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Veterans Affairs Canada - have they lost their way?

gordjenkins

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I have NOT submitted this letter -I want to know if it is just me
having trouble with Veterans Affairs Canada
before I submit
Comments please..anyone else ??

DRAFT

Minister

Where there is smoke there is fire -
in USA Veterans Admin and Veterans Affairs Canada

A couple of for instances :
Mandate - Veterans Affairs mandate and money has moved from looking after veterans to more of a "Heritage Canada " function -example Ice Sculptures of Vimy and 100 year celebration of Vimy
Veterans having to do with second best disability equipment instead of the best (Not top of the line) - example hearing aids - veterans now issued clumsy "wrap around ear" devices of 1950 technology -and price instead of "state of the art devices" Even the Hearing Aid audiologists constantly fighting with Veterans Affairs to get service for veterans.
Veterans having to wait for months and years to have a pension decision reviewed- example it would be interested in the average figure how long it takes for a Pension Advocate to process a claim - most of us veterans are getting old - WW2 /Korean and even early Peacekeeping vets of Congo /Middle East.
Reverse Onus - and probably the most troubling and most difficult to get a handle on for a veteran is that when applying for a pension the veteran is "guilty until he is proved innocent" - in other words a veteran must prove he did not receive the disability before he joined the military. Should it not be up to the military to prove the vet did not receive during his overseas military duty?
This is but a
summary
tip of the iceberg
with Canadian veterans.

Stay tuned the the tidal wave to hit (after our Afghan vets return )
or
look into the situation quietly now


Respectfully



Gordon Jenkins
Major (retired) Canadian Army Regular


 
Apparently VAC is paying some fat salaries for people to issue this old tech.
 
VA has gotten to fat with its political appointments. It has lost its focus and its purpose in life. All veterans and serving members should be outraged how VA deals with them.

There are countless stories of veterans being denied assistance because there are no records which indicate that the veteran ever was posted at the military base in question.

One veteran received a letter from VA stating that there are no records of him being at Gagetown. I guess they have no record of me being at Gagetown either. We were posted there the same time.

Its time to put a person with military experience to head up VA, someone who understands and cares.

 
thank you for off line feed back!! -still needs work:>)

DRAFT #2

Minister

Where there is smoke there is fire -
in USA Veterans Admin
and in Canada also : Veterans Affairs Canada

A couple of for instances :
Mandate - Veterans Affairs mandate and money has moved from looking after veterans to more of a "Heritage Canada " function -example Ice Sculptures /Receptions etc for 90 Anniversary ofVimy 

Veteransnow with new policy being  with second best disability equipment instead of the best as previously  (Not top of the line) - example hearing aids - veterans now issued clumsy "wrap around ear" devices of 1950 technology -and price instead of "state of the art devices" Even the Hearing Aid audiologists complain of constantly fighting with Veterans Affairs to get service for veterans.

Pension Advocates Slow Veterans have to wait for months and years to have a pension decision reviewed- example it would be interested in the average figure how long it takes for a Pension Advocate to process a claim - most of us veterans are getting old - WW2 /Korean and even early Peacekeeping vets of Congo /Middle East. We will be dead soon. How long Mr Military Ombudsman to process a claim or appeal??  How many Vets have died waiting??

Reverse Onus on the Veteran to prove - when applying for a pension the veteran is "guilty until he is proved innocent" - in other words a veteran must prove he did not receive the disability before he joined the military. Should it not be up to the military to prove the vet did not receive the injury or disability during his or her overseas military duty? And if the injury does not appear on yhe Vets military record - dont even bother applying.

This is but one veteran - multiply this Minister by 10 or 100 and there could possibly be a problem at DVA that needs looking at??



Respectfully


Gordon Jenkins
Major (retired) Canadian Army Regular


 
Interesting Gord,
just had my hearing test done today. Had a very long talk with the audiologist afterwards. I got a good one who is well versed in dealling with VAC. Most of the outside medical people I have been seeing recently all say the same thing, they I trust; VAC well lets just say right now if I am in the room with someone from VAC there better be some one else with me. But not all VAC are this sort, it seems the younger ones are easier to deal with but the ones that have been around for too long often are in control.

GUNS,
all I can say is thank god I spent just about all my in service time with one of those little 110 cameras in my top combat pocket. A picture is worth a thousand words, especially after the pull the "we have no record". It also helped that I had my own copies of hospital records (oh sending me back to base ? Do you mind making an extra copy of those records for me?. AND lastly thanks to a bunch on this site who helped me locate other records from non-DND sources as the DND ones had vanished.

And now the waiting game is on.
 
They do seem to have a rather diverse service scheme. It took me three months from app, to testing, to new high tech aids that sit behind the ear and aren't visible. No one even knows I'm wearing them.
 
370 days ago, yep I am a geek, I was told that I was a young "wipper snapper" and that they did not have time for the likes of me to attend to my immediate medical need.

This is the VAC that is supposed to care for us, and those that re coming in from the Sand box.

The nurse who attended my home never heard of OSISS!

The have sat fat and lazy for well over 40 years, and a panic has set in.  Time to purge the pigs from the farmhouse.

dileas

tess
 
the 48th regulator said:
The have sat fat and lazy for well over 40 years, and a panic has set in.  Time to purge the pigs from the farmhouse.

dileas

tess

I just relized that 48th, had to go in today and yes your observation of the physical characteristics of the barn yard is 100% correct. Not one in the office is anywhere near being "fit". Last night on the news may have been CTV National they say by 2010 they will have 15 OSSIS clincs established cross Canada, due in part to the ratio of PTSD showing up in the boys down south. As for a purge which is long over due maybe given enough work to do finally they will all stress out and die a natural death.
 
Yes they have lost their way.!!! 
I am sure most cases that go in front of the VAC board (like mine) get denied. I felt belittled and pushed aside during my experience. That included the attitude I got from my VAC appointed attorney, who was suppose to "help me" with my case. Not to mention the VAC doctor who practically laughed at my med file...apparently it wasn't thick enough for his liking.

Hopefully some day it will change and they will be there to help soldiers.
 
I pity those soldiers who were posted to Gagetown during the Agent Orange spray program and now find themselves with one of the known medical conditions caused by the spraying.

I read some of their stories on their AOAC web site, these former soldiers deserve better treatment.

As one former soldier of the Gagetown spraying said," DND/Government/VA must be waiting for all of us to die off".

Pityfull,just pityfull
 
I read a couple of months ago about an Iranian teacher who was turned down to be a teacher because she could not show certificates of qualification - those being back in Iran from which she was a refugee.  There was a decision (by Ont Human Rights Comm I think?) that the school board had to give her a hearing at which (somehow) she could give "alternative proof" without the physical certificates.

VAC should be made do the same - if a veteran can swear out an affidavit of service at a particular base and time and that affidavit be verified by other sworn statements by fellow servicemen VAC should be obliged to accept them unless they can prove them to be fake and that no records of any kind are missing from the period in question.
 
Cdn. Royal said:
Yes they have lost their way.!!! 
I am sure most cases that go in front of the VAC board (like mine) get denied. I felt belittled and pushed aside during my experience.

Ahhh yes, the 'belittling' experience in front of the appeals board.

I remember it quite well.

"Well Cpl XX, your injury is obviously (said with GREAT emphasis by the 'experts' at the other end of the table) not related to your service...otherwise every (great emphasis by them again) other soldier who had done that job as part of their service would have suffered the same injury." Case Closed.

::)
 
I'm not surprised by this. Any government bureaucracy over time will become self absorbed at the expense of it's customers, the taxpayer. I wager that complaints by veterans to everyone who will listen will turn up the heat. As well, given the current focus of the media on the service and veterans, there must be a "troubleshooter" type of reporter who would love to handle this issue.
 
ModlrMike said:
there must be a "troubleshooter" type of reporter who would love to handle this issue.

Try a good honest editor in chief or a good honest producer. This has been going on for a number of years and the media defiantly does not want to go near this. I would love to have my last sentence proved wrong but I do not think so.
 
Why is VAC funding Remembrance?  Should be a Heritage Canada mandate.
 
I have a final appeal going on at Head Office, PEI. I broke each foot at different times doing the battle fitness test. I get 1% for each foot ( after appealing) which equals nothing until you hit 3%. Seems to me that you are on your feet all the time and feet are essential. This has been going on since Jan 04. The final appeal started Nov 06, and will be heard 29 Mar 07, with a result 60 to 90 days later. The Advocate in PEI does not hold out much of a hope I will get an increase. He basically said, it depends what side of the bed the Board got up on that day. When I stated that I thought that the Board was to give the benefit of doubt to the Vet, he sighed, and said that in his experience, it is 1 in 100 that the Vet gets the benefit of doubt, AND it seems that VAC is getting cheaper and cheaper. He also stated that their final appeal case load is enormous. Wonder why? How many VAC personnel ever spent a day in combat boots? I hurt my case because IAW the CDS direction, I did the BFT, and passed this year (at 59 YOA). I was specifically asked the question  "Are you going to do the battle fitness test?" at the first appeal (quoting the CDS direction - seems they follow what is going on!). While VAC hears all the time that military personnel suck it up and get on with it, this is held against you. I retire in Aug 07 with almost 45 years, so I am going to actively take on VAC as I will have the time. VAC considers you guilty of defrauding the government, until you can prove you are Innocent. Reverse onus as previously stated.
 
Re: Veterans Affairs Canada - have they lost their way?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2007, 05:55:00 PM » Quote 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thank you for off line feed back!! -still needs work:>)

DRAFT #3

Minister Veterans Affairs Canada

Where there is smoke there is fire - in USA Veterans Admin
and in Canada also : Veterans Affairs Canada

A couple of for instances :
Mandate - Veterans Affairs mandate and money has moved from looking after veterans to more of a "Heritage Canada " function -example Ice Sculptures /Receptions etc for 90 Anniversary of Vimy 

Veteransnow with new policy being  with second best disability equipment instead of the best as previously  (Not top of the line) - example hearing aids - veterans now issued clumsy "wrap around ear" devices of 1950 technology -and price instead of "state of the art devices" Even the Hearing Aid audiologists complain of constantly fighting with Veterans Affairs to get service for veterans.

Pension Advocates Slow Veterans have to wait for months and years to have a pension decision reviewed- example it would be interested in the average figure how long it takes for a Pension Advocate to process a claim - most of us veterans are getting old - WW2 /Korean and even early Peacekeeping vets of Congo /Middle East. We will be dead soon. How long Mr Military Ombudsman to process a claim or appeal??  How many Vets have died waiting??

Reverse Onus on the Veteran to prove - when applying for a pension the veteran is "guilty until he is proved innocent" - in other words a veteran must prove he did not receive the disability before he joined the military. Should it not be up to the military to prove the vet did not receive the injury or disability during his or her overseas military duty? And if the injury does not appear on the Vets military record - don't even bother applying.

This is but one veteran - multiply this Minister by 10 or 100 and there could possibly be a problem at DVA that needs looking at?? Why is not more money going to veterans rather than "heritage" - there is a Department for heritage!



Respectfully


Gordon Jenkins
Major (retired) Canadian Army Regular
 
It may be useful to wait until the Veteran's Ombudsman is up an running. The 2007 budget allocated funds for the creation of this office.
 
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