News Releases

Call for Nominations: Veterans Ombud Commendation Award

Do you know someone or an organization who is doing amazing work for our CAF and RCMP Veterans and their families? The Veterans Ombud is pleased to award Commendations every year in four categories to recognize and acknowledge the outstanding commitment and dedication of people all across Canada who go above and beyond to provide support to our Veterans community. Please consider nominating them for the Veterans Ombud Commendation by June 10, 2024. 
Nomination categories: 

— 30 —

Veterans Ombud Releases Report: Full and Fair Payment of Pain and Suffering Compensation

March 22, 2024, Ottawa, ON – Veterans Ombud Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine released a report today on the unfairness inherent in Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) Pain and Suffering Compensation (PSC) benefit. The PSC benefit compensates Veterans for disabilities related to their service. How VAC pays the PSC benefit directly affects what happens to Veterans’ compensation when they die. 

— 30 —

Veterans Ombud Releases Update on Letter To Minister of Veterans Affairs Regarding Merlo Davidson Settlement

February 6, 2024, OTTAWA, ON – Veterans Ombud Colonel (Ret’d) Nishika Jardine released an update about the actions Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) took to resolve unfairness in the way it was reducing disability pensions for some Merlo Davidson class action settlement claimants. 
 
Following receipt of complaints about disability pension reductions, the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) conducted a systemic review and found that disability pensions were being unfairly reduced for Merlo Davidson settlement compensation recipients. 

— 30 —

Office of the Veterans Ombud Shines Light on its Outstanding Recommendations to Veterans Affairs Canada

December 7, 2023, Ottawa, ON – Today, the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) released its publication Spotlight 2023: Progress Update on OVO Recommendations to VAC. As of March 31, 2023, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has fully or partially implemented 70 percent or 55 of the OVO’s 79 recommendations –  a slight improvement over last year.

The recommendations made by the OVO address systemic gaps and barriers to fair access by Veterans and their families for VAC services and benefits.

— 30 —