Minister Fantino Responds to Ombudsman's Reports on the New Veterans Charter

OTTAWA, Oct. 1, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, responded today to two reports on the New Veterans Charter (NVC), Improving the NVC: The Report and Improving the NVC: The Actuarial Analysis, released this morning by Guy Parent, Veterans Ombudsman.

"I would like to offer my thanks to the Veterans Ombudsman for his ongoing work on this important file," said Minister Fantino. "His reports highlight how the assistance and services delivered through the New Veterans Charter are providing real and meaningful support to Veterans and their families. The recommendations will also serve as an important starting point for the upcoming parliamentary review."

Last week, Minister Fantino announced that the Government is supporting a comprehensive parliamentary review of the New Veterans Charter which will start when the legislative session begins later this month. Minister Fantino has called for the comprehensive review to place a special focus on the most seriously injured, support for families and the delivery of programs by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Through the NVC, Veterans Affairs Canada offers support to Veterans and their families through programs and services that include disability benefits, case management services, rehabilitation services, and financial benefits.

Dozens of improvements have been made to the support and services provided by Veterans Affairs Canada since 2006, including:

• establishing a minimum pre-tax income for Veterans who can no longer work and for those who are in rehabilitation;
• reducing wait times by eliminating hundreds of unnecessary forms;
• launching the Hire a Veteran initiative to open doors to new career opportunities for Canadian Veterans;
• doubling the financial benefits available to Veterans' families through the Funeral and Burial Program, under Economic Action Plan 2013;
• streamlining our processes, using plain language, offering greater e-services, simplifying our forms and eliminating them where they are not needed; and
• establishing a partnership with Service Canada to provide Veterans with approximately 600 new points of service across the country.

"Going forward, we are committed to taking a responsible approach in reviewing the options to ensure Veterans have the support they need, when they need it," added Minister Fantino. "We have already made a number of improvements in the areas highlighted by the Ombudsman, and will continue to look at measures that will help to better support those who served Canada in uniform."

Veterans Affairs Canada's support and services offer the right care at the right time to achieve the best results for Veterans and their families. Find out more at veterans.gc.ca.

SOURCE: Veterans Affairs Canada