Recommendation 1

That Veterans Affairs Canada establish an in-person service to help veterans learn about the services and programs they are eligible for, and to help them complete the paperwork required for these services and programs.

Recommendation 2

That Veterans Affairs Canada work with provincial ministries of health and professional associations to foster better cooperation from health care professionals and assist them when they must fill out the forms required by veterans to be eligible for the Department’s programs and services.

Recommendation 3

That the Canadian Armed Forces provide serving members with their complete digitalized medical file as soon as a permanent medical category has been assigned.

Recommendation 4

That Veterans Affairs Canada immediately improve the user interface of “My VAC Account”, and eliminate the requirement for veterans to provide their banking information upon registration for a “My VAC Account”, knowing that, if needed, this information could be requested later on.

Recommendation 5

That veterans who have been assigned a case manager be allowed to contact that person directly by email and/or telephone.

Recommendation 6

That Veterans Affairs Canada and the Veterans Review and Appeal Board accelerate their efforts to hire as many veterans as possible in all sectors and at all levels of their organizations, using a gender-balanced approach that would reflect the adequate proportion of female veterans.

Recommendation 7

That the Veterans Review and Appeal Board:

• Make public how it interprets its application of the “benefit of the doubt” rule;
• Better communicate with veterans before an audience to make sure that the rules of procedure are well understood, and that during the audience, Board members ensure veterans that they will remain the Board’s main priority;
• Provide to Veterans Affairs Canada the necessary feedback on the reasons why the Department’s initial decisions have been overturned.

Recommendation 8

That Veterans Affairs Canada, before denying a claim, communicate with the veteran to identify the relevant information that the veteran would need to provide in order to gain a better chance at a successful claim.

Recommendation 9

That Veterans Affairs Canada and the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, if a claim is denied, clearly communicate to the veteran the reasons for the denial.

Recommendation 10

That medically releasing members be considered released only once Veterans Affairs Canada has made a final adjudication on their applications for benefits and once all health, rehabilitation and vocational services have been put in place.

Recommendation 11

That the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada work together to create a one-stop shop, or “concierge service”, through which one individual would serve as the single point of contact for medically releasing members and would coordinate the services offered by the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada before, during and after release.

Recommendation 12

That Veterans Affairs Canada, in cooperation with the Department of National Defence, provide Canadian Armed Forces recruits with a veteran’s identity card and open their “My VAC Account” as soon as they begin military service, and provide regular updates and training on the changes made to its programs and services.

Recommendation 13

That Veterans Affairs Canada conduct an analysis of its handling of applications for financial benefits and services associated with injuries or illnesses that are a result of injuries and illnesses for which a link to military service has already been established, and that the results of this analysis be submitted to the Committee.

Recommendation 14

That Veterans Affairs Canada review its strategy for long-term care and consider offering contract beds to modern-day veterans who need them, in addition to the homecare provided through the Veterans Independence Program.

Recommendation 15

• That the long-term disability coverage of the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP) be offered only to veterans whose disability leading to medical release is not related to their military service;
• that all veterans being released for medical reasons related to their military service be eligible for the programs under the New Veterans Charter;
• that the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada work together to eliminate as quickly as possible the overlap between SISIP programs and programs offered by Veterans Affairs Canada; and
• that Veterans Affairs Canada eliminate the requirement that application for its vocational rehabilitation program be submitted within 120 days after release.

Recommendation 16

That Veterans Affairs Canada, when the veteran participates in, or is eligible for a rehabilitation program, provide access to a reasonable number of free sessions of psychological care to spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, and caregivers (as defined in section 2 (1) of the New Veterans Charter, or section 16 (3) of the Veterans Health Care Regulations), and that they be able to apply for such care without prior authorization from the veteran.

Recommendation 17

That Veterans Affairs Canada provide training and financial compensation to spouses, common-law partners, dependent children, and caregivers (as defined in section 2 (1) of the New Veterans Charter, or section 16 (3) of the Veterans Health Care Regulations) who provide care to the veteran.

Recommendation 18

That the Veterans Review and Appeal Board table to the Committee its most recent decisions in cases involving sexual harassment and abuse, and make sure that individuals involved in these cases cannot be identified.