Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 27th, 2020

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

I'm listening.

[Michel Doiron]

We need to be careful. We've hired some French adjudicators, and that has now greatly improved.

[Gen (Ret'd) Walter Natynczyk]

They're in Montreal.

[Michel Doiron]

We've hired them in Montreal and francophone communities.

In the case of women, their cases are usually a little more complex. We're still digging into that. I was briefed on it this week. Initially, I did not think there was really a difference, because I didn't think we were comparing apples and apples because of the complexity of women's issues versus a knee injury or an ankle injury for a man.

However, Rick's team has now informed me that it is true, and so we're looking.... Eleven per cent of our claimants are women. We're looking at how we can make sure there is no discrepancy. I will say that we've greatly improved the timelines on the women's side, but we still have work to do. We're still trying to fix some of that program.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

MP Wagantall, you have five minutes.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I have a couple of questions in regard to these incomplete files. You're dealing with around 20,000 files at this point in time that are not included in your backlog numbers because of that incomplete level.

In the first quarter of 2019, you indicated that there were 13,564 incomplete files. Then in the third quarter, it jumps to 18,330 files that are incomplete. That's a 35% increase, all of a sudden, in incomplete files.

Why suddenly is there such an increase in veterans' inability to fill out their forms? What is it related to? Is it due to new or pre-existing programs? Where are these incomplete forms coming from?

[Rick Christopher]

I don't think it's due to any new or existing programs, without seeing the numbers and understanding each file and doing an in-depth analysis. I want to make sure that what we call incomplete is really where we're waiting for information. These are not adjudication ready.

It might be that we're waiting on medical records or waiting on a doctor to provide, at the provincial level, a filled-out medical questionnaire. It may be that the applicant did not sign the application. There are a host of reasons.

[Rick Christopher]

We may process and examine a lot of jumps. Someone made a great suggestion earlier that we should be looking at them upon receipt and immediately reaching out.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I agree with that.

[Rick Christopher]

This might be the nature of those identified as incomplete. We might review them.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

The people who are dealing with these all the time would probably see patterns. If there's a constant issue with these people signing them, is there not some way you could highlight, draw attention to that, so this is happening less? That's just a suggestion.

I am glad to hear that the Liberals are now understanding estimates and surplus funds. They had trouble with that concept when they were in opposition, but it's good that we're all on that same page now.

I have a question about the amount of money you determine you need. It sounds as if you're working well within that parameter, with very little having to be returned after the programs. If we include the ones that are not processing quickly, we're looking at 40,000 who are waiting on funding. Do you have an idea of how much money is involved in that backlog?

I know veterans are waiting in many cases. Will that then be retro, paid back in their needs scenario or is it just that they qualify when they finally get that whole file together? It's not unusual for VAC when money is owed that there's an expectation it comes with interest. Is interest provided when the fault is within VAC, that they are not getting their programming processed quickly enough? Does that make sense?

[Gen (Ret'd) Walter Natynczyk]

Let me seize the opportunity to first compliment the Royal Canadian Legion and the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans, Dominion Command, who have service officers assisting. In the case of the Legion there are 1,200 branches across the country. The service officers work with veterans and ensure that to the degree possible, they're filled out completely.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I agree, but there's a huge backlog.

[Gen (Ret'd) Walter Natynczyk]

I'm just saying in terms of getting all the documentation and the signatures, we train the Legion, and Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

There's a huge backlog of 20,000.

[Gen (Ret'd) Walter Natynczyk]

I'm just saying that in ensuring the documentation to the degree possible is complete and as well to nudge folks toward the My VAC Account because, again, My VAC Account is set so only complete applications could go in. For the costing, I'll turn to my colleague Michel.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Yes, just a number, do you have a sense of how many are outstanding?

[Michel Doiron]

I don't have it in front of me, but yes, and we work with the CFO in our estimates all the time.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Can we get that number?

[Michel Doiron]

Can we have an estimate?

[Sara Lantz]

It's difficult to give a number explicitly to the backlog because we're not always exactly sure what is being applied for, what they're eligible for, what their compensation will be. We do work very closely with the office of the chief actuary and so we look at the norms to make a projection.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

You make that projection and that's included.

[Sara Lantz]

We've looked at that recently and to understand we'll watch the piloting they're undertaking so we'll know how much more of the backlog we'll get cleaned up. That's part of it. Before we implement we must be sure we have secured the funding to cover those veterans.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

That's great. Thank you.

I have another question in regard to hiring.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Very briefly, please.