Office of the Veterans Ombudsman 2019-2020 Annual Report Tabled

December 10, 2020 – Ottawa – The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman (OVO) 2019-2020 Annual Report was tabled yesterday in the House of Commons by the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. It provides an overview of the OVO’s activities from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. 

The report presents the OVO’s work in support of Veterans and their families during a fiscal year that wound down as COVID-19 began impacting the lives of Canadians. It showcases improvements to frontline intervention, investigations into systemic issues, publications and engagement activities.

Access the full report at: https://ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/annual/2019-2020

Quote

“This report reflects the important work done by our office in 2019-2020 to advance fairness for Veterans and their families, particularly how we are providing front-line service. The highlight, though, was how our team adapted swiftly to continue offering uninterrupted services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

- Sharon Squire, Deputy Veterans Ombudsman and Executive Director

Quick Facts

• The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman is an impartial and independent office that works to ensure the fair treatment of those Veterans and their families accessing Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) programs and services.  We offer information/navigation services, investigate complaints, and shed a light on fairness issues faced by groups of Veterans through systemic investigations. 
• In 2019-2020 the OVO received 1,916 inquiries and opened 943 complaints for investigation.  Information and referral services are provided in most instances.
• The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman released three publications in 2019-2020:

o   Income Replacement Benefit Calculation for Reserve Force Veterans

o   Spouses Supporting Transition poster

o   2019 Report Card

• If Veterans and their families believe that they have not been fairly treated by Veterans Affairs Canada, they can make a complaint to the OVO by going to www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca or calling 1-877-330-4343 (toll-free). 
• Online complaints can be submitted here: https://www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/en/get-started/complaint