are in other areas around workmen's compensation and the like.
We thought to ourselves: why is an individual, a man or a woman who has served in our military and who has suffered a debilitating injury, being penalized in such a fashion? Of course, in moving it to the 90% they are also still allowed to tie into all the other programming that Veterans Affairs Canada is providing, whether it be educational, supports for families, or retraining. We sense that this is a move to ensure financial security and it works for all levels of those who find themselves in the program. They'll have more money in their pockets to support their families, to build their lives, and find a meaningful place to reach their new normal.
But maybe General Natynczyk could augment that with any further details on the exact numbers.