QUESTION PERIOD — Veterans Affairs
Disability Benefits
May 11, 2023
My question is for the government leader in the Senate. It was mentioned earlier that the Royal Canadian Legion expressed its disappointment when the Trudeau government removed the image of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, as it signifies the sacrifices made for the very sort of freedom that the passport provides.
In March, the Legion said it wants assurances from the Trudeau government that the money announced in this year’s budget to tackle the backlog in disability benefits will be spent. The Legion pointed to the most recent public accounts, which show that Veterans Affairs Canada did not spend $920 million in 2022. Leader, when I raised this issue with you a year ago, the amount of funding lapsed by Veterans Affairs Canada in 2021 was over $634 million.
Why has your government allowed over $1.5 billion to lapse at Veterans Affairs Canada in just two years — when thousands of applications remain in the backlog?
Thank you for your question, and for underlining the important contribution that our veterans have made, as well as the important support that they deserve.
The government continues to work assiduously to provide appropriate benefits to veterans. The pacing and timing of expenditures are a function of many variables. In that regard, I would certainly be happy to take your concerns and transmit them to the appropriate minister.
An answer I received to the question that I asked last year stated, “Unspent funds are a normal and expected part of a department’s budgetary process.”
$1.5 billion is a staggering amount of money for Veterans Affairs Canada to allow to lapse in only two years, especially when you consider that the department missed its own target to reduce the backlog to 5,000 cases by the spring of last year. Just one year ago, a report from the Auditor General found that our veterans “are waiting too long to receive compensation for injuries sustained in their service to Canada.”
Leader, do you believe that over $1.5 billion is a normal amount to go unspent at Veterans Affairs Canada while our veterans continue to wait in line for the help they need?
Thank you for your question. I certainly understand the frustration that many will feel in the face of delays. The government invested close to $340 million to hire hundreds of new staff in order to increase the capacity to process veterans’ claims so that they receive faster decisions. These resources were recently extended to continue to address the backlog and reduce wait times for our cherished veterans.
I’m advised that the government has seen a significant decrease — over 50% — in the backlog. That said, the government knows that there is much more work to do, and they are committed to doing it.
