Veterans Affairs Committee on March 20th, 2023

[Paul Ledwell]

We did a search on Assystnet too—

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

You did.

[Paul Ledwell]

—to make sure that there weren't deletions, and we did not find deletions.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

You didn't find any evidence of any deletions or requests for deletions.

[Paul Ledwell]

That's correct.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Okay.

You've obviously referred the four cases that you have become aware of to the RCMP. Can you give us any indication as to what has occurred with that? Have you had any updates? Do you know what the status is of that investigation? Is it ongoing? Is there anything you can tell us about that?

[Paul Ledwell]

It's an RCMP investigation, and it's really up to them. They have no obligation to inform us. They're undertaking the investigation, and we'll leave it to them to indicate what has transpired.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

You've received no update from them. You have no indication as to whether there is an ongoing investigation or whether they've even begun to undertake one.

[Paul Ledwell]

To our knowledge, there has been no closure on the file, but we don't know that for certain. Again, the RCMP is not obligated to report to us. Our understanding is that it is still an ongoing investigation.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Richards.

Now we will go to Mr. Darrell Samson for six minutes or less, please.

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

Thank you, Chair.

I want to thank my colleagues here today for being with us to share some precise information on key areas.

One area that I wanted to speak about is the backlog. The minister, in his opening statement, spoke about the backlog, with the backlog being 23,000 and now down to 6,800, which is very impressive in about a year and a half. Let's talk about where that backlog came from. I think it's important to understand. Maybe you can add to the understanding.

It is my understanding that two things have happened since 2015.

One is that, through consultation, the government felt that many other programs were required to support our veterans, so more programs were added, which allowed veterans to come forward. The second reason for the backlog—you can correct me if I am wrong—was that, prior to our forming government in 2015, there were major cuts made to veterans in 2013 or 2014 by the Conservative government.

For example, nine offices were closed across the country, nine offices that were serving veterans in their locations—I know of one in Nova Scotia, in Sydney—and, second, there were about one thousand frontline workers fired. I could understand that it's a challenge to have to build it all up again. Can you speak to that, please?

[Paul Ledwell]

Mr. Chair, if I could, there are a few things.

First of all, as has been underlined and I'll repeat again, there has been a very significant increase in demand from the veteran community. I think we have to appreciate that there were many veterans serving our country in Afghanistan. More than 40,000 Canadians served in uniform there, many of those now having come forward to Veterans Affairs Canada for support. We've seen a marked increase in demand.

We have seen as well a marked increase in the availability of supports and programs for veterans—necessarily—in areas like mental health and in areas like identifying supports for women and other under-represented groups who have served as veterans to ensure we are there for them equally.

There has been a diversity of program offerings as well as a demand on service, and that has built up a real pressure on demand. We are seeing that pressure continue. There was a little dip during COVID-19, a small dip, but this year we are tracking to greater than 70,000 applications to Veterans Affairs Canada for disability supports. It's a large demand. We have worked hard with what has been $360 million in additional resources specifically for the backlog over the last three budgets to bring that down.

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

Thank you.

You mentioned the new mental health program that came out I think last April. I am hearing some very positive comments around that because it's immediate. When you have a mental health issue, you can't wait six months to get your application approved. Could you speak to that, please?

[Paul Ledwell]

It's very important. We've said...and I think everyone at this committee would underline the importance of getting mental health supports there early for our veterans—to identifying, once they have come forward with a desire for the support, for the service, and to getting access to that support and service where they are, where they need it. Since the first of April, we've seen greater than 9,000 veterans sign up for that benefit—

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

How many?

[Paul Ledwell]

It's greater than 9,000—

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

There are 9,000 already. Thank you.

[Paul Ledwell]

There are greater than 9,000 who have signed up for that benefit and greater than 2,500 who have actually taken up the benefit directly, which has led to almost 40,000 specific benefits to veterans in less than a year.

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

Thank you. That's is a clear sign of the need to support our veterans.

I have one final question as I see I only have a minute left.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

No, it's one and a half minutes.

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

Then I'll ask two questions and you'll get a chance to go at them.

I see an increase of 23.8% in funding for a caregiver. I'd like you to speak to that. Also, there's the very important program, VIP, for our senior veterans. Maybe you could speak to both in that minute and a half.

Thank you.

[Paul Ledwell]

This is a very important program. We know that it's important to support our veterans where they are, and especially those who are elderly and aging, to ensure they're able to age in place and provide them with some respect in their homes and support in their own homes.

I'll ask my colleague, Mr. Harris, to speak to that particular support, because this is an area that he is responsible for.

[Steven Harris, Assistant Deputy Minister, Service Delivery Branch, Department of Veterans Affairs]

I'll give you two brief answers to your questions.

With respect to the veterans independence program, as Deputy Ledwell indicated, it's very important to allow for in-home supports for veterans and survivors who need help with something like housekeeping, grounds maintenance, maybe in-home meals or in-home care. It has been particularly important over the COVID period. We've seen an increase in usage of the VIP, which helps keep veterans and their survivors safely in their homes during these periods.

In the caregiver recognition benefit, we've seen an increase there as well. This is a benefit that allows caregivers to get access to over $1,000 a month tax-free when they are required to help look after their veteran. It could be a spouse. It could be a father. It could be whomever. It allows them to be compensated for some of the time and energy they spend caring for a veteran who is unable to care for themselves.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Harris.

Thank you.

Mr. Desilets, you have the floor for six minutes.