Evidence of meeting #5 for Veterans Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was vac.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board
Veterans and particularly members currently serving are not in a position to get doctors to give them those assessments without that, so if they are being served by CAF, they should be getting their diagnosis from CAF.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
Okay. As a follow up to that question, this will be my last question.
As was announced in 2018, has the chief of the defence staff issued a special directive for commanders to more diligently complete the report of injury, disease or illness form, the CF 98 form, which would make it easier for Veterans Affairs Canada to attribute a medical condition to military service? Is there progress on that?
Chair, Veterans Review and Appeal Board
We see a lot of CF 98s, but you have to remember that the CF 98 is often prepared from the extent of the military. It is not determinative of whether or not an injury has arisen, from the perspective of the board that made the decision, although the CF 98 adds some perspective to what happened. An accident can occur not in the context of military duty but still be attributable to military service and can be so vetted. The CF 98 is an internal document. It provides some evidence but it is not a definitive document. What is helpful is providing assessments and providing diagnoses for people who are making applications.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Thank you very much, Mr. Amos and Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to the witnesses. I would like to direct my first question to the witness from the police association.
Mr. Sauvé, in the course of your opening remarks you mentioned the impact of the closure of the district offices across the country and their reopening in 2016. I wonder if you could speak a little further to that in terms of the impact of the closure of the district offices on your members.
President, National Police Federation
The impact of the closure was short-lived thankfully, but the reopening had the greatest impact on our members. As I mentioned, in 2019, in those three short years since they had been reopened, 13,000 members received service or care through those offices. The fact is that Canada is such a large country and the RCMP's membership, as well as a lot of the membership of the Canadian Armed Forces, serve everywhere. We need to keep that in mind when we're talking about service delivery that's dealing with the hearts, the minds and the souls of people who gave service to Canada.
Liberal
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Thank you.
Another thing you mentioned in your opening statement is this backlog. In one sense the department has become a victim of its own success. I know many people wouldn't see it that way, including Mr. Thomson. Can you expand a little on what you meant by that?
President, National Police Federation
I can't speak to the Canadian Armed Forces perspective or the marketing because of Veterans Affairs or the My VAC Account. For example, in the RCMP over the last nine years or so there's been a concerted effort to raise awareness and campaign within the serving membership, as well as the retired membership or those who are retiring through transition interviews, to make them aware of what may be a condition where they can apply for disability benefits into retirement or while they're still serving.
From that perspective it has been a success in the RCMP. We have seen definite market growth of members becoming aware, making an application and gathering medical information, which they hadn't used to do or hadn't normally had. The trend is that it's going to grow and it continues to grow 5% to 6% per year. That is obviously part of the challenge right now: more applications and not foreseeing it would grow as it has. Now you have a bit of a backlog.
Liberal
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My first question is straightforward and it's for you, Mr. Thomson. First, we would like to thank you for your military service.
Second, do you believe that delays in processing veterans' benefit claims are hindering military recruitment efforts?
As an Individual
I can't speak on recruitment. It may, if the potential recruit sees that veterans, long-serving members, are waiting years to receive any benefits for injuries incurred during their military service. It might put a second thought into the recruit's mind, whether or not to join the forces in that—
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I'll rephrase the question, Mr. Thomson. In your case, given all the delays that I gather you've experienced and your frustrations, which I think are quite justified, would you sign up for the military if you had to do it all over again?
As an Individual
Personally no. I am carrying on a tradition, following my grandfather who served both in the First and Second World War and a great uncle who served in the Second World War. My father served for a little while as well. No, it would not have discouraged me from signing up. I did it on my 17th birthday. I joined as young as I could, and I've loved every minute of it. I'm sad that I'm having to be released medically, but I would not have changed anything. I would have probably submitted my claims much earlier if I knew it was going to take this long so that I would have some benefits when I retire, but now I'm about to be medically released and I'm still waiting.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay.
I gather that you wouldn't necessarily encourage your relatives to join the army, given what you've been through from an administrative standpoint in terms of the reimbursement of money owed to you.
As an Individual
I would encourage it, because for the most part it's been an enormously great experience. You're signing your life over to the country to serve your country.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Okay. I'm glad to hear that.
Mr. Thomson, you've heard about the concept of automatic approval of disability benefits. This concept is gaining ground. We see it within the committee. I'd like to hear your views on the topic.
Would you be in favour of this approach?
As an Individual
On the simpler cases, absolutely. In my case, it's knees. I would say that at least 50% of the Canadian Armed Forces, and probably a good portion of the RCMP, all have knee problems due to their service. This would be something that should be fast-tracked, in my personal opinion, because you can't operate without your knees. You can't walk, and you can't do almost anything without your knees, because you have to move around.
Fast-tracking other things like depression and stuff like that gets into more of the specifics, and I don't think fast-tracking something like that would be a benefit. You have to make sure that you're covering all the facets of that case, but with knees or tinnitus, I think fast-tracking would be an option that should definitely be looked at.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
I now want to hear your views regarding the transfer of the file of a military member who leaves the military and becomes a veteran.
In your opinion, is there a simpler way to transfer information from one department to another? I know that, in terms of confidentiality, the issue isn't clear or straightforward.
I want to hear your views on the matter.
As an Individual
In my case, it took four months for CAF to transmit all the files, to get all the files from my personal doctor to Veterans Affairs, and that's apparently when they start the timing. They don't start the timing when you first apply. They start the timing once they've received all the paperwork. If that takes four or five months for CAF and other doctors, that just increases the wait time and the pressure on the member.
Liberal
