Ottawa ON
Canada
October 12, 2022, Ottawa, ON – Today, the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) released its 2022 Report Card tracking the status of the implementation of its recommendations to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). As of March 31, 2022, VAC has fully or partially implemented 69 percent or 52 of the OVO’s 75 recommendations, showing a slight improvement over last year.
These recommendations address systemic gaps or barriers to equitable access by Veterans and their families for VAC services and benefits, in order for Government to wholly fulfill its obligation to those who have served their country.
While it is encouraging that VAC has made progress to eliminate inequities for Veterans and their families, some significant gaps remain. We are deeply concerned about two recommendations: prioritizing disability benefit claims processing where there is an unmet health care need and ensuring that families of Veterans have access to mental health supports in their own right.
Over the past year, VAC has made important progress in reducing the wait times between men and women applicants. However, the average wait time remains significantly beyond the 16-week service standard for disability benefit decisions and may be impacting the health of Veterans. Furthermore, francophone applicants continue to wait longer than their anglophone counterparts. We will continue to monitor and push for changes that will lead to equity for francophone Veterans.
At the heart of what we do is our deep belief that no Veteran or family member who has a service-related need for care and support should be left behind because of a systemic unfairness.
- Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine, Veterans Ombud
Related Link:
2022 Report Card: https://ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/2022ReportCard
For more information, please contact:
Lucille Hodgins
Media Advisor
Email: lucille.hodgins@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca
Phone: 613-617-7205