SUPPLEMENTARY RETIREMENT BENEFIT - LUMP SUM - 1 APRIL 2019

I agree with Bigrex.  I cannot prove VAC staff members keep possible benefits secret, however, I can read, and through personal experience it becomes quite obvious that not everyone within VAC has the same level of expertise/experience.  Because of this, many clients have missed out beit it services or financial assistance because their CM has either figured the client would not get it or they are ignorant of who would qualify or be eligible for.  Whatever the real reason, many have gone without.  VAC has made their policies very complex for a reason and it is not because they had too!  There is trust issues! and unfortunately there always will be.  Again to prove that a VAC member did something intentional to prevent a client from receiving a benefit will be extremely hard to prove.  Many clients have sought to discontinue with their CM to get another.  This has proven to be fruitful and beneficial to those clients......why?  Snowshower, there are other VAC trust issues as well, just look at the cameras, the security locks and security glass that protects them from???? Veterans...because it isn't for the bears.

Well, I've been directly assisting hundreds of Veterans, on this site, for over a decade. There has been countless times when a Veteran has said to me that their CM either failed to inform them about benefits that were available, or flat out told them that they were not even entitled to apply for the benefit, even though, when they went against their CM, and applied anyways, were approved on first application.

Now I'm not saying every VAC staffer is bad, because some are fantastic. But there are more than a few, that do not always have the Veterans best interest at heart. But you have just  confirmed my original assumption, that you are employed by VAC, and therefor, are biased towards the department.

"while VAC staffers,may have ulterior motives for keeping possible benefits secret." That statement is pretty unfair, brother...in my 15 years with VAC and assisting dozens of soldiers with the process while serving as a Unit CWO, I have never, ever heard of a VAC staffer keeping possible benefits a secret. It is statements like this that cause trust issues between VAC and their clients. I would suggest to you that if a VAC staffer ever pulled a stunt like that, they would not have a position much longer. The relationship between VAC and their clients is one of trust and not a place for conspiracy theories.

unfortunately, there is no One Size Fits All list of benefits, because what one Veteran or spouse could be eligible for, may not even be available for the next person who looks at it. That is why sites this this, are crucial to anyone who is confused about benefits, because we want to get Veterans and their spouses, as many benefits as possible, while VAC staffers,may have ulterior motives for keeping possible benefits secret. After all, how many Veterans have we seen, over this last year, who never knew about the CIAS, until it was being eliminated, because VAC never told them that it existed?

I've been reading these posts for the past year. I think it would be nice if a separate categorie for spouses male/female on steps to take once a veteran passes away. So much confusion for wife or husband of a veteran who passes away and what can they apply for or what benefits continue but a a lower rate or percentage. i'm not a expert in this area but maybe there are a few of you that can come up with a cheat sheet for all to see that would make life easier for them.

bosn181 wrote:I have been on ELB for 11 years and will wait to see anything regarding the SRB payout in my bank before getting excited.  I am sure some way or some how VAC will find a way to not pay and seeing in my case 75% ELB is payed from SISIP and the other 15% top up from VAC.   When i was talking to VAC they said i would see noting from them.  I know my good buddy johnny got a different response from them when he contacted them.  Here's hoping but won't hold my breath.  fyi johnny if you get it and i don't it be your turn to buy breakfast again lol.

I mean breakfast every day is important lmao

yup that's kind of getting back to my post and yes I get all that .

"bosn one of the things that really peed me off . not a great thing for widows of some guys that didn't make it back from Afghanistan especially the ones with kids that had less than ten years in . here is some cash now see ya ."

just to be clear it was mostly about how the widows were treated . as opposed to will be treated . but yes a little about how the new legislation fails miserably to make up for those past injustices .

propat

Propat, all I can do is read the legislation. It says that surviving spouses, if the Veteran passes away, from a service related injury, can apply for IRB, for life, at the same rates that the Veteran would have received. If the Veteran had been getting the IRB, the spouse gets 2 years worth of payments, as a lump sum.

For the PFL, if the Veteran was getting the new PSC pension, when they passed away, the spouse will get the balance owed, under the Lump Sum calculations.  So if a Veteran gets 2 years of 100% pensions, of $1150/mo, before passing away, VAC would deduct that $27000, from the $360000, and pay the spouse $333000. but what is unclear, is what is going to happen to the Spouses, of Veterans who have already recieved their lump sum awards, and are being forced to take the reduced PFL pension. Are they going to get 2 years worth of those pensions? Or are they just going to be left out in the cold?

oh by the bay the IRB thing I get no problems there . thing is its not the IRB I was referring to .

propat

Hi Propat,
The information your looking for is on page 2 on the provided link.

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/GCWeb/pdf/Factsheets/IRB.pdf

Cheers,
By the Bay

you sure about that bigrex??? from my understanding that is correct WHEN it comes into effect . of course at an amount FAR less than what they received if the PA pain and suffering were in place . as for the Afghanistan widows who got not but a small buyout they could get a reduced amount of the comparatively small monthly or nothing at all depending on the calcs .

can ya show me what I missed ?

propat

Propat, under the PFL, the surviving spouse can apply for the IRB, and get the same level that the Veterans would have, had they applied, for life. And for Bosn, those widows who's husbands were getting IRB, before they passed away, will get 2 years worth of payments, as a lump sum.

bosn one of the things that really peed me off . not a great thing for widows of some guys that didn't make it back from Afghanistan especially the ones with kids that had less than ten years in . here is some cash now see ya .

propat

bigrex good catch thanks buds . EELB not DEC . brain fart I guess but no good excuse for that . my apologies to all .

propat

they made me TPI which is now DEC over 9 years ago as well when i asked what kind of survivor benefit there would be for the wife if something happens to me i was told they would get a portion of the VIP and that was going to be it so i guess she would still get a cut of my military and CPPD as for any money from VAC she on her own glad i been getting her to build her own nest egg. Now will have to see what they next thing they can mess up in next election and see what promises are going to be made and broken or how they will miss lead us to thinking they care.