Vol. 151, No. 18 — September 6, 2017

Registration
SOR/2017-161 August 15, 2017

VETERANS WELL-BEING ACT

Regulations Amending the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations

P.C. 2017-1061 August 14, 2017

His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, pursuant to sections 5.1 (see footnote a), 5.93 (see footnote b) and 94 (see footnote c) of the Veterans Well-being Act (see footnote d), makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations.

Regulations Amending the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations

Amendments

1 The title of the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations (see footnote 1) is replaced by the following:

Veterans Well-being Regulations

2 The definition Act in section 1 of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

Act means the Veterans Well-being Act. (Loi)

3 Sections 2 to 4 of the Regulations are replaced by the following:

PART 1.1

Education and Training Benefit

4 The heading of Part 3.1 of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

Caregiver Recognition Benefit

5 Section 65.1 of the Regulations is replaced by the following:

6 Paragraph 65.2(b) of the Regulations is repealed.

7 Sections 65.5 and 65.6 of the Regulations are replaced by the following:

8 The Regulations are amended by adding the following after section 65.7:

9 The Regulations are amended by adding the following after section 67:

Waiver
Terminology

10 Every reference to “Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act” is replaced by “Veterans Well-being Act” in the following provisions:

Coming into Force

11 These Regulations come into force on April 1, 2018.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Executive summary

Issues: Veterans Affairs Canada has identified areas for improvement in its benefits and services to help better meet the needs of Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and their families. To address these matters, the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act has been amended to change its name to the Veterans Well-being Act (the Act), create two new benefits, redesign an existing program, and streamline administrative processes. To support these initiatives, regulatory changes are required to the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations, to be renamed the Veterans Well-being Regulations (the Regulations).

Description: The regulatory amendments support the implementation and delivery of two new benefits — the Education and Training Benefit and the Caregiver Recognition Benefit — and the redesigned Career Transition Services Program. The amendments also prescribe the manner in which the Minister of Veterans Affairs may waive the requirement for an application for benefits and services provided under the Act. Lastly, the Regulations have been renamed for consistency with the new name of the Act.

Cost-benefit statement: Over the first nine years of implementation, these regulatory changes are expected to benefit up to 2 002 Education and Training Benefit recipients and 9 238 Career Transition Services recipients, as well as up to 1 590 Caregiver Recognition Benefit recipients. This results in a net present value cost of $43.6 million to Veterans Affairs Canada. The costs related to these amendments will be incurred by Veterans Affairs Canada and the benefits related to these amendments will largely be received by eligible Canadian Armed Forces members, veterans and/or their families.

“One-for-One” Rule and small business lens: The “One-for-One” Rule does not apply to these amendments, as there is no administrative cost to business. The amendments do not impose administrative burden or compliance costs on small business.

Background

The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act, commonly referred to as the New Veterans Charter (NVC), came into force in April 2006. The NVC was designed as a living charter to meet the evolving needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, veterans and their families. The NVC offers a wide range of benefits and services to ensure that these men and women receive the care and support that they need and deserve. The Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations were also implemented in April 2006 to support the NVC. Since the NVC’s implementation, parliamentary committees, advisory groups, veterans’ organizations, the Veterans Ombudsman, and Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) own research and evaluations, have identified issues in the suite of benefits and services offered. Some of these concerns have been addressed through recent legislative amendments to the NVC that have created two new benefits, redesigned an existing program, and provided authority to waive (where possible) the application process. These legislative amendments, which come into effect on April 1, 2018, have also changed the name of the NVC to the Veterans Well-being Act (the Act). These changes are detailed in the following:

Education and Training Benefit (ETB)

Currently, VAC offers programs which target the re-establishment of veterans through the pursuit of employment; however, these programs either do not provide funding for post-secondary education, or they target only veterans who are medically released and/or who have service-related injuries or illnesses and are experiencing barriers to transition. While VAC has established “employment and participation in other meaningful activities” as one of the key domains for veterans to achieve positive well-being, there are no VAC programs which allow an otherwise healthy veteran to go back to school to support a post-military career. Further to this, in the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence’s 2015 mandate letter, one of the top priorities identified was the creation of a “Veterans’ education benefit that will provide full support for the costs of up to four years of college, university or technical education for Canadian Forces Veterans after completion of service.”

In response, VAC has created the new ETB to help veterans successfully transition from military to civilian life, achieve their education and future post-military employment goals, and better position them to be more competitive in the civilian workforce. This taxable benefit will provide up to a maximum of $80,000 to honourably released (i.e. those who have left the CAF for medical reasons, as a result of a voluntary decision or at the completion of their military service) veterans with twelve years of military service, or up to a maximum of $40,000 for honourably released veterans who have six years of service, to participate in post-secondary education and training programs. The six and twelve years of military service include any time the veteran served in the regular force, in the reserve force or a combination of time served in both. The benefit will provide funding to cover tuition, fees and materials, as well as any expenses, including living expenses that may be incurred by the veteran while enrolled at an education institution for most types of formalized educational programs. On completion of their post-secondary education and training programs, in respect of which they received ETB payment(s), veterans will also be provided a completion bonus of $1,000. In addition, veterans may use a portion of funding (up to $5,000) to pay for fees charged by a provider for short courses aimed at self-fulfillment and personal interest and development. Veterans who have released from the CAF on or after April 1, 2006, and before April 1, 2018, will have 10 years (i.e. until March 31, 2028) to receive funding. Veterans who release on or after April 1, 2018, will have 10 years from the date of their release to receive funding.

Redesigned Career Transition Services (CTS)

As one of the original NVC programs created in 2006, CTS has aimed to assist veterans in preparing for and finding suitable employment in the civilian workforce. As previously noted, VAC is committed to making investments across the multiple domains of well-being for veterans, with post-military employment being identified as one of these key domains. Evidence and research have also confirmed the need to provide employment supports and transition services to veterans and CAF members so they can have the tools, knowledge and ability to successfully transition to civilian employment. However, there have been issues identified with CTS’s current design.

CTS is currently available to veterans, their survivors and survivors of CAF members who meet basic eligibility requirements. CTS allows these eligible veterans and survivors to be reimbursed for a lifetime maximum of up to $1,000 for career transition services provided by community-based private sector organizations. There is a two-year time limit from the date of release from the CAF for eligible veterans to apply, and a two-year time limit from the date of the veteran’s or CAF member’s death for eligible survivors to apply. This model does not respond to the need for employment supports that may be present throughout a veteran’s career post-release. In addition, the current design does not allow CAF members to access CTS until after their release, which impedes VAC’s ability to help meet their employment transitioning needs. Also, the current design does not provide CTS to spouses/common-law partners; however, the ability for spouses/common-law partners to obtain employment has been identified as a consideration for members deciding whether or not to release from the CAF.

In response to these identified gaps, CTS has been redesigned to expand eligibility to include CAF members, as well as the spouses/common-law partners of veterans for two years post-release; remove the application time limit for veterans and survivors so that CTS supports are accessible at any point in their adult civilian working life; and change the current $1,000 lifetime reimbursement delivery model to a direct service delivery model provided through a third-party contract. The redesigned CTS will help ensure that those eligible have continued access to CTS supports so that they are better equipped to find employment and contribute to society. The redesigned CTS will include (1) the provision of general labour market information; (2) career counselling (e.g. aptitude testing, assistance with skills translation using existing tools, resume writing, job search techniques, education planning, employment transition supports, etc.); and (3) job-finding assistance (e.g. guidance and assistance to navigate organizations who help veterans find jobs, coaching and interview techniques, and job placement assistance, which includes job matching assistance and connection to military friendly and/or other employers who may have career opportunities suited to the person’s skills and abilities, in order to help the participant find a job).

Caregiver Recognition Benefit (CRB)

In 2015, the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit was introduced under the NVC’s suite of benefits. The benefit provides an annual grant to seriously disabled veterans so that they are able to make alternative care arrangements and receive the necessary supports, normally provided by their informal (i.e. unpaid) caregivers, while these caregivers are unavailable. However, there have been issues raised with the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit’s design since it was introduced. Veteran caregivers and stakeholders feel the benefit does not recognize, in a direct tangible way, the contributions of caregivers, as the benefit is provided to veterans and not the caregivers themselves. Further to this, the 2015 mandate letter of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence provided overarching direction to do more to support the families of Canadian veterans.

To address these issues, the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit has been replaced by the CRB. The CRB will recognize the contribution caregivers make to the health and well-being of veterans with service-related physical and/or mental health disabilities who require continuous provision of care. The indexed benefit will be paid directly to the informal caregiver, in the amount of $1,000 per month. The CRB will not replace lost income or create an employment-like relationship; rather, it will recognize the contributions of those who care for seriously disabled veterans with service-related disabilities. Eligibility criteria for the CRB will remain the same as that for the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit, and like the current benefit, will be paid until the veteran permanently enters a long-term care facility or dies.

Application waivers

To simplify the application process, the NVC was amended in 2015 to allow for applications to be waived when determining eligibility for the Retirement Income Security Benefit and the Critical Injury Benefit, if the applicant has already provided the necessary information to VAC through other benefits and services. Building on this, the waiver of applications has been extended to compensation, CTS, rehabilitation services or vocational assistance provided under the Act.This will eliminate, as much as possible, the sometimes tedious and repetitive process veterans and others undergo each time they separately apply for individual programs and services. In certain situations, VAC will now have authority to waive an application, thus simplifying and streamlining the approval process for both applicants and VAC.

Issues

As previously noted, the creation of the ETB and the CRB, the redesign of CTS, and the extension of application waivers have been achieved through amendments to the Act. These amendments require or authorize that certain aspects of these benefits and application waivers be detailed in the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations, which support the benefits and explain how waivers are to be administered. Without these regulatory amendments, the benefits and waivers would not be implemented in their intended manner. In addition, the current name of the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations is not consistent with the new name of the Act.

Objectives

The objectives of the regulatory amendments are to

Description

All regulatory amendments will come into force on April 1, 2018. They contain the following elements:

Administrative amendments

The name of the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Regulations is being changed to the Veterans Well-being Regulations (the Regulations) to be consistent with the new name of the Act. In addition, other regulations (i.e. the Veterans Health Care Regulations, the Department of Employment and Social Development Regulations, and the Veterans Burial Regulations) are being amended to reference the new name of the Act.

ETB

The new section of the Regulations, entitled “Education and Training Benefit,” supports the establishment of the ETB by specifying information and requirements necessary for the provision of the benefit. As an example, with respect to eligibility, the Regulations prescribe the calculation used to determine days of reserve force service (to be the same as that set out in the Canadian Forces Superannuation Regulations), and describe what is meant by “honourable release” (i.e. released from the CAF for medical reasons, a voluntary decision or completion of the member’s military service). The Regulations also require that applications for the benefit be made in writing and include the veteran’s service information, and on request, any other information or documentation necessary to help establish the veteran’s eligibility. Including these provisions in the Regulations will provide additional clarity on eligibility requirements, and assist VAC in making timely eligibility determinations.

Information required from the veteran before the benefit can be paid is prescribed in the Regulations. This includes an education and training plan that contains the name and description of the course or program; tuition amounts and other related fees; the veteran’s anticipated time required to complete the education or training; and for subsequent payment requests, results (i.e. marks, transcripts, etc.) of the veteran’s most recent period of study. The additional information will allow VAC the ability to provide payments based on the veteran’s own individual plan to complete their course. The Regulations also set out the amount of the education and training bonus to be paid (i.e. $1,000) when a veteran has completed their education and training course, and the application requirements to receive this bonus in that the application must be made in writing and include proof of the veteran’s completion of their education or training course (i.e. a degree, diploma, certification or designation).

For short courses aimed at self-fulfillment and personal interest and development, the Regulations provide the maximum cumulative amount that will be paid (i.e. $5,000), and the necessary information required from the veteran for VAC to pay for these courses. This includes the duration of study and proof of enrolment in the course.

The regulatory amendments also include a provision to pay the veteran when, due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g. serious illness of the veteran or their family), the veteran is unable to complete their course within the established 10-year time frame, if VAC is notified as soon as is possible. This will provide VAC, for compassionate reasons, some discretion and latitude to allow a veteran to complete their course beyond the normal 10-year time frame.

Where the veteran is not meeting the goals set out in their education and training plan, or the veteran is not maintaining a satisfactory academic performance at their educational institution, the Regulations provide that the payment of the benefit may be suspended. This will allow the veteran to pause and reexamine their goals to ensure that they are appropriate and achievable, and allow VAC to intervene and offer additional supports to help the veteran to meet these goals. The benefit may then be cancelled if the veteran’s goals in their plan continue to be unmet, or the veteran continues to perform unsatisfactorily at the educational institution. In addition, if after six months from the date of VAC requesting information, the veteran has not provided this information, or if it is found that false or misleading information was provided, the benefit may also be cancelled. Under the Regulations, VAC will notify the person in writing of the reasons for and the date of the suspension or cancellation and of the veteran’s rights to review a decision to cancel the ETB. These provisions allow VAC to administer the benefit while ensuring veterans receive the benefit to which they are entitled.

Lastly, the regulatory amendments provide for the amounts of the ETB (with the exception of the bonus amount) to be adjusted each January 1, using the percentage increase to the Consumer Price Index for the year ending on October 31 of the previous year, and rounded to the next 0.10%. Indexing these amounts in the same manner as other benefits under the Act, will allow the ETB to keep pace with the cost of living. The Regulations also define the Consumer Price Index used by VAC in this calculation.

Redesigned CTS

The redesigned CTS includes eligibility groups under section 3 of the Act. As a result, subsection 2(1) of the Regulations is no longer needed and has been removed by the regulatory amendments. In addition, as the CTS reimbursement model is being replaced with a direct service delivery model, payment amounts set out in subsection 2(2) of the Regulations, and the conditions to pay these amounts set out in section 4 of the Regulations, are not needed and have been repealed by the regulatory amendments.

As Canadian residency is an eligibility requirement for CTS, the Regulations provide clarification that a person will be considered a resident if all their absences from Canada total 183 days or less in a calendar year. CAF members will be considered to be a resident of Canada for the purposes of CTS eligibility regardless of any period of service that may take place outside of Canada. In addition, to provide a better understanding of what CTS includes, the Regulations list the provision of labour market information, career counselling and job-finding assistance as services that may be provided.

Finally, to ensure that VAC has the ability to administer CTS as intended, the Regulations include the authority to suspend CTS where the person does not participate, to the extent required, to meet their CTS goals as set out in their career transition plan. If after six months from the suspension, the person is still unable to meet these goals, or if it is found that false or misleading information was provided, CTS may be cancelled. Under the Regulations, VAC will notify the person in writing of the reasons for, and the date of, the suspension or cancellation and of the person’s rights to review the cancellation decision.

CRB

All references to the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit are replaced by reference to the CRB, as the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit ceases to exist on the coming into force of the CRB. The regulatory amendments support the creation of the CRB in the Act by updating and/or specifying certain information and requirements necessary for the provision of this new benefit. As an example, the Regulations require that CRB applications include, in addition to the current Family Caregiver Relief Benefit application requirements, a declaration from the caregiver stating they meet the conditions of being a caregiver that are set out in the Act (i.e. the person is 18 years of age or older, and is unpaid for providing or coordinating the veteran’s ongoing care in the veteran’s home). The caregiver must also consent to being designated as the veteran’s caregiver, and to their personal information being provided to VAC. In addition, the application requires both the veteran’s and caregiver’s consent to VAC sharing their personal information with the other person for the purposes of administering the benefit. Including these requirements in the Regulations will assist VAC in making timely eligibility decisions while ensuring all privacy concerns have been taken into consideration. The Regulations also set out a requirement for any other information or documentation requested by VAC to be provided to help VAC assess continued eligibility for the benefit.

As the veteran’s attestation to the use of the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit is no longer required, given the caregiver is now receiving the benefit, paragraph 65.2(b) of the Regulations has been repealed. In addition, reference to the timing of the CRB payment set out in section 65.5 of the Regulations is being removed, as this timing is now set out in the Act. The Regulations have also been amended so that the CRB’s annual indexation method is based on the percentage increase to the Consumer Price Index for the year ending on October 31, rather than September 30, of the previous year, and rounded to the next 0.10%. This provides consistency with indexation methods used for other benefits under the Act.

To ensure VAC has the ability to administer the CRB, while ensuring caregivers receive the benefit to which they are entitled, the Regulations include a provision to suspend the CRB where the veteran or caregiver has not supplied VAC with the necessary information to determine continued eligibility for the benefit, or if the veteran fails to undergo an assessment required by VAC. If, after six months from the date of the suspension, the reasons for the suspension have not been remedied, or if it is found that false or misleading information was provided, the CRB may be cancelled. The Regulations also set out VAC’s responsibilities to advise the veteran and caregiver in writing of the reasons for and the date of the suspension or cancellation, and the veteran’s rights to review the decision to cancel the benefit.

Application waivers

To support the waiver of applications for benefits and services provided in the Act, the Regulations set out the manner in which VAC shall notify a person of the intent to waive an application, and the manner in which a person may accept the application waiver — both to be made either verbally or in writing.

Regulatory and non-regulatory options considered

VAC considered two options: maintaining the regulatory status quo or updating the Regulations to provide the necessary regulatory framework and supports for the two new benefits and the one redesigned benefit in the Act.

Status quo approach — Without these regulatory amendments, the two new benefits (the ETB and the CRB) and the redesigned CTS could not be implemented. The benefit of this approach is that the Government of Canada would not incur any new financial costs. However, many otherwise healthy veterans would be unable to go back to school in an effort to achieve their education and future post-military employment goals, due to a lack of funding; veterans and survivors would continue to have limited access to CTS, and CAF members and spouses/ common-law partners would still be unable to access these services; caregivers would not be afforded the recognition they so rightly deserve for the contributions they make in providing care to seriously disabled veterans; the sometimes tedious and repetitive process veterans and others undergo each time they apply for individual programs and services under the Act would continue; and finally, the name of the Regulations would be inconsistent with the Act, thereby causing confusion among some veterans and stakeholders. Accordingly, a non-regulatory option was not chosen.

Regulatory approach — The two new benefits and the redesigned CTS require supporting regulations in order to be implemented. Under this recommended option, certain veterans are eligible for the ETB and the CRB, the latter of which is to be paid directly to the veteran’s caregiver. The regulatory provisions regarding eligibility ensure that these new benefits are provided to their intended recipients, for their intended purposes. As well, the Regulations ensure consistency in consideration among applicants for each of these benefits, and also some uniformity in certain aspects of the benefits and the redesigned CTS (e.g. indexation methods, application requirements, suspension/cancellation provisions, and review rights for cancellations) with other benefits provided under the Act. Supporting regulations are also required for the redesigned CTS to outline the services to be provided and clarify what constitutes Canadian residency and permitted absences from Canada. The Act also requires that certain aspects of the application waiver process be detailed in the Regulations. Finally, to provide clarity and remove confusion, the Regulations need to reflect the new name of the Act.

Benefits and costs

The following analysis provides an overview of the costs and benefits of the regulatory amendments. The table below highlights the benefits and costs, factoring in a discount rate of 7% per year as recommended by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. The price year used to estimate the value of the monetized costs and benefits is 2017.

The estimated net present value of the amendments is −$14.7 million over 10 years, from fiscal year (FY) 2017–2018 to FY 2026–2027, with an annualized value of −$2.1 million. The present value (PV) of total benefits is valued at $28.9 million over the period, while costs are valued at $43.6 million, yielding a ratio of the benefits-to-costs of 0.66.

Cost-benefit statement (see reference 1)

 

First Year
2017–2018

Final Year
2026–2027

Total (PV)

Annualized Equivalent

A. Quantified impacts (in millions of Canadian dollars)

(1) ETB

Benefits

Certain veterans

$0

$0.5

$5.4

$0.8

Costs

Government of Canada (VAC)

$1.9

$1.6

$14.8

$2.1

Net benefits

($9.4)

($1.3)

(2) Redesigned CTS

Benefits

Certain CAF members, veterans, spouses/common-law partners and survivors

$1.6

$4.0

$23.5

$3.3

Costs

Government of Canada (VAC)

$3.3

$4.4

$28.3

$4.0

Net benefits

($4.8)

($0.7)

(3) CRB

Benefits

Caregivers of eligible veterans

$0

$0

$0

$0

Costs

Government of Canada (VAC)

$0.5

$0

$0.6

$0.1

Net benefits

($0.6)

($0.1)

Total quantified impacts (ETB, CTS, CRB)

Benefits

Certain CAF members, veterans, spouses/common-law partners and survivors

$1.6

$4.5

$28.9

$4.1

Costs

Government of Canada (VAC)

$5.6

$6.0

$43.6

$6.2

Net benefits

($14.7)

($2.1)

B. Quantified impacts in non-dollars (in numbers of individuals to receive benefits)

Positive impacts

ETB — Certain veterans

(see footnote 1*)N/A

138

2 002

N/A

CTS — Certain CAF members, veterans, spouses/common-law partners and survivors

(see footnote 2*)N/A

1 028

9 238

N/A

CRB — Caregivers of eligible veterans

(see footnote 3*)N/A

73

1 590

N/A

Negative impacts

Businesses who currently provide CTS to veterans — Some of these businesses may be adversely impacted with the new CTS service delivery model. However, given the client base for these businesses is not limited to the veteran population, and the current uptake for CTS (e.g. 409 participants in 2015–2016), it is expected that the impact to these businesses will be minimal.

C. Qualitative impacts

Certain CAF members, veterans, survivors and spouses/common-law partners

 
  • New/improved benefits and services to support successful transition from military to civilian life through meaningful employment;
  • In the case of veterans, greater comfort and financial security in easing the financial burden and stress of paying for education. Some veterans who may not work while in school may incur foregone wages during this time; however, this would be largely offset by their increased earning potential in their civilian careers as a result of the education they receive;
  • Increased peace of mind by eliminating the stress and burden of having to find a suitable provider of career transition services, and removing the financial worry, for some, to pay for a capped amount of these services upfront and out-of-pocket; and
  • Increased well-being in knowing that benefits and supports are available to help them transition and succeed in civilian life, and if they choose, reach their employment goals.

Certain caregivers
  • Satisfaction in knowing that the Government acknowledges and appreciates the vital role played by caregivers in providing care to seriously disabled veterans; and
  • Greater comfort in easing the financial burden that some caregivers may be experiencing.

Families
  • Residual positive effect on families, given the expected improvement to the well-being of CAF members, veterans, survivors and spouses/common-law partners with the provision of additional benefits and services to better support their civilian life; and
  • Contentment knowing caregivers are being recognized for the vital role that they play in supporting the health and well-being of veterans.

Canadians, Veterans Ombudsman/veterans stakeholder groups
  • Contentment knowing that eligible CAF members, veterans, survivors and spouses/common-law partners have access to new/improved transition services and supports;
  • Satisfaction in knowing caregivers are being recognized for their important role; and
  • Reassurance in knowing that the Government of Canada is addressing their concerns.

Government of Canada (VAC)
  • Continuance of the Government’s commitment and leadership to help support the well-being of veterans and their families.

Reference 1 — The table presents the results of benefits and costs over the 10-year period starting in 2017–2018 (one year prior to the coming into force of the regulatory amendments on April 1, 2018), through the end of the fiscal year 2026–2027, using a discount rate of 7%. Due to rounding, figures may not add up.

Benefits

Over the first nine years of implementation, these regulatory changes are expected to benefit up to 2 002 individual ETB recipients (i.e. veterans), and 9 238 individual CTS recipients (i.e. CAF members, veterans, survivors and spouses/common-law partners). Additionally, up to 1 590 individual caregivers are expected to benefit from the CRB over the first nine years of implementation. The methodology for determining these individuals, as well as how they will be positively impacted, follows.

ETB

The number of veterans expected to benefit annually from the ETB was determined by first assuming that 99% of veterans who leave the CAF are honourably released (based on a study of release members). In addition, veteran population numbers taken from the Actuarial Report on the Future Benefits for Veterans show that as of March 31, 2016, 6 340 veterans had between 6 and 12 years of military service, and 25 250 had 12 or more years of service. Of these numbers, it has also been assumed (based on the same study) that 22% would be directed to VAC’s Rehabilitation Program, with another 2% who would be in receipt of the Canadian Forces Income Support Benefit. These individuals have been removed from the eligible population as they cannot receive the ETB while they are being provided assistance under VAC’s Rehabilitation Program or are eligible for the Canadian Forces Income Support Benefit. From the remaining population, take up rates were then assumed to be similar to the Canadian population post-secondary usage rates, as reported by Statistics Canada by age group, with a small age adjustment to account for veterans’ “first” chance at university being later than the average Canadian.

The estimated number of veterans to receive the benefit is outlined below. It has been assumed that veterans who would have been eligible to apply from April 1, 2006 (the introduction of the NVC), to April 1, 2018 (the implementation date of the ETB), would apply for, and receive the benefit, over the first three years after the proposed amendments come into effect. The number of veteran deaths has been based on mortality rates for the age group most expected to apply for and receive the ETB. Yearly exit rates have been based on figures provided by the Office of the Chief Actuary, assuming all veterans will enter into a two- or four-year educational program. Based on these timelines, and to establish estimated exit rates, it has been assumed that 40% will complete these programs in years one and two, with a 100% completion rate in years two and four, for these two- and four-year programs respectively. The number of individual veterans expected to benefit (2 002) over the first nine years of implementation is outlined in the following:

ETB — Veterans to benefit

F/Y

2017–2018

2018–2019

2019–2020

2020–2021

2021–2022

2022–2023

2023–2024

2024–2025

2025–2026

2026–2027

Total

Previous F/Y "carryovers"

  

0

405

721

827

562

353

277

282

286

  

"New" intake veterans

  

406

399

388

133

131

133

137

137

138

2 002

Veteran deaths

  

0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

  

Veterans exiting ETB

  

1

82

282

397

339

208

131

133

135

  

Total uptake

  

405

721

827

562

353

277

282

286

288

  

Note: Due to rounding, figures may not add up.

The monetized benefit to veterans as a result of regulatory amendments is assumed to be equal exactly to the program costs for VAC (see the “Costs” section below), being $7.0 million, given that these amounts will be provided to eligible veterans. Although the provision of funds to allow veterans to pursue higher education is also expected to contribute to improving their overall well-being, this benefit has not been monetized.

Redesigned CTS

To determine the number of participants expected to benefit annually from the redesigned CTS, VAC considered veterans who released between April 1, 2006, and April 1, 2018, CAF members who will release after April 1, 2018, as well as spouses/common-law partners. Survivors were captured within the veteran and member populations. To capture potential CTS participants (i.e. veterans and survivors) who released between April 1, 2006, and April 1, 2018, the forecasted uptake was found by multiplying the total released CAF members each year, by the intake rate (4.38%) and dividing over 10 years. Going forward, potential CTS participant (i.e. veterans, members and survivors) uptake has been based on the yearly estimated CAF releases multiplied by the intake rate. For spouses/common-law partners, the CTS uptake rate was found by multiplying the estimated CAF releases by the percentage of those married (59% per the 2016 forecasts) and then again by the intake rate. The intake rate for each of these calculations is based on a four-year average from the previous time CTS was delivered by a national contractor (2012). The following details the number of individuals expected to receive CTS (9 238) over the first nine years of implementation:

Redesigned CTS — Individuals to benefit

F/Y

2017–2018

2018–2019

2019–2020

2020–2021

2021–2022

2022–2023

2023–2024

2024–2025

2025–2026

2026–2027

Total

Previous F/Y "carryovers"

    

522

1 069

1 263

1 380

1 448

1 485

1 502

1 508

  

Intake veterans/
CAF members/
survivors

0

800

809

809

809

809

809

809

809

809

7 272

Intake spouses/
common-law partners

0

214

219

219

219

219

219

219

219

219

1 966

Total uptake

  

1 014

1 746

2 097

2 291

2 408

2 476

2 513

2 530

2 535

  

Note: Due to rounding, figures may not add up.

For all participants, exit rates have also been considered based on the ratio of CTS clients (approximately 35% in 2012) who exited the program when it was last delivered by a national contractor. Spouses/common-law partners will automatically exit CTS after two years of the member’s release from the CAF.

As the $1,000 lifetime reimbursement delivery model is being replaced with a direct service delivery model delivered through a third-party contract, there is no actual monetized benefit to recipients. Instead, the redesigned CTS will result in services (i.e. labour market information, career counselling and job finding assistance), not money, being provided to eligible individuals. Funding will be provided through the third-party contract to deliver these services, on behalf of VAC, to eligible individuals so they have the knowledge, tools and abilities required to help them obtain employment in the civilian labour force, and/or advance their own careers.

CRB

The Family Caregiver Relief Benefit will cease with the introduction of the CRB. Given that there are no changes to eligibility, Family Caregiver Relief Benefit client forecasts were used as a proxy to estimate the number of CRB recipients. This proxy population includes the number of veterans in receipt of a Disability Award, with a disability assessment of 98% or greater and who are not in a long-term care facility. The number of caregivers over the next 10 years who will benefit from the CRB (1 590) is outlined in the following table. The first year of implementation (2018–2019) includes an estimated intake of 847 caregivers. This amount includes the expected number of veterans (682) in receipt of the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit as of March 31, 2018, whose caregiver will automatically be eligible for the CRB as of April 1, 2018, and the number of “new” caregivers (165) to receive the CRB during the 2018–2019 fiscal year. It is also assumed that during the first two years of implementation, the estimated intake number of “new” caregivers is expected to be higher than subsequent years given the higher media visibility (e.g. due to communications about these amendments). The number of individual caregivers expected to receive the CRB (1 590) over the first nine years of implementation is detailed in the following:

CRB — Caregivers to benefit

F/Y

2017–2018

2018–2019

2019–2020

2020–2021

2021–2022

2022–2023

2023–2024

2024–2025

2025–2026

2026–2027

Total

Current benefit "carryovers"

0

682

                

682

Previous F/Y "carryovers"

  

0

847

1 030

1 118

1 204

1 286

1 365

1 443

1 517

  

"New" intake caregivers

0

165

183

88

86

82

79

78

74

73

908

Total uptake

  

847

1 030

1 118

1 204

1 286

1 365

1 443

1 517

1 590

  

Note: Due to rounding, figures may not add up.

Caregivers of eligible veterans will receive $1,000 per month (which is subject to annual indexation), so long as eligibility criteria continue to be met. The monetized benefit to caregivers as a result of the regulatory amendments is assumed to be equal exactly to the regulatory component of the program costs for VAC which are paid directly to veterans (see the “Costs” section below). However, these amounts are expected to be negligible (e.g. the difference resulting from the change in indexation approach) and have not been costed. Therefore, no amount has been included in the monetized benefit to caregivers of the CRB regulatory amendments.

Costs

Government of Canada — All costs related to these regulatory changes, which will come into force on April 1, 2018, will be borne by the Government of Canada. The net present value costs, both program and administration, paid by the Government of Canada are valued at $43.6 million or an average of $6.2 million per year over 10 years from FY 2017–2018 to FY 2026–2027.

ETB

Budget 2017 announced an investment of $133.9 million (accrual costs) over six years for the ETB. However, only the program costs for short courses and the completion bonus are exclusively related to the regulatory changes required to support the benefit.

The estimated cost of providing short courses has been based on the Office of the Chief Actuary’s assumption that 220 veterans (corresponding to 4–5% of the released population) are expected to use short courses in the first year of implementation. VAC has used this percentage to estimate the projected uptake in future years. For cost purposes, it was also assumed that each veteran would receive the maximum amount ($5,000), and that the uptake rate for veterans who would have been eligible to apply from April 1, 2006, to April 1, 2018 (the implementation date of the ETB), would use the funds over the first three years of implementation. In addition, the cost for the $1,000 completion bonus was based on the projected number of clients exiting the program each year, assuming all would have completed their education and be eligible to receive the bonus. The total program costs related to these regulatory changes over nine years (the first year is related to administrative costs only) is $7.0 million.

Administrative costs for the ETB include the costs of salaries, Employee Benefit Plans (EBP), accommodations and operating and maintenance costs for 5.75 full time equivalent (FTEs) staff in 2017–2018 to support the implementation of the new benefit. This requirement increases to 8.5 FTEs in 2018–2019, but drops to 7.5 FTEs in 2020–2021, and ongoing, to deliver the benefit. In addition to the required human resources, information technology (IT) development costs of $1,250,000 in 2017–2018, $575,000 in 2018–2019, and $350,000 in 2019–2020 (and ongoing) have been identified. These costs support a new IT system for VAC to deliver ETB as well as other benefits and services, which includes software licensing costs, hardware costs to support integration of systems, and Public Services and Procurement Canada shared case management system fees. These costs are also required to support VAC’s Client Service Delivery Network (CSDN) analysis, design, development, testing, integration with VAC’s My VAC Account, and implementation to the CSDN. The total administrative cost over 10 years is $12.1 million.

Redesigned CTS

The financial impacts for program expenditures related to CTS as a result of the required regulatory changes were determined based on actual costs and usage the last time CTS was delivered by a national contractor, and previous expenditures for third-party contracts. These have been divided into the following components:

The total estimated program cost over 10 years (program costs are required in 2017–2018, to include funding in the contract to develop and test new systems that support the direct service delivery model) is $35.4 million. However, consideration must also be given to the savings resulting from the current CTS delivery model ending. These savings are essentially the expenditures that VAC would have incurred if CTS continued with the current eligibility groups and delivery model. Savings were determined based on VAC’s forecasted number of veterans and survivors to receive CTS each year, multiplied by the average CTS cost for 2017–2018 ($655). Based on these calculations, savings of $2.6 million over nine years are expected. Taking these savings into consideration, the total estimated program cost over 10 years is reduced to $32.8 million.

For administrative costs, this proposal includes amounts related to the salaries, EBP, accommodations and operation and maintenance for additional resources to support the redesigned CTS. To complement existing resources, 4.1 FTEs are required for nine months in 2017–2018, to support the implementation of the redesigned CTS, which reduces to 2.5 FTEs in 2018–2019, and ongoing, for CTS’s continued delivery. In addition to FTE requirements, an annual amount of $200,000 has been identified (starting in 2017–2018) to support a new IT system for VAC to deliver CTS, as well as other benefits and services. Also, IT costs, including necessary system designs, developments, and updates to VAC’s CSDN and MY VAC Account, as well as functional testing are required in 2017–2018 ($1,000,000) and 2018–2019 ($250,000) to accommodate the redesigned benefit. The total estimated administrative cost over 10 years is $5.9 million.

CRB

Budget 2017 announced an investment of $187.3 million (accrual costs) over six years for the CRB. However, the following program and administrative cash costs are exclusively related to the regulatory amendments required to support the CRB.

With respect to CRB program expenditures incurred as a result of regulatory amendments, costs are expected to be minimal. Some amendments are required to remove regulatory provisions that are now contained in the Act (i.e. the timing of the CRB payment), while others are more administrative in nature (i.e. updated forms and applications to reflect the new name of the benefit and other required documents). There is a slight change in the indexation method used for the CRB to be consistent with the methodology used for other benefits (i.e. using the increase to the Consumer Price Index for the year ending on October 31 as opposed to September 30); however, this minor change will not result in a quantifiable amount that can be captured. The other major regulatory amendments relating to the CRB are the inclusion of suspension and cancellation conditions, and VAC’s responsibilities for these suspensions and cancellations. It is expected that there would be very few instances where the benefit would be suspended, with an even lesser probability of the benefit actually being cancelled. As a result, program expenditures relating to the regulatory amendments are expected to be negligible and have not been quantified.

This proposal includes administrative costs related to IT, including necessary system designs, developments, and updates to VAC’s CSDN and MY VAC Account, as well as functional testing. Funding is required in 2017–2018 ($450,000) and 2018–2019 ($112,500) to accommodate the CRB’s introduction on April 1, 2018.

Total costs

The total program and administrative costs of regulatory amendments for all three initiatives (ETB, CTS and CRB) are outlined in the following table:

Program and administrative costs (non-discounted)

FY / Dollars in millions

2017–2018

2018–2019

2019–2020

2020–2021

2021–2022

2022–2023

2023–2024

2024–2025

2025–2026

2026–2027

Total

ETB

Program

-

$1.10

$1.17

$1.33

$0.73

$0.67

$0.55

$0.49

$0.49

$0.50

$7.03

Administrative costs

$1.92

$1.42

$1.12

$1.09

$1.09

$1.09

$1.09

$1.09

$1.09

$1.09

$12.12

Subtotal

$1.92

$2.53

$2.29

$2.42

$1.83

$1.76

$1.65

$1.59

$1.58

$1.59

$19.20

CTS

Program

$1.63

$1.84

$2.74

$3.42

$3.66

$3.80

$3.89

$3.93

$4.00

$4.00

$32.82

Administrative costs

$1.64

$0.70

$0.45

$0.45

$0.45

$0.45

$0.45

$0.45

$0.45

$0.45

$5.89

Subtotal

$3.26

$2.53

$3.19

$3.90

$4.10

$4.25

$4.33

$4.38

$4.40

$4.41

$38.70

CRB

Program

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Administrative costs

$0.45

$0.11

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

$0.56

Subtotal

$0.45

$0.11

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

$0.56

Totals

$5.63

$5.17

$5.48

$6.32

$5.93

$6.26

$6.01

$5.97

$5.98

$6.00

$58.46

Note: Figures may not add due to rounding.

Non-quantified benefits

These regulatory amendments will positively impact certain individuals as follows:

ETB

Veterans will be provided with financial assistance to help them achieve their education and post-military employment goals. These supports will help position veterans to be more competitive in the civilian workforce which will, in turn, provide them a level of self-confidence and increased well-being knowing they are better prepared to enter the workforce. Veterans will also be provided with some comfort knowing that the financial burden of paying for their education will be reduced, if not eliminated. Given the direct correlation between higher education and increased income levels in the civilian population, it is also expected that veterans who complete their education or training will experience increased earning potential in their civilian careers, and as a result, will have greater financial stability. This increased earning potential will be offset, albeit minimally, by the cost of foregone wages incurred by some veterans who would not be working while in school. The benefit will also provide support by focusing not only on education for employment purposes, but also support veterans in pursing various interests, goals and activities in their civilian life. Finally, veterans will be reassured in knowing that the Government of Canada recognizes the need to increase transitional supports for veterans, through meaningful employment.

Redesigned CTS

CAF members, veterans, survivors, and spouses/ common-law partners will all have access to the tools, knowledge and abilities required to help them obtain employment in the civilian workforce. In the case of CAF members, access to these supports will be provided throughout their CAF career, so they can make evidence-informed decisions around when to release from the military, and better plan and prepare for employment post-release. In addition, as spouses/common-law partners will have access to CTS for up to two years post-release, they can take satisfaction knowing their professional sacrifices made with respect to their own career progression losses (as a result of the member’s military career) are being recognized by the Government of Canada. All will have peace of mind knowing that the redesigned CTS will eliminate the stress and burden some individuals face when having to find a suitable provider of career transition services, and remove the financial worry, for some, of paying for a capped amount of these services upfront and out-of-pocket. Finally, all will be provided with a greater level of confidence and security in knowing that additional supports are available to help them transition and succeed in the civilian workforce.

CRB

Caregivers will be satisfied knowing they are being formally recognized for the vital role they play in providing care to seriously disabled veterans. In addition, direct payment to the caregiver will enable the caregiver to manage the use of the funds. Veterans will continue to receive the residual advantages of the benefit in the care provided by their caregivers, who are most often family members.

These regulatory amendments will also positively impact a number of other stakeholders:

Families — Some family members may see a residual positive effect, as the CAF member, veteran, survivor or spouse/common-law partner may experience an improved sense of self-confidence and overall well-being as they have access to increased support (and in the case of veterans, financial assistance) to successfully transition to civilian employment, and/or advance their careers. Families may also be content in knowing that the caregiver, who is often a member of the family, is being directly recognized for the key role they play in providing care to the veteran.

Canadians — The Canadian public has expressed support of the Government of Canada’s provision of benefits and services to veterans and their family in assisting with their transition to civilian life. Canadians will be satisfied to know that increased support and financial assistance are being provided to veterans and their families to successfully transition from the military by helping them obtain employment in the civilian workforce. They will also be pleased that the Government is recognizing the vital role that caregivers play in supporting the overall health and well-being of veterans who have been seriously disabled in service.

Veterans Ombudsman and veteran stakeholder groups — Similar to the Canadian public, the Veterans Ombudsman and veteran stakeholder groups will benefit from the knowledge that VAC is introducing new benefits and improving existing support to aid the successful transition from military to civilian life through employment, as well as providing direct recognition to caregivers. These groups will also take satisfaction in knowing that the Government of Canada is taking action to address some of their concerns with respect to transition and family support.

Government of Canada — These regulatory amendments will allow the Government of Canada to fulfill certain priorities identified in the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence’s 2015 mandate letter. The initiatives are also linked to VAC’s goal of ensuring that veterans and their families are provided with access to services and support to ensure the best possible transition from military to civilian life. While not a specific priority in the mandate letter, the CRB does speak to the reference in the letter to do more to support the families of Canada’s veterans. Finally, these new/improved benefits and services will provide assurance to all of the Government’s continued commitment and leadership to support the well-being of veterans and their families.

The cost-benefit analysis is available upon request.

“One-for-One” Rule

The “One-for-One” Rule does not apply to these amendments, as there is no administrative costs to business.

Small business lens

These regulatory amendments do not increase or decrease administrative burden or compliance costs on small businesses. Businesses that are currently providing CTS to eligible recipients are expected to be impacted with the introduction of the direct service delivery model, albeit minimally. Given their client base is not limited solely to the veteran population, but rather the general population, and the current limited uptake for CTS, the impact on these businesses is expected to be negligible.

Consultation

The Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence’s 2015 mandate letter included as priorities the creation of a new Veterans Education Benefit and the improvement of career and vocational assistance provided to veterans. The letter also provided direction that more be done to support the families of Canada’s veterans. Further to this, on March 22, 2017, as part of Budget 2017, “Building a Strong Middle Class,” the Government announced the creation of the ETB and the CRB, as well as a redesigned CTS program. These three initiatives were developed, in part, to address issues raised by parliamentary committees, advisory groups, veterans’ organizations, and the Veterans Ombudsman.

Stakeholders groups were invited to provide input and feedback related to all of the Minister’s mandate commitments during various engagement and consultation activities since December 2015. In addition, following the Budget 2017 announcement, VAC sought feedback on the creation of the ETB and the CRB and the redesigned CTS, as well as other veteran-related initiatives announced in the budget, from its six ministerial advisory groups. These groups were established by the Minister of Veterans Affairs in 2016 to broaden engagement, improve transparency and seek consultation with stakeholders on issues of importance to veterans and their families. Overall, these three initiatives were warmly received by the advisory groups. Of particular note was their positive response to the CRB being provided directly to caregivers, and the ETB being adequately generous and encompassing a broad range of educational pursuits and eligibility. Subsequently, VAC has provided some of the advisory groups with updates and additional details on program design and delivery for these benefits. Again, overall reactions have been positive.

During the month of May 2017, VAC also undertook broader consultations, via its “Have Your Say” feature on its website, inviting the broader stakeholder community and all Canadians to share their concerns, views, and ideas on these three budget initiatives. VAC received a number of submissions related to the ETB and the CRB. There were no submissions with respect to the redesigned CTS. Overall, comments were positive, with one veteran expressing his desire that the CRB go forward, as “my wife has sacrificed a lot to help me.” However, most comments related to questions about individual eligibility and program design that were too specific to influence the broader program design.

Given the relieving nature of these initiatives and the absence of major opposition from stakeholders and the general public, it is expected that the regulatory amendments will continue to be well received by CAF members, veterans, families and stakeholder groups. It should be noted, however, that while these changes are being welcomed, some stakeholder groups continue to lobby VAC for further improvements. VAC will continue to consult with stakeholder groups and organizations, including the ministerial advisory groups, to examine ways to build on improvements being made to the benefits and services provided to veterans and their families.

Rationale

VAC exists, in part, to assist those whose courageous efforts gave us our legacy and contributed to our growth as a nation. VAC achieves this mandate by providing benefits and services, through the Act and other legislation, that respond to the needs of CAF members, veterans and their families. VAC is committed to making ongoing enhancements to these benefits and services, and introducing new benefits and services, to better meet the needs of those who have served, and those who continue to serve Canada, as well as their families.

Although the cost-benefit statement demonstrates that, from a financial perspective, the costs to the Government of Canada exceed the monetized benefits provided to eligible recipients, the non-quantified benefits indicate that the benefits outweigh the financial costs.

These amendments respond to concerns identified by some veteran stakeholder groups, fulfill commitments made by the Government of Canada, and help confirm the Government’s continued commitment to ensure that veterans receive the respect, support, care and economic opportunities they deserve, and that the Government of Canada do more to support the families of Canada’s veterans.

Implementation, enforcement and service standards

The regulatory amendments are to come into force on April 1, 2018. As of this date, VAC will be able to consider applications for the ETB. On this date, VAC will also cease accepting Family Caregiver Relief Benefit applications, but will start accepting applications for the CRB. Veterans in receipt of the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit prior to April 1, 2018, will be contacted well in advance of this date to advise them that this benefit will cease, but will be replaced by the CRB. Both the veteran and caregiver will be asked to provide certain information for eligibility consideration for the CRB. Most of those in receipt of CTS prior to April 1, 2018, will automatically be eligible for the redesigned CTS, and will also be given up to 12 months to submit any invoices to VAC for reimbursement for services received prior to April 1, 2018. Also as of this date, given the expanded eligibility for CTS, CAF members and spouses/common-law partners will be able to apply and veterans and survivors will no longer be subjected to a two-year timeframe to apply and access these services. As of April 1, 2018, VAC will also have authority to waive the requirement for applications for benefits and services provided under the Act, should VAC have all the necessary information on hand (obtained from previous applications) to determine eligibility, and the person be agreeable to the waiver.

VAC will use the existing service delivery framework in place for other benefits and services provided under the Act to provide the ETB and the CRB payments to eligible veterans and caregivers. For the redesigned CTS, the current reimbursement model will be updated to accommodate the new direct service delivery model. In addition, some systems redesign work is required to incorporate these benefits into all VAC systems. Terms and conditions, policies, business processes, guidelines, application forms and letters are also being created and/or updated to support the three benefits.

Ongoing communication with VAC staff will be an integral component to the successful implementation of these changes. Communication products and training plans will be developed and delivered to VAC staff prior to the coming-into-force date of the regulatory amendments, so they are well informed and can effectively assess applications, respond to questions, and provide information and advice based on the new benefits and the changes.

As with other benefits and services offered under the Act, VAC has established service standards for the ETB, the CRB and the redesigned CTS. With a target of 80%, they are as follows:

Performance measurement and evaluation

In response to the Government of Canada’s Policy on Results, VAC has developed a Departmental Results Framework (DRF) to more clearly define the results it wants to achieve and measure its progress in achieving them. VAC’s DRF is comprised of core responsibilities, along with departmental results and indicators to help measure efficiency and effectiveness and develop metrics to gauge impacts.

The implementation of these benefits will contribute to VAC’s “Benefits, Services and Support” core responsibility (to support the care and well-being of veterans and their dependents or survivors though a range of benefits, services, research, partnerships and advocacy).

Specifically, ETB’s long-term outcome is linked to the DRF’s “Veterans have a sense of purpose” departmental result with the following performance indicators:

The main data source for these indicators will be VAC’s client data base, with data collected annually.

The two long-term outcomes for the redesigned CTS are linked to the following DRF departmental results and performance indicators:

The main data source for these indicators will be VAC’s client data base, with data collected annually.

The implementation of the CRB will indirectly support VAC’s departmental result of “Veterans are physically and mentally well.” Specifically, the long-term outcome and performance indicator of the CRB include

Measuring this outcome will involve a direct survey that will be provided to caregivers, to ascertain their views on whether the benefit meaningfully recognizes their contributions.

VAC’s Audit and Evaluation Division also conducts audits and evaluations of all VAC benefits and services, with results being published regularly on VAC’s external website. The Audit and Evaluation Division’s 2017–2022 Risk-based Audit and Evaluation Plan includes a planned evaluation of CTS and the ETB in 2021–2022. This combined evaluation will provide a thorough review of career transition services and education attainment for veterans, including an assessment of performance against stated outcomes in the DRF. An evaluation of the CRB by the Audit and Evaluation Division is also planned in 2020–2021, and will be assessed against the benefit’s stated outcomes.

Contact

Katherine Morrow
Manager
Cabinet Business Unit
Strategic Oversight and Communications
Veterans Affairs Canada
P.O. Box 7700
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
C1A 8M9
Telephone: 902-566-6890
Email: Katherine.Morrow@vac-acc.gc.ca