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If helpful for anyone wondering where they are in terms of backlog, the VAC speaker today said they’re currently working on November 2017 applications.
VAC wait times
- Thread starter Mediman14
- Start date
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Dinosaur
- Reaction score
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BeyondTheNow said:
About the same wait for a Tesla Model 3. Coincidence?
Nope, no way ;D
trooper142
Jr. Member
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- 60
BeyondTheNow said:
Well that's interesting, because I called them yesterday and I was told April 2017! They just jumped 7 months in a day!
*Edit* turns out the Nov 2017 is for reassessment, April 2017 is for First Application
Considering my application is August 2017, I wondering when they are gonna give me a decision, I'm hoping shortly lol
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GreenArmychick said:
I applied for CIA end of January and it was approved as of last week. Can't remember if it's backdated to when we apply and if so, how long it will take to receive the backpay.
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Tcm621 said:
There are zero repercussions. Which is my big issue. And they won't redzone a file without showing financial distress, or medical treatment not being provided.
If I have a work project, and I have 16 weeks to finish it, and I don't, I'm fired. Plain and simple. VAC is a joke.
The liberal gov spent a tonne of money hiring people, and training them to do a job they weren't qualified for.
The way it's set up, it shouldn't be rocket science. Read the medical experts questionnaire, is it related to service, yes, does it fit the appropriate requirement for X%, yes, awarded to this. (The mental health is built around using keywords, like a PER)
Medical professionals fall under a college for their profession, they get reviewed, regularly. If their files show fraud, they lose their license.
I spent 8 hours of sessions doing the mental health questionnaire, and it took me 1 hr to find out where I am supposed to be at level, I took that to VRAB, and it was open and shut. It took me over two years in the VAC system, starting Jan 15, and getting the result Feb 17 with payout.
upandatom said:
That is one of my main complaints. Their standard has been 16 weeks for at least a couple of years now and they haven't been close since I have been in the VAC system. If they look at their data and it says they get 80% done in 45 weeks (for example) then set that as the standard and meet it. If they keep a 16 week standard and continually fail to meet it then someone should be fired.
- Reaction score
- 1,002
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Thus, throwing $42 million at the problem did not perform the miraculous cure.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/veterans-ombudsman-1.4820067
Ottawa slammed for making injured veterans wait months to get support - 12 Sep 12
Veterans told they can expect to find out within 16 weeks whether they are eligible for financial aid
The watchdog for Canadian veterans is taking the federal government to task for causing added frustration and stress to many injured veterans as they wait months longer than promised to find out if they qualify for disability benefits and other supports. Veterans ombudsman Guy Parent's scathing new report follows a review of hundreds of applications for assistance by former service members.
Veterans are told they can expect to find out within 16 weeks whether they are eligible for financial assistance and medical treatment for injuries related to their service. Parent's review found that target was achieved when it came to applications by veterans from the Second World War and Korea, but roughly 70 per cent of applications from other veterans — including those who served in Afghanistan — experienced delays.
The average turnaround time for those applications was 23 weeks or 29 weeks, depending on which files were counted, while more than a quarter of those took 32 weeks or longer — a situation that is getting worse due to a growing backlog of files. The findings were particularly troublesome for francophone and female veterans, some of whom have been waiting more than a year for a decision and whose files were disproportionately represented in those suffering from the longest delays.
"Women wait longer than men; francophone applicants wait longer than anglophone applicants," the report reads, adding: "Any differences in wait times for decisions should be based on need." Yet Parent's review also found Veterans Affairs Canada did not have any established process for identifying priority cases and that files were often addressed in a completely arbitrary manner.
Communication problems
Compounding the problem is a total lack of transparency and communication, meaning veterans are largely kept in the dark about the status of their applications for assistance and have no idea when they will get a decision. "The most common complaint my office hears from veterans: the length of time it takes to get a disability-benefit decision from Veterans Affairs Canada," says the ombudsman's report. "The frustration and increased stress that this causes veterans and their families must be eliminated. They deserve to know when a decision can be reasonably expected." The report is likely to stoke anger and frustration in many veterans who have already expressed disillusion with the Liberals ahead of next year's election. The Liberals have repeatedly promised to improve service at Veterans Affairs, most recently by committing $42 million to address a growing backlog of applications, even as officials have blamed a surge in requests for assistance for the delays.
Parent worried the issues identified in his review will only get worse once a controversial new pension for life for disabled veterans comes into effect next year, and he called for the government to redouble its efforts to fix the problem. "Now is the time to ensure that the planning and resources required to deliver disability benefits, both equitably and in a timely manner, are in place," the ombudsman's report says. "Lengthy turnaround times for disability benefit decisions is about more than monetary compensation for pain and suffering. Many applicants have unmet health needs that can be exacerbated by waiting for adequate treatment."
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Parent was decidedly agnostic when asked if Veterans Affairs needed to redouble its efforts to meet the 16-week target, suggesting that the department should first find out if the target is realistic. Yet he was adamant that officials needed to implement a way of prioritizing cases based on need and keep veterans appraised of the status of their applications. "As soon as you cannot meet that standard and you exceed it, for whatever reason there should be right away and automatic reply or personal contact with individuals to say: 'We cannot meet the published standard."'
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/veterans-ombudsman-1.4820067
Ottawa slammed for making injured veterans wait months to get support - 12 Sep 12
Veterans told they can expect to find out within 16 weeks whether they are eligible for financial aid
The watchdog for Canadian veterans is taking the federal government to task for causing added frustration and stress to many injured veterans as they wait months longer than promised to find out if they qualify for disability benefits and other supports. Veterans ombudsman Guy Parent's scathing new report follows a review of hundreds of applications for assistance by former service members.
Veterans are told they can expect to find out within 16 weeks whether they are eligible for financial assistance and medical treatment for injuries related to their service. Parent's review found that target was achieved when it came to applications by veterans from the Second World War and Korea, but roughly 70 per cent of applications from other veterans — including those who served in Afghanistan — experienced delays.
The average turnaround time for those applications was 23 weeks or 29 weeks, depending on which files were counted, while more than a quarter of those took 32 weeks or longer — a situation that is getting worse due to a growing backlog of files. The findings were particularly troublesome for francophone and female veterans, some of whom have been waiting more than a year for a decision and whose files were disproportionately represented in those suffering from the longest delays.
"Women wait longer than men; francophone applicants wait longer than anglophone applicants," the report reads, adding: "Any differences in wait times for decisions should be based on need." Yet Parent's review also found Veterans Affairs Canada did not have any established process for identifying priority cases and that files were often addressed in a completely arbitrary manner.
Communication problems
Compounding the problem is a total lack of transparency and communication, meaning veterans are largely kept in the dark about the status of their applications for assistance and have no idea when they will get a decision. "The most common complaint my office hears from veterans: the length of time it takes to get a disability-benefit decision from Veterans Affairs Canada," says the ombudsman's report. "The frustration and increased stress that this causes veterans and their families must be eliminated. They deserve to know when a decision can be reasonably expected." The report is likely to stoke anger and frustration in many veterans who have already expressed disillusion with the Liberals ahead of next year's election. The Liberals have repeatedly promised to improve service at Veterans Affairs, most recently by committing $42 million to address a growing backlog of applications, even as officials have blamed a surge in requests for assistance for the delays.
Parent worried the issues identified in his review will only get worse once a controversial new pension for life for disabled veterans comes into effect next year, and he called for the government to redouble its efforts to fix the problem. "Now is the time to ensure that the planning and resources required to deliver disability benefits, both equitably and in a timely manner, are in place," the ombudsman's report says. "Lengthy turnaround times for disability benefit decisions is about more than monetary compensation for pain and suffering. Many applicants have unmet health needs that can be exacerbated by waiting for adequate treatment."
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Parent was decidedly agnostic when asked if Veterans Affairs needed to redouble its efforts to meet the 16-week target, suggesting that the department should first find out if the target is realistic. Yet he was adamant that officials needed to implement a way of prioritizing cases based on need and keep veterans appraised of the status of their applications. "As soon as you cannot meet that standard and you exceed it, for whatever reason there should be right away and automatic reply or personal contact with individuals to say: 'We cannot meet the published standard."'
The report is worth reading, and responding too. I have already sent a response to the OVO regarding a discrepancy between their report and my interactions with VAC. For those of you that just want a quick overview, here is the OVO produced infographic:
http://www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/eng/reports/infographics/timely-transparent-decision
http://www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/eng/reports/infographics/timely-transparent-decision
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
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Tcm621 said:
I Find the ombudsman, cant really do anything worthwhile, except complain, They can write up these reports etc, but unless someone is there to enforce their requirements, then its kind of another entity that says, "the system is broken, do this"
upandatom said:
That is a problem but at least he complains directly to the people who have a say. I know both him and Gary Walbourne, the outgoing CAF ombudsman, were pushing hard for Independence rather than being under the minister they need to criticize but the government didn't feel it was needed.
- Reaction score
- 29
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I had a sit down with the Minister and a member of his VAC Committee the end of August. I can tell you the minister really wants to get the cash and benefits into our hands. He admits there are many legacy procedures that hamper this from happening. I think in time he'll actually solve the crazy processing times.
As for me, I have 2 claims that have been in Step 3 for 78 weeks now. Even after the minister engaged 4 weeks ago nothing has happened.
The real problem is that the adjudicators are not motivated to solve these issues efficiently. I mentioned that since everything is based on tables. Just have VAC accredited drs complete a bingo card based on those tables. Then just plug it into a computer and you're done. The adjudicators don't need to be in the loop. That type of automation is entirely possible but it would put much of that department out of work.
As for me, I have 2 claims that have been in Step 3 for 78 weeks now. Even after the minister engaged 4 weeks ago nothing has happened.
The real problem is that the adjudicators are not motivated to solve these issues efficiently. I mentioned that since everything is based on tables. Just have VAC accredited drs complete a bingo card based on those tables. Then just plug it into a computer and you're done. The adjudicators don't need to be in the loop. That type of automation is entirely possible but it would put much of that department out of work.
Understanding the wait times vary, if there is anyone with this same scenario. Two surgeries, one ankle ligament reconstruction and a follow up forefoot reconstruction less than a year later. Claim was submitted through RCL in Nov 17, VAC received all info from them 18 Jun 18. Contacted VAC and they are finalizing claims from May 2017. On 18 Jun status is Step 3 am I looking at perhaps another year before decision. Lots of great information here, appreciated.
I'm retired RCMP but I assume would be no different. I was in stage 3 at Jan 15th, 2018 for my PTSD reassement. Standard, no holdups I'm aware of. I called late last week and was told that they are currently processing Jan 2018 files. Should be any day now, I take that with a grain of salt though, lol.
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Mine has been sitting near as long. Last I called they said the were working on Dec17, so there appears to be some movement. Even if it's glacial. The way I understood what I was told, was that they may be processing your file and that might even be complete. However, the review and award group only meets periodically. so you still have to wait for them. :dunno:
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For ppls info. My file is stage 3, week 21 from VAC’s 16 week. Serving another 20 days and I’m a Mr.
I’ve been told that if your are still serving, files etc are slow. Once you are retired, it speeds up. Who fricking knows! I’ll come back and let you’all Know if and when the gods bless my file. Cheers!
I’ve been told that if your are still serving, files etc are slow. Once you are retired, it speeds up. Who fricking knows! I’ll come back and let you’all Know if and when the gods bless my file. Cheers!
- Reaction score
- 4,842
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It won't speed up. I'm at around 40 weeks, stage 3, instead of 16. But the good news is, they say, that they'll be getting to me shortly :rofl:
