Federal parties weigh in on veterans' services:
In addition to reopening the nine regional Veterans Affairs offices closed by the current government, the Liberal Party has also pledged to hire 400 new service delivery staff as of April 2016 to expand the network of mental health professionals. During a campaign stop earlier this week in Belleville, Ont., Liberal leader Justin Trudeau also promised to invest $80 million per year for a new Veterans Education Benefit to support up to four years of college, university or technical education for service people who have completed their service.
Under Elizabeth May, the Green Party said they would scrap the system of lump sum payments in lieu of lifetime pension for injuries and reinstate Pension Act benefits. The party also pledged to separate the Veterans Review Board and Appeals Board, the body that both adjudicates both new and appealed case files.
Under the current system, the same group of 25 people that turn down a claim are the same group that reviews the appeals.
The NDP has yet to release a full platform regarding veterans, but has hinted at a plan "to end service pension clawbacks, re-open shuttered Veterans Affairs offices, and widen access to quality home care, long-term care and mental health care services."
Since the dropping of the writ of election on
Aug. 2, the only official announcement regarding veterans out of the Conservative camp was an Aug. 15 pledge from Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole to improve the Earnings Loss Benefit, allowing veterans to received up to $10,000 in employment income without the revenue affecting their benefit payments.
According to a press release, the pledge "builds on the Conservative government's strong record of supporting Canada's Veterans, including making important improvements to the New Veterans Charter, creating a national mental health clinic network, funding world class programs for service dogs and providing additional funding for veterans benefits, programs, and services."
In the spring, the government announced they were hiring 100 new case managers, meant to reduce the number of clients served by Veterans Affairs staff to 30 per manager.
