Critical Injury Benefit (CIB)

Here is the bullet points from the teleconference:

IT IS REQUESTED THAT VETERANS DO NOT CALL THE NCCN TO FIND OUT IF THEY QUALIFY UNTIL THE BILL IS PASSED AND ENACTED

- the Minister wants this to have royal ascension by July this year
- the retro for the date of the 'injury' is 1 April 2006
- when the bill is passed VAC will reach out to the veterans to explain the benefit
- as for PTSD it was brought up by many involved and we were told it will be explained in the guidelines
- if a veteran or CF soldier is denied the CIB the regular appeal process applies
- the CIB and a VAC disbaility payment are not contingent (tied to) each other. Eg a soldier is shot in training or in combat and he goes to the hospital. Said soldier's gunshot wound heals and there is no need for a VAC application. The CF soldier can use the medical/incident/accident/CF administrative procedures as proof and can receive the CIB
- this benefit is tax-free
- this benefit will not be taken into consideration by VAC adjudicators when deciding on the lump sum amount
- minutes/notes from the teleconference will be available soon

So after they pay out to those 100, this will be strictly for still serving Members going forward. Therefor, this is not a benefit for seriously disabled Veterans. It is a benefit for seriously injured CF members, and therefor should have been a DND benefit. There is a very clear distinction between an injured soldier and a disabled Veteran.

When I was struck in the back by a steel door, it put me on my A$$, and required pain killers for several weeks, but on first look, would not seem serious because I didn't land in the hospital. But several years later, I am totally disabled. I've had surgery on my back, nerve pain and nerve blockages. I cannot walk without pain, cannot sit down without pain, cannot lay down without pain, and have been this way for several years, and VAC recognizes this fact, and has provided me with a hospital bed, a lift chair and a mobility scooter. But I will not be entitled to this benefit because regardless of the resulting disability, the initial accident wasn't considered traumatic

I really don't know what to say here ???????

much ado about almost nothing ?????????

propat

Only 100 retroactively I guess that answers my question.

Well Erin O'toole on CTV's power play just said when asked how many vets this will effect his answer was about 100 retroactively then of course it will be available going forward.................WOW!! so Trooper your not alone.


Cheer's

So this has absolutely nothing to do with seriously disabled Veterans, other than being backdated. There are so many things wrong with this benefit, like those with severe PTSD or OSI's will not be entitled, because most cases do not present themselves immediately after a single incident. Veterans who suffered non life threatening injuries, even if surgery is required down the road, will likely not be entitled, because the injury itself wasn't serious, even if the consequences are quite severe. Veterans who suffer several smaller injuries, that lead to a total overall disability, will not be entitled to this, because they did not suffer a single traumatic event.

This should have been a DND policy, because if there are no long term consequences of an accident, regardless of the severity, the person is not considered a client of Veterans Affairs, and it would have complimented other benefits that DND currently offers to injured personnel, that is separate from Veterans Affairs.

Well this does absolutely nothing for me, but guess what ? I am perfectly ok with that, this tax free $70000 will be put in some Veterans pocket, $70000 more then they had thought of before this announcement.

CM's have already been notified to contact those who will be affected by this CIB.

So all and all I am extremely happy for those who will get this benefit.

I realize some may not like what they heard in this announcement, but I think we should cut Mr. O'Toole some slack, as he is working hard on acting on issues on our behalf, he cannot please everyone, but he is indeed moving on our file.

A number of programs and services are currently in place to ensure that the health, rehabilitation and financial needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans are met.

The proposed new Critical Injury Benefit (CIB) would provide a $70,000 tax-free award for CAF members and Veterans who, since April 2006, experienced a severe and traumatic injury or developed an acute disease caused by a sudden and single event which resulted in an immediate and severe impairment and interference in quality of life.

This benefit is in recognition of the immediate stress and hardship a CAF member or Veteran experiences after a traumatic incident. It spans the time between the initial incident and when the CAF member or Veteran becomes medically stable.

The proposed new CIB funds would be paid directly to the CAF member or Veteran and are separate and apart from disability award payments. The Critical Injury Benefit focuses on those who need it the most: Veterans who endure sudden and severe injury or disease while in the line of duty.

Other Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada benefits already cover expenses incurred by family members who are traveling to be with the injured or ill CAF member.

As part of the Department’s continued commitment to Veteran-centric care, and in order to reduce wait times, Veterans Affairs Canada employees will proactively contact Veterans who have experienced a severe service-related injury or disease to discuss this new benefit.

Example of who could benefit from this new payment

Richard is a paratrooper who was involved in a training accident and fell three stories. He sustained a severe concussion, internal injuries and multiple fractures. He had multiple surgeries and needed intensive rehabilitation to regain strength and the ability to walk. Over time, Richard recovered and was deemed medically stable. While he applied for a VAC disability award, he did not receive a payment because he did not have a permanent disability. However, due to the severity of his injuries, he would now be eligible for the proposed new Critical Injury Benefit.

A continuum of care

While recognition for the most severely injured is the focus of today’s announcement, it must be viewed as part of a spectrum of services and supports available to CAF members and Veterans. Benefits and services such as rehabilitation and vocational assistance, and the Health Benefits Program, for example, are designed to help support the needs of ill and injured Veterans.