By Canadian Press

Watchdog blasts compensation regimes for disabled veterans, calls for overhaul

May 13, 2020 | 10:17 AM

OTTAWA — Veterans ombudsman Craig Dalton is calling for a wholesale overhaul of how the federal government compensates and supports injured ex-soldiers.

In a report released today, the watchdog blasts the existing system for treating veterans differently depending on when they were hurt.

That has created inequalities, with some veterans receiving more compensation and benefits than others with the exact same injuries.

Dalton, whose last day as ombudsman is Friday, traces the problem to successive federal governments’ having never determined what financial outcomes they want for disabled veterans.

The result has been a mishmash of different benefits regimes as governments, including the Trudeau Liberals, have tried to address some gaps and created new ones in the process.

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Dalton says the federal government needs to take a step back and figure out what it wants for veterans before creating a fair and equitable regime that helps them reach that goal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2020.

The Canadian Press