Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the committee. Thank you for inviting me to address you about the work of the office of the veterans ombud. Today, I am pleased to be joined by my deputy and legal counsel, Mr. Duane Schippers.
As you may know, the office was established by order in council in 2007, and I am the fourth veterans ombud. Our mandate, simply put, is to investigate complaints and challenge the policies and decisions of Veterans Affairs Canada where we find individual or systemic unfairness.
When I was appointed in November 2020, it was my personal impression that the majority of serving members and veterans had no idea of the existence of our office. Once the pandemic travel restrictions lifted, we undertook an ambitious outreach program.
As of last week, we have been to every major military base. We held town halls in and around those locations to explain what we do and to hear directly from military and RCMP serving members, veterans, survivors and families.
I must say that the majority of veterans are satisfied with Veterans Affairs and what they receive in benefits. Many tell me how they feel well taken care of by VAC, but we have also heard the opposite, not all of which are on things that VAC has the authority to rectify. The most compelling is that of access to a family doctor or primary care.
As provided in the National Defence Act, regular force and some reserve force members receive all of their health care from the military medical system. On their release, they can obtain a provincial health card, and they are completely on their own to find a doctor. Many of them cannot. Without primary care, it can be impossible to refill prescriptions, particularly complex ones. Without primary care, it can be impossible to get the diagnosis they need to submit a disability claim to VAC. This is a complex issue that crosses both federal and provincial jurisdictions.
Likely as a result of our outreach program, our office has seen a 35% increase in individual complaints since 2020. Among the top complaints we receive are complaints about wait times for disability benefits, which we can do little about, treatment benefit denials, and complaints related to the rehabilitation program. Complaints are reviewed by our trained analysts, who determine whether the complainant was treated fairly. Where we find unfairness, we identify that to the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VAC, who will in most cases take steps to resolve the unfairness.
Our systemic work likewise seeks to resolve unfairness in the administration of veterans’ benefits and programs. Our website provides every systemic report we have written. In our “Spotlight” publication, every still-valid recommendation is listed together with its implementation status and whether the department accepts the recommendation.
This committee recently published a historic report on women veterans. We have also done work in this area. We received a complaint that the disability pensions of former RCMP women members were being reduced by the Merlo Davidson sexual misconduct class action settlement amounts they had received. I wrote to the minister with our findings that Veterans Affairs was unfairly reducing the disability pensions of women RCMP members who had received settlement compensation. As a result, VAC contacted the affected women and resolved the unfairness.
We were alerted to a possible unfairness in VAC processes for handling sexual dysfunction claims related to psychiatric conditions. We investigated and found systemic unfairness for women veterans in certain decision-making processes. VAC has since implemented our recommendations.
My first appearance before this committee was on the subject of our report and recommendation for the provision of mental health treatment for family members in their own right for conditions related to service. We say that when the member serves, the family also serves. I have heard many heartbreaking stories of how family members can struggle with mental health because they are part of a military or RCMP family. I must credit Veterans Affairs for doing their best within the legislative guidelines to provide some mental health supports to family members, provided they can link it to the well-being of the veteran, but it is not enough. This recommendation will require legislative change.
To be honest, the CAF and the RCMP have long depended on the silent support of our families. Veteran legislation, regulations and policies have likewise done the same thing. For example, the veterans independence program is designed to provide military veterans with some assistance in remaining in their own homes for as long as they can, but the VAC policy for administering this program presumes that a live-in relative should take on the share of the veteran's household tasks that the veteran can no longer do. I wrote to the minister last year that it is not fair to ask a veteran's live-in relatives to take on the work that cannot be done by a veteran whose illness or injury is service-related. It is time to stop asking families over and over again to shoulder the burden of their veterans' service.
Veterans Affairs Canada is charged with delivering benefits and programs to a unique community of Canadians who value trust and truth as the high-water mark of service. We know that institutional trust is strengthened by clear, consistent and truthful communication. Veterans are highly sensitive to matters of trust. I have heard from some veterans and their families whose trust in the department has been eroded. They say, “I don’t even understand why I have been denied this benefit.”
I firmly believe that the overarching purpose of our office is to reconnect veterans to Veterans Affairs Canada when they lose their trust in the department. This does not mean we always take the veteran's side when they come to us with a complaint. Indeed, we render a service of equal value when we say to a veteran, “Here are the facts of your case. Here are the rules that apply. The department has treated you fairly.” In my view, the key is transparency.
My office will continue to focus on how Veterans Affairs engages and communicates with veterans and their families, and specifically with those whose needs are more acute. We will continue to assist in navigating VAC benefits and services. Where we find unfairness, we will work to identify those gaps and barriers so that all veterans and their family members can request and receive the supports that Parliament has put in place for them to move forward in their civilian lives once their service to Canada is complete.
