I was not sure where to post this, so this seemed appros.....
Bureaucracy gap leaves some soldiers without benefits
TheStar.com July 25, 2007 Murray Brewster CANADIAN PRESS
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Programs, services under Veterans Affairs often unavailable for months after leaving the military
OTTAWA–Soldiers returning to civilian life after being wounded in Afghanistan face the possibility of being unemployed and without medical benefits for months following their discharge because of a gap in the bureaucracy between the military and Veterans Affairs Canada.
Applications for programs and services under the new Veterans Charter are not considered until after a Forces member is released and that "typically results in a delay of several months before eligibility is determined and benefits are received," say documents released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.
At the same time, public service regulations restrict military members who are about to be discharged from applying for priority appointments in the civil service until after they're out of uniform.
"Therefore most can expect to be unemployed for a period of time after release," said an Oct. 11, 2006, briefing note prepared for Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor.
"Both circumstances are significant sources of stress for medically releasing members."
A senior program director at Veterans Affairs said the department is aware of the gap and doing what it can to speed up the benefits approval process, especially for badly wounded soldiers.
Despite that Ken Miller of Veterans Affairs in Charlottetown said a handful of case delays have emerged since the charter – which overhauled veterans' benefits – went into effect April 1, 2006.
Miller wouldn't say how many cases have fallen through the cracks, but described it as "minimal."
The degree of the disability goes a long way in determining how quickly a case is expedited. Soldiers with less severe medical cases face routine processing.
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