{"id":525,"date":"2013-10-03T15:19:51","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T19:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncva-wp-cfd3bchdd5esgma5.canadacentral-01.azurewebsites.net\/?p=525"},"modified":"2017-06-12T15:04:28","modified_gmt":"2017-06-12T19:04:28","slug":"governments-failure-to-implement-plan-of-action-on-reforming-new-veterans-charter-violates-social-covenant-owed-to-canadian-veterans-and-their-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/news-release\/governments-failure-to-implement-plan-of-action-on-reforming-new-veterans-charter-violates-social-covenant-owed-to-canadian-veterans-and-their-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Government&#39;s Failure to Reform New Veterans Charter Violates Social Covenant to Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"row\">\r\n  <div class=\"small-12\">\r\n    <p><strong>OTTAWA, October 3, 2013 &#8211; <\/strong>The National  Council of Veteran Associations, consisting of sixty member organizations and  representing a wide cross-section of the veterans&rsquo; community, came out today in  support of the essential findings of the Veterans Ombudsman&rsquo;s Office, which  issued a comprehensive report this week in relation to the need to reform the  New Veterans Charter. <\/p>\r\n    <p>Brian Forbes, Chairman of NCVA, noted  that the report, which calls for urgent action, correctly recognizes the  appropriate priorities for immediate revision of the Charter in its focus on  three key transition issues:<\/p>\r\n    <ul>\r\n      <li>the financial instability and  decreased standard of living caused by reduced post military release income and  insufficient financial support after the age of 65 for totally and permanently  incapacitated veterans.<\/li>\r\n      <li>the limitations in vocational  rehabilitation and educational funding which can affect second career  aspirations and employment options.<\/li>\r\n      <li>inadequate support to address  difficult family environment scenarios as a consequence of military service.<\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n    <p>&ldquo;The Ombudsman&rsquo;s evidence-based  actuarial study has demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt the specific  shortcomings that exist in the Charter today,&rdquo; Mr. Forbes said.<\/p>\r\n    <p>He  pointed out that when the Charter was enacted in 2006, the Government declared  that this legislation was a &ldquo;Living Charter&rdquo; and made a formal commitment to  the veterans&rsquo; community that, as gaps and inequities were identified, immediate  remedial action would be taken to address these deficiencies.<\/p>\r\n    <p>&ldquo;The  Government has failed to fulfill this commitment with regard to a significant  number of substantive issues, impacting on the compensation benefits of  disabled veterans in violation of the social covenant that the Canadian people  owe to our veterans and their families,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\r\n    <p>NCVA  has consistently demanded over the last number of years that Veterans Affairs  Canada implement an overall plan of action to fulfill its commitment in  relation to not only the New Veterans Charter, but also to seriously disabled  veterans and health care reform. <\/p>\r\n    <p>&ldquo;In  accordance with the fundamental conclusions of the Veterans Ombudsman&rsquo;s report,  it remains NCVA&rsquo;s position that, notwithstanding the ostensible economic  constraints facing the country, the seriously disabled veteran should be given  immediate priority in the implementation of the first phase of a VAC plan of  action for legislative reform,&rdquo; Mr. Forbes said.  &ldquo;There is no higher obligation on Veterans  Affairs Canada and the veterans&rsquo; community than the responsibility to address  the needs and requirements of seriously disabled veterans and their families.&rdquo; <\/p>\r\n    <p>He  added that, although NCVA fully endorses the general thrust of the Ombudsman&rsquo;s  report, it would have preferred that the Ombudsman&rsquo;s office had adopted the  more beneficial recommendations of the New Veterans Charter Advisory Group and  the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs (2009-2010) in relation to  strengthening the compensation and income security provisions of the Charter.<\/p>\r\n    <p>It  has been NCVA&rsquo;s longstanding contention that any VAC plan of action should  include the remedial measures contained in the Advisory Group and Parliamentary  Committee reports (see Appendix I) so as to optimally address the deficiencies  in the Charter as precisely identified by the Veterans Ombudsman&rsquo;s report.<\/p>\r\n    <p>In  NCVA&rsquo;s view, <u>immediate implementation<\/u> of a comprehensive course of  action to legislative Charter reform pursuant to these recommendations would  represent an important step to meeting the controversy surrounding the Lump Sum  Disability Award through the proposed enhancements of the complementary benefit  and income support programs in the current legislation.<\/p>\r\n    <p>&ldquo;We  have encouraged the new Minister, Mr. Fantino, and his predecessors, to &lsquo;get  out in front&rsquo; of the significant criticism of the Charter with such a plan of  action, and not wait for the outcome of the current class action lawsuit  (Equitas), and the pending Parliamentary Standing Committee review anticipated  this fall,&rdquo; Mr. Forbes said. <\/p>\r\n    <p>&ldquo;We  do commend the  Minister for his  immediate commitment upon receipt of the Ombudsman&rsquo;s report, to the initiation  of a review of the New Veterans Charter, with particular emphasis on &lsquo;the most  seriously injured, support for families, and the delivery of programs by VAC,&rsquo;&rdquo;  he added, &ldquo;However, in our judgement, these proposed reforms have been  sufficiently studied and analyzed over the last number of years such that the  gaps and voids have been readily identified by the New Veterans Charter  Advisory Group, the Special Needs Advisory Group, the Standing Committee on  Veterans Affairs, and now the Veterans Ombudsman&rsquo;s office.&rdquo;<\/p>\r\n    <p>&ldquo;In our considered opinion, it is long overdue for VAC to become proactive, and implement remedial legislation to address these well-established concerns and live up to its obligation under the social covenant to Canada&rsquo;s veterans and their dependants.   For a Government that  professes to support our military, the lack of substantive action to reform the  New Veterans Charter is truly unacceptable, and represents a betrayal of the  Government&rsquo;s commitment to the veterans&rsquo; community,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"text-center\">&#8211; 30 &#8211;<\/p>\r\n    <p><strong><em>The  Recommendations of the New Veterans Charter Advisory Group, the Parliamentary  Committee Report and The National Council of Veteran Associations follow in  Appendix I.  For more information, please  contact Communications at 1-877-60MEDIA, visit ncva-cnaac.ca or e-mail  <a href=\"mailto:ncva@waramps.ca\" target=\"_self\">ncva@waramps.ca<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\r\n    <p class=\"text-center\"><strong>APPENDIX I<\/strong><\/p>\r\n    <p><strong>THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF  THE NEW VETERANS CHARTER ADVISORY GROUP, THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE REPORT AND  THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF VETERAN ASSOCIATIONS RE THE INCOME SECURITY AND  COMPENSATION PROVISIONS OF THE NEW VETERANS CHARTER.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n    <ul class=\"List\">\r\n      <li><u>the  Earnings Loss Benefit should be increased to 100% of pre-release income and in relation to permanently incapacitated veterans, be paid for life (not terminated at 65 as is currently the case).    In addition, the projected career earnings of a Canadian Armed Forces member should be employed as the standard for the payment of the Earnings Loss  Benefit.   In this context, VAC should  adopt the approach utilized by the Canadian Courts in assessing the concept of  &ldquo;future loss of income&rdquo; which specifically addresses the projected lifetime  earnings loss in a personal injury claim.<\/u><\/li>\r\n      <li><u>the  SISIP (Service Income Security Insurance Plan) Long Term Disability Program  should be eliminated with respect to service-related disabilities to eradicate  the insurance culture constraints presently contained in the New Veterans  Charter.<\/u> It is to be noted that, at the time of the  enactment of the New Veterans Charter, VAC committed that, as a fundamental  pre-condition to the passage of the legislation that the SISIP program would be  eliminated as soon as possible so as to remove the restrictions that were  inherent to the overall income replacement program.<\/li>\r\n      <li>the  restrictions and complexities of the Permanent Impairment Allowance guidelines  should be addressed so as to allow greater numbers of disabled veterans to  qualify for appropriate levels of entitlement for this important allowance.<\/li>\r\n      <li>the  Lump Sum Disability Award should be increased commensurate with the general damages paid by the Canadian Courts.   At  this point in time, the differential would be approximately $50,000.00, and it  remains the view of NCVA that there is no justification for a lower amount being  paid to a disabled veteran who is severely injured in the service of his  country.<\/li>\r\n      <li><u>the  Exceptional Incapacity Allowance concept founded under the Pension Act should be incorporated into the New Veterans Charter.    This allowance has traditionally addressed the impact of the  disabilities suffered by 100% veteran pensioners with reference to their  difficulty to cope with their overall incapacity.<\/u> The introduction of EIA to the New Veterans Charter would augment the  limitations of the Permanent Impairment Allowance, particularly in the  circumstance where a disabled veteran confronts the ravages of age.<\/li>\r\n      <li>educational  benefits should be expanded to bolster the rehabilitation provisions of the  Charter so as to address the vocational and occupational constraints faced by  many returning veterans with service-related disabilities.<\/li>\r\n      <li>the  discrimination that currently exists with reference to specific classes of  reservists, particularly those that are seriously disabled, should be  eliminated in the New Veterans Charter and related insurance coverage with  particular regard to income replacement programs and relevant SISIP provisions.<\/li>\r\n      <li><u>In  order to recognize the caregiving requirements that many disabled veterans  confront to cope with their incapacities, the Attendance Allowance provisions  of the Pension Act should be added to the New Veterans Charter in recognition  of the financial costs faced by many families in this context.<\/u><\/li>\r\n      <li><u>the  Charter should acknowledge that veterans with dependents should receive a  higher level of compensation either through the augmentation of the Lump Sum  Disability Award or an increase in the Earnings Loss Benefit for such veterans and their families. <\/u><\/li>\r\n    <\/ul>\r\n    <p>[Underlining  reflects the more beneficial proposals supported by the New Veterans Charter  Advisory Group, the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs and the National  Council of Veteran Associations as distinct from the recommendations set out in  the new Veterans Ombudsman&rsquo;s report.]<\/p>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"small-12\">OTTAWA, October 3, 2013 &#8211; The National Council of Veteran Associations, consisting of sixty member organizations and representing a wide cross-section of the veterans&rsquo; community, came out today in support of the essential findings of the Veterans Ombudsman&rsquo;s Office, which issued a comprehensive report this week in relation to the need to reform the New(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/news-release\/governments-failure-to-implement-plan-of-action-on-reforming-new-veterans-charter-violates-social-covenant-owed-to-canadian-veterans-and-their-families\/\">Read more<\/a>)<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-release"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncva-cnaac.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}