OTTAWA—The federal government has been slammed in a watchdog’s new report for causing added frustration and stress to many injured veterans as they are forced to wait months longer than promised to find out if they qualify for disability benefits and other supports. Veterans ombudsman Guy Parent’s scathing report follows a review of hundreds of applications for assistance by former service members. Veterans ombudsman Guy Parent attends a press conference on Parliament Hill in November 2010. “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. 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.

Source: thestar September 11, 2018 23:37 UTC