By Canadian Press

Injured, ill veterans still face unacceptable delays for federal assistance: AG

May 31, 2022 | 8:08 AM

OTTAWA — Canada’s auditor general says ill and injured veterans continue to face unacceptable delays when applying for federal assistance and benefits despite numerous government initiatives designed to cut wait times.

In fact, Karen Hogan says in a report released today that Veterans Affairs Canada doesn’t know whether any of those initiatives have actually helped speed up the processing of veterans’ disability claims.

Veterans advocates and others have long warned that delays in the processing of such claims can have a significant impact on disabled veterans and their families by preventing access to treatment and financial assistance.

Hogan echoes that assertion in her report, adding the government must come up with a real, long-term plan to address the problem that includes the right amount of resources and staff.

The auditor notes the government has hired hundreds of temporary workers and made a number of changes to how claims are processed by Veterans Affairs.

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But she says those efforts appear to have done little to cut down on wait times and address the more than 40,000 unprocessed claims sitting with the department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2022.

The Canadian Press