Vicki L MorrisonVeterans Affairs Canada will be hiring a total of 167 new case managers across Canada to provide direct service to veterans and their families.
Erin O’Toole, veterans affairs minister, joined by the Gail Shea, fisheries and oceans minister, made the announcement last week in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
“Hiring more staff to assist military veterans demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to service excellence when serving military veterans and former members of the RCMP. It is our duty to serve those who have served Canada and to treat veterans with care, compassion and respect,” said Erin O’Toole, veterans affairs minister.
Veterans Affairs Canada is delivering on its commitment to service excellence by hiring 61 new employees at the Veterans Affairs Canada Headquarters located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to support the disability application and case management processes for military veterans and former members of the RCMP.
“Ensuring that our veterans and their families have the services and benefits they need and deserve is a priority for our government. Prince Edward Islanders are extremely proud to serve our veterans. These new positions will allow them to continue their tradition of excellence while having a very positive impact on the Island’s economy,” said Shea.
One permanent case manager will be hired in Charlottetown to dedicate more time and attention to meeting the individual needs of military and RCMP veterans living in P.E.I.
Sixteen case management support staff will be hired to assist case managers across Canada. The remaining 11 employees will be hired to help support the process of hiring, training, and engaging the new employees.
Thirty-three of the new employees, 20 permanent and 13 temporary, will work on disability benefits applications.
Veterans Affairs Canada intends to hire 101 disability benefits staff, to be located in up to 16 locations, across the country.
The additional disability benefits staff will ensure there is more capacity to support military veterans who need help applying for disability benefits, 11 more adjudicators to make decisions, and more staff to process payments. This means military veterans will have faster access to disability benefits as well as health care funding and mental health treatment related to their disability.
It is expected most of the positions will be staffed by the end of March 2016.
Veterans Affairs Canada provides disability benefits totalling about $2 billion a year to approximately 180,000 individuals, including military veterans, Canadian Armed Forces serving personnel, former RCMP, RCMP personnel and surviving family members.
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