It is my pleasure to present Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) Departmental Plan for the 2018–19 fiscal year (FY). The Departmental Plan provides information on the results we plan to achieve over the upcoming year that will benefit Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, Veterans, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), families and others we serve.
The Departmental Plan is our opportunity to communicate annual performance goals and outline the financial and human resources required in order to achieve these goals. The plan offers Canadians transparency on how your tax dollars will be spent and demonstrates how our work is in line with our mandate and the Government of Canada priorities.
A key focus for 2018–19 is to put the well-being of Veterans at the centre of everything we do. By making service excellence a priority, we will ensure that Veterans experience improved quality, timeliness and efficiency in the delivery of their services. We will also focus on engaging Canadians in remembrance and paying tribute to the contribution and sacrifice of all who have served, and continue to serve, our country in times of war, conflict and peace.
The principles of Care, Compassion and Respect will drive the work we do this year. We are caring for the men and women who have served Canada, and their families. We are showing compassion for their needs, and we are committed to meeting them.
On April 1, 2018, several new and revamped programs that were announced in Budget 2017 will come into effect, including:
- Education and Training Benefit
- Career Transition Services
- Veterans Emergency Fund
- Caregiver Recognition Benefit
- Veteran Family Program Expansion
- Veteran and Family Well-being Fund
- Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Mental Health
- Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program
Delivering on our Budget 2017 promises to Veterans, this past December we announced our Pension for Life plan. The Pension for Life will provide a holistic package that reintroduces lifelong monthly pain and suffering payments; implements a new recognition benefit, and consolidates several income-related financial benefits.
Furthermore, we are making real progress to ensure excellent care of CAF members and their families. VAC, alongside the Department of National Defence, remains focused on the need to streamline the transition of CAF members who release from the military to VAC programs and services.
Budget 2018 focuses on the overall well-being of Veterans and their families by investing in supports and services for Veterans and their families. This Budget builds on the historic investments we made in Budgets 2016 and 2017 which improved financial security for many, many Veterans. To ensure that Veterans get services and benefits when they need them, the Government will increase service delivery capacity at Veterans Affairs Canada.
It is a great privilege to lead the team that supports the men and women who answered the call of duty, and the families who supported them throughout their service. It came as no surprise when 95% of participants in the National Client Survey said that VAC employees treated them with respect.
We look forward to a successful year in 2018–19 as the Department continues to work on delivering the results that Veterans and their families deserve and that Canadians expect regarding the commemoration of all those who served.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence