Veterans Affairs alleges some ex-soldiers exaggerating their injuries

Take care Jeffery!

It sure is good to know that we have some fantastic people here. I try to keep my mind occupied with positive thoughts, and not stay consumed with anxiety and depression. Anger can be a busy way to manage my day, which can force me to get on with it, but always backfires. It leads back to anxiety and depression.

Thank you all for being here. I purposely avoid this site for days and sometime weeks in an attempt to avoid becoming consumed with the issues at hand. Thank you all for being here. It means a lot.

Jeffery they all had a chance to speak up and talk about the problems with the NVC . im sure they all could have pointed out all the inadequacies with the NVC then ALL only recommend one change " END THE BUYOUT" . it would have left the GOC in a spot .

ignore the vets and make up there own list ??? add end the buyout to their list so they can implement some of the changes they recommended but dropping the one vets recommended ???? or of course just using that one recommendation then of course make no changes as we have all seen that this government will not budge on this issue???

bunch of smart guys there so im sure some seen this as a way forward . not sure why it wasn't done.

organizational problems with this fragmented group would be a problem.

differing points of view for sure but why they all cant get behind taking care of disabled afghan vets first and foremost is really beyond me im not saying give them any special treatment just treat them equal and not as some lower class of disabled vet.

maybe the greed factor came into play who knows ??? thinking well we on the old system have nothing to gain from ending the buyout but if we ask for this laundry list of changes we can not only help the afghan vets a bit we can help ourselves as well and equality be da@#$.

god only knows what's in the minds of men Jeffery but don't expect a civi run legion in the pockets of the GOC to go against the GOC on this issue but as for the rest they will come around . it is starting to happen already . guys are starting to get it albeit a bit to slow .

so now its left to the lawyers . they will get this done buds . yup it will take time but this will happen .

wishing you all the best

propat

Why does the Legion only support a lump sum payment scheme? They are out of touch, I get it. There are many that want to shut down these smaller advocacy groups, believing they are making white noise that may be confusing the message.

Many of ius were disabled under the Pension Act just prior to the dismantling of the disability Pension and force fed the lump sum. It's the force of the feeding that I find offensive and inadequate.

I cannot yet speak up or out for myself. I believed I was trained for the worst case scenario in the Infantry, but this simply was never the case. PTSD is that scenario, and it has been nearly nine years since I've been reeling. Four years of training to deploy once...then to be medically ejected into a life of TPI. No pension to be had...A medical pension designed for soldiers that must decide to BE disabled only once 10 years has been had.

I couldn't bring myself to stay on the phone long enough to spek with my CM. I hung up. My anger and rage over a backwards system leads me to nothing. It never has...she only works there she always tells me.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/pdf/deptReports/2014-evaluation-rehabilitation-services.pdf

Interesting!

Cosmo

Navrat,

The veterans votes do count - and public pressure plays a crucial role moving closer into and election.

With all the excellent media coverage lately on reporting how the government is handling our file - the last thing any government wants going into and election is bad publicity - a smart leader does not Ignore this type of publicity - I just hope that this announcement of this Cabinet shuffle is just the beginning of a full range of positive changes coming for us this year.

Fantinos gone, Harpers dumping him , maybe the veterans vote does count, have a beer on my tab!

Brasidas. Most definitely. And I take these allegations very seriously. There will be a huge backlash from this. Me included. My CM will hear from me on this matter today.

Thank you Jeffery that is well said. Completely lost on many. Problem is; without walking in someone else's shoes it can't be explained or understood.

The lump sum will never be picked over a pension for life by those other than disabled veterans either over 65, or those that are possible terminally ill with little time. The lump sum should be an option to supplement the Pension act.

A disabilty pension can never be burnt through, it comes every month. A disabilty pension does not discriminate between working disabled and non working disabled. A disabilty pension is an incentive to explore a career without fear. Because PTSD comes with 2 very real ingredients; depression and anxiety. When mixed with fear and the prospect of potential failure, the agony of asking for help from the department a second time may be too much.

saying the NVC is FAR BETTER than the pension act . is that an exaggeration ???

no its not .

its an out right lie !!

propat

Forgot the GoC : A rightful veterans perserverance for "benefit of doubt" you should not miscontrue for an exaggeration. Could be aka more raisen pie in your face. pinger.

In the Ottawa Citizen article Peter Stoffer is quoted...
   “In my experience, the vast majority of veterans don’t want to be sick. They would love to be working full time. I think they’re trying to shift the blame for the problems they have in their own program.”

My underlines. He hit the nail on the head. GoC/VAC is smelling their own shyte in a bad way so they "shift the wind". It's all PR, spin doctors in a thinktank somewhere. Kinda like... if I can make you look like crap, I might just end up smelling more rosy in comparison and in the publics perception for my advantage. Lil' hint... an election beckons

Exaggerating injuries? Fraud would be lower than a snakes belly in our circles. But medical reports and missing body parts don't lie esp. when it happens while serving. Yet, when the " benefit of doubt " is supposed to be deemed in our favour... many have been discounted. Why? And if one deteriorates further post-service on civie street then what?

Don't know all the answers but after dealing with VAC for 30 yers I am fortunate.

You see in that time, lawyers, bpo's, couple of service officers, gov't people all told me the same damn thing. Emphasize your worst day (is that an exaggaration as opposed to?), and they know system. Now I do, but it never does sit well, just gets thing accomplished. Why can't everyone be just damn straight? Too many footsies like bureacratic algebra that only harm many in the process.

GoC should eat some of their VAC sop protocols/document policies for humble pie breakfast.

Fair winds, pinger.

johnny buds thanks and great post and you are so right buds they do not understand AT ALL!

how could they??? maybe some day they will all get paper cuts that get infected and end up losing limbs maybe then they will understand or at least understand how it is on the PA system as they chose to keep that for themselves the same time they chose to give the NVC to the military.

but they will never truly know what it is like on the NVC .

I truly wish you the best of luck buds .

END THE BUYOUT NOW!!!!

propat

To the PMO staff, VAC staff do not go down this road!! You are trying to "polish" VAC's image and the Conservative Parties image by portraying veterans as lazy, lying cheaters who are abusing the system.

If you are so damn sure that veterans are abusing the system then publish the internal report for all to read and make up their own minds if vets are playing the system or VAC is not delivering the help they need in a timely fashion to help them physically and psychologically.

Also tell your MP's to stop with the "All the vets I talk to say they are happy with what they receive from Veterans Affairs." Again they are talking to the vets that are able to leave their house. Why not be honest and have your MP's go from veteran to veteran house and check up on them? That would be a more truthful campaign to improve your parties image.

Veterans Affairs made the top 10 newsmakers for 2014 because you finally got caught how slow your party is to improve the living charter called the New Veterans Charter. You want to fix VAC then get to work with the audits, actuaries and the Veteran Ombudsman's reports and implement what they have been recommending, nay, demanding for the last 9 years!!