A single parent of three school aged children and a caretaker for their live-in mother, who suffers from dementia, was supported by their VAC Case Manager to attend an in-person rehabilitation facility for 45 days. The rehabilitation stay was pre-approved, and the Veteran made arrangements to attend. They were advised by VAC they would be reimbursed for dependent care expenses incurred over the treatment period. However, information on the specific amounts was not provided to the Veteran.
Upon completion of the in-person program, they submitted dependent care receipts to their Case Manager, yet, only a portion of the expenses were reimbursed. The remainder was denied on the basis that there is a maximum amount for dependent care that is set out in the regulations. The Veteran then appealed the decision to VAC’s National First Level of Appeal (N1LA), but they did not rule in favour of the Veteran. The Veteran was out of pocket for the remainder of the money and was feeling overwhelmed and frustrated so they reached out to the OVO for help.
VAC policy states that a person may be eligible to receive reimbursement for dependent care when they are in the Vocational/ Medical Rehabilitation Assistance Program. However, the maximum amounts, which may be provided, are limited when child care is required to allow a participant to attend and participate in medical treatments.
When reviewing the case, the OVO determined that the result was unfair. The Veteran was not advised about the maximum limits for child care prior to participating in the in-patient treatment and therefore was not able to make an informed decision about attending. The OVO recommended to VAC that all child care expenses be reimbursed due to unclear communication. VAC accepted this recommendation and the Veteran received full reimbursement from the Department.
