BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).
*************************
It's unfortunate that Canadian veterans have to fight their own government for benefits.
Canadian veterans have long held a distinguished role as defenders of democracy in World War II and Korea, as well as a global peacekeeper in conflicts around the world including Cypres, Croatia, Rwanda, Haiti, Sudan, East Timor and most recently in Mali.
In fact, the first UN Peacekeeping mission was Lester Pearson's initiative brought forward to help bring an end to the Suez Crisis in 1956.
Canadian veterans, such as Simcoe County resident and Afghan veteran JR Smith, have paid a steep price for their efforts in dangerous and stressful combat zones.
Many disabled Canadian veterans are facing numerous delays in seeking disability supports. Over the past decade, regional offices have closed across the country and funding for Veterans Affairs has been reduced.
"There's an enormous backlog of disability benefit applications at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) which has persisted and worsened in recent years." says Rachel Blaney, Veterans' Affairs Critic. “Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs should take this opportunity to eliminate the existing backlog, and ensure all of Canada’s veterans get the support they need in a timely fashion.”
Afghan veteran JR Smith, "I am fighting Veterans Affairs because of unfair processes that veterans have to go up against to obtain benefits and placement on programs. Veterans affairs are dishonouring the sacrifice of our fallen by continuously denying soldiers access to earned benefits that are ultimately funded by taxpayer dollars.”
"In light of the government’s response to COVID-19, it is now obvious that automatic approvals followed by audits are an incredibly efficient way of getting support to people in need. A number of veterans advocacy organizations are calling for this to apply to Canada’s veterans," says MP Rachel Blaney.
Automatic approvals would also support employees at VAC where there is significant turnover due to stress, significant overtime, and burnout, resulting in, "Stress leave from work, the backlog of files gets worse, and thus we fall into a cycle with no relief in sight for veterans or VAC employees."
As proud Canadians, we must insist that our federal government take this opportunity to do better for disabled veterans seeking financial support.
*************************
