QUESTION PERIOD — Veterans Affairs
Workload of Case Managers
December 8, 2021
Honourable senators, my question is also for the government leader in the Senate. Last month, the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees wrote to Minister MacAulay regarding the workload of case managers at the department. In 2015, the Trudeau government promised that the ratio of veterans to case managers would be 25 to 1. However, the union says that as of this fall only a handful of case managers had fewer than 30 veterans to manage. The average caseload for case managers was between 40 and 45, with some case managers reporting over 50 veterans on their list.
Leader, this situation is negatively impacting not just the veterans waiting to receive care, but also the Veterans Affairs employees themselves. When will your government live up to its promise to lower the caseload ratio at Veterans Affairs and give our veterans the service they deserve?
Thank you, senator, for your question.
The challenges and problems facing our veterans are serious and important, and the government is committed to improving the situation. The government is experiencing an increase in demand for case managers, due to more veterans receiving rehabilitation and an increase in medical releases that have more than doubled the number of case managers since 2015. As the minister has said publicly, we know that more needs to be done in the coming months to ensure we meet the 25-to-1 ratio — veterans to case managers — to which you made reference, and the government has committed in its electoral platform to making the necessary investments.
The government places the highest priority on ensuring veterans and their families have the support and services when and where they need them.
