Calls mount for auto approval of veterans’ disability claims amid COVID-19

By: Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press Posted: 3:43 AM CDT Sunday, May. 17, 2020 Last Modified: 3:58 PM CDT Sunday, May. 17, 2020

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OTTAWA - Frustration is growing within Canada's veterans' community as many disabled ex-soldiers continue to wait for federal support and benefits even as the government rushes to approve millions of claims for assistance related to COVID-19.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/05/2020 (2333 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Frustration is growing within Canada’s veterans’ community as many disabled ex-soldiers continue to wait for federal support and benefits even as the government rushes to approve millions of claims for assistance related to COVID-19.

The growing frustration among veterans comes as Canada passed a new milestone Sunday, with more than half the country’s roughly 76,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 now listed as recovered. More than 5,700 people have died from the respiratory illness.

It also coincides with a growing war of words between Jason Kenney and the Chinese consulate in Calgary, after the Alberta premier suggested China will soon face a “great reckoning” for downplaying the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus when it first emerged.

People wait to be tested for COVID-19 at a mobile clinic in Montreal, Sunday, May 17, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Veterans and their advocates have been calling for Ottawa to automatically approve roughly 44,000 claims that have been sitting in the backlog at Veterans Affairs Canada, a request that the federal government has so far rejected.

Yet many are now questioning why the government is refusing to act following reports federal officials have been told to approve payments through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit even in cases of suspected fraud or abuse.

Federal officials have suggested that roughly 200,000 of the estimated eight million CERB payments made so far have been flagged as a concern. The government has said it wanted to get money to Canadians quickly during the pandemic, and will crack down on abusers at a later date.

The purpose and legal requirements around the CERB are different from Veterans Affairs Canada’s disability benefits programs, department spokesman Josh Buekert said, adding officials are looking at ways to help process disability claims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are making it easier for decision makers to use available evidence to reach their decision as quickly as possible,” Buekert said in an email. “We are reviewing all processes used during these challenging circumstances and will use them to continue to improve production in the future.”

Frustration has been boiling over on social media and elsewhere, however, with numerous veterans demanding to know why the government can fast-track millions of claims for assistance related to COVID-19 but not those injured while serving in uniform.

“Veterans are pissed because we are always put to the back of the bus,” said retired master corporal Dave Toy, who has been waiting more than 18 months for his claim for benefits related to post-traumatic stress disorder to be processed. “This is just another reason to be pissed off.”

The National Council of Veteran Associations, which represents more than 60 veteran groups, has been leading calls for the government to automatically approve the outstanding applications for disability benefits from injured veterans to help them deal with the COVID-19 crisis.

Not only are approval rates for most categories of injuries — including post-traumatic stress disorder — extremely high, council chairman Brian Forbes said the pandemic has created new hurdles for processing claims because of the need for doctor’s assessments and other requirements.

“The government is taking the view — and it’s kind of hard to criticize — that to put people through a bureaucratic approval process would be hard to justify,” Forbes said of the CERB.

Frustration is growing within Canada's veterans community as many disabled ex-soldiers continue to wait for federal support and benefits even as the government rushes to approve millions of claims for assistance related to COVID-19. A Canadian flag sits on a members of Canadian forces that are leaving from CFB Trenton, in Trenton, Ont., on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

“In these times, the same philosophy should apply to both. We’re talking about disabled veterans, people who are in need.”

Forbes did suggest the idea of automatic approvals has been gaining some traction within the department, where there have been questions about how to manage payments and the optics of clawing back money from veterans who are later found not to qualify for assistance.

Yet so far, the government has refused to pull the trigger.

“There is some movement in Veterans Affairs on what we’re calling a form of automatic entitlement to try to deal with the backlog and the longstanding adjudicated delays,” he said. “I’m a little biased, but I don’t see disabled veterans quite in the same classification as fraud artists.”

NDP veterans affairs critic Rachel Blaney said she has heard the concerns and complaints from veterans about the backlog, and that she hasn’t heard any compelling reason why their applications for assistance shouldn’t be automatically approved and verified afterward.

“Let’s just approve,” she said. “This is a group of people that have already served our country. So I would say it’s probably not a high-risk group of people trying to trick the system.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2020.

Manitoba cases remain at 289 as of Sunday

Public health officials advised there are no new cases of COVID-19 reported in Manitoba as of Sunday morning, but they urged caution as people enjoy the May long weekend.

The number of cases remained at 289, a statement by Manitoba Health said. As of Saturday, an extra 762 lab tests had been conducted, raising the number of tests done in Manitoba since early February to 34,715.

As of Sunday, two people were in hospital, including one in intensive care.

There were 25 active cases and 257 people were listed as recovered. Since the outbreak hit Manitoba, seven people have died.

Manitoba Health said: “It is important to note that while some gradual lifting of restrictions has begun, significant work to limit the spread of COVID-19 must continue. If you travel for camping or to the cottage, you are reminded to take steps to maintain social distancing.”

People in southern Manitoba are not allowed to travel to areas north of the 53rd parallel in order to protect northern communities from getting the virus.