Ottawa ON
Canada
October 25, 2022, Ottawa, ON – Today, the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) released its Disability Benefit Wait Times Update. This builds on our 2018 report and provides an update on how long members and Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP are waiting for disability claim decisions from VAC.
The long wait time for disability benefits continues to be the number one complaint the OVO receives. Wait times significantly exceed the 16 week service standard set by VAC.
This Update reviewed the disability claim decisions completed between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022. We found that:
- On average, disability claim decisions for CAF applicants took 43 weeks, and for RCMP applicants, 39 weeks.
- Francophone applicants continued to wait longer than their anglophone counterparts, and male francophone applicants waited the longest
- The gap in wait times between male and female applicants has closed
- Wait times for RCMP applicants has improved
We recognize that the Department has made significant efforts to reduce the backlog of claims to be processed; however, more work must be done. We continue to urge VAC to implement our outstanding 2018 recommendation to expedite claims proactively for applicants with unmet health needs or those who are paying out-of-pocket for treatment. As well, the Department must improve wait times for francophones. There should be no inequity based on applicants’ language or gender.
This update is about more than the just the numbers, it’s about the impact these wait times have on Veterans. All ill or injured Veterans deserve to have a decision on their disability claims and access to treatment benefits in a timely and equitable manner.
- Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine, Veterans Ombud
Link to update: https://ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/Disability-Benefit-Wait-Times-Update
Media Relations Contact:
Lucille Hodgins
Tel: 613-617-7205
Email: Lucille.hodgins@ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca