Increased Disability Award & Retro

Well my friends, we should know pretty soon. Unless I am mistaking I believe that the government usually announce the new budget around the third week of February. It also will be interesting to see about the life pension that was promised. In the mean time, I will sit back and relax and wait for the snow to melt so I can go ride for motorcycle, and try to get better at golf.

Tilap61,

That's the way I was reading it also.

Like I said the other day, the further back you go for your received disability award date the less retro you receive.

They are reducing each year going back to reflect the max amount to correspond with the CPI rate for that particular year.

The percentage stays the same, the 2017 max starts at $360,000 and is reduced for calculation purposes, each year going back to reflect the max amount to correspond with the CPI rate for that particular year.

A good example would be two Veterans who both received a 40% award, one Veteran received the 40% in 2007, and the other in 2012.
The veteran from 2012 will get a larger retro than the Veteran from 2007, even though both received the same 40% award.

JMO

Tiger don't spend that money now.because I'll bet you 100$ that the actual amount you will get in your example will be more like 15580$ . Actually to make it fair they have to give it to you according to the value that that money would have been worth at the time you actually was approve for your benefit. Any other way wouldn't be fair for the guys getting it for the first time in 2017 since on a monetary value basis you would actually receive more then what they are.

This is what I think will happen. We know that 100% is 360,000 dollars. So therefore 40% is 144,000 dollars. So let that for example that you got 40% in 2006, the amount was 104,000. So I think they will take 144,000 - 104,000 for a total of 40,000 dollars. The Canadian Government say that they want to be fair, to me this would be fair. How can it be less? I can only speak for myself, I feel very fortunate for everything that I am getting. I see all the new programs that we have now like EIA, PIA, RISB those are programs that we did not have before. For those that were involved in the SISIP lawsuit, if the judge had say NO, we would have got nothing. Whether it was right or wrong, everybody has an opinion on that, I am just happy that the Judge said YES and that we won. I look where I was in 2006 when I got out and where I am now (with all the allowances and programs) and I am sitting pretty good. Is it perfect? maybe not, is it better than it was? I would say Yes.

I am not sure why everybody is arguing about the formula since it is right there in the legislation as a few pages back and the formula actually make sense. At the end of the day If you got a pension in 2007 and the Top-up you're expecting for this 2017 amount is $20k, they're adjusting that 20k which is in "2017 dollars" to "2007 dollars" by "de-flating" it, because that's the nominal value it would have been worth back in 2007?

Well there's an explanation of sort that somewhat explains the way they will be calculating the retro in the BILL itself which was posted the other day by 6608.
Looking at that post from 6608, that explanation sort of goes with SIGS first response from VAC.
However, no formuls has been seen to date.

Remember that VAC took their example down from their website, there has to be a good reason for doing this.

To me, I would say that like what was stated by the VAC's spokesperson during the last summit, there is a team put in place to calculate and distribute the retro from the disability award, this team are the ones who hold the calculation formula.
So it's no wonder that VAC is giving mix information when answering calls regarding this retro calculation method, some could be close, while some could be off.
The head of the department should have given direction to the staff answering calls to simply say that the formula used is only known by the team in charge of the retro.

In the meantime, I encourage all CSAT members to continue to add their input on this particular topic, it's interesting, important and keeps the mind going.

sigs pig ya maybe not . the initial reply to you said .

"To calculate the additional payment a new adjusted maximum rate
will be applied to benefit calculations between April 1, 2006
and March 31, 2017"

and went on to explain the method to calculate the new maximum benefit then showed the subtraction of award received then stopped . I believe this would put them in a legally actionable position .

the last response you got seems to omit the calcs to get to the maximum rate and final award but adds the CPI to your award to come to your full retro . witch seems to me to be legally responsible .I believe if they do not add it they will no doubt have issues .

in all you may have got the full answer in spurts from people who seem to hate giving full answers .

great persistence buds .

bigrex I believe they may be a little confused on the application dates on the CPI .

if my theory has been correct . the reduction to get to the new max rate will be 2016 ONLY IF they are paying the new rate to those new approvals from jan - march 2017.

but again if I'm correct they WILL have to use 2017 when applying it going forward .

JMO

propat

Yep big Rex I have to agree with you I think these franking clowns just like playing mine games

Hey sigs keep posting all info you get I'm not saying I don't believe your post I much rather read the info you are getting instead of the crap I'm getting cheers

You'd swear to God that VAC are like teenagers who are told about a report that is due, several months in advance, but wait until 10Pm the night before, to start. They've know that this payment was going to be due since last Spring, and even if they weren't sure about the exact calculations, they knew the starting point ($250000), and they knew the end point ($360000), so all they had to do is figure out the in between. It took me roughly a half hour to come up with the $290000 as a prorated 100% award for 2006, and how the CPI until 2016 would roughly equal $360000, (off by $40 dollars, IIRC). After the legislation only included up to 2016, but now it sounds like they are including the 2017 CPI in the calculations

Wow,
that response is totaling different from what i have been receiving, so honestly who knows, i am just putting on here the stuff I receive from my Vac Acct so there it is,

Dont hold me to anything just posting info ,

cheers
SIGS PIGS

Ok I sent a message through my vac account regarding lump sum payment they sent back the regular bullshit reply and also stated that no calculations have been done but there will be a letter sent out with calculation and amount some time after April 1st key words after April 1st so I really don't know what to believe different info coming out I don't even think these morons know what the frack is going on

good afternoon everybody,

Here's what I got in response to ( is the CPI added or subtracted )
therefore if you are 100 % I see it as subtract your total received from 360,000 and add the CPI for the year in which you received your money.

I could be wrong, anybody feel free to correct me or put your spin on it.

SIGS PIGS

Thank you for using MyVAC and our secure messaging service.

The indexed amount will be added to the total, increasing the
overall amount rather than decreasing it.

If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free
to contact us via secure messaging or our contact centre at 1-866-522-2122.

Sincerely,
James Berry
Analyst
Veterans Affairs Canada

I just wish they would put out an actual chart showing what the 100% amount will be for each year back to 2006, instead of putting out these vague statements. If we had actual numbers, every Veteran would be able to easily determine what the new amount will be, based on the year and assessment percentage, even if received over several years, then simply subtract the amount they have received (available on their My Account page) to determine their actual top up amount.

Gardener101 wrote:Thank you SIGS PIGS for sharing the info you have received from VAC.
Does anyone know the specific Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers they will be using for each year back to 2006?  I have seen so many interpretations and numbers used to calculate the supplemental payment. Some are using the COLA (cost of living adjustment) rates that are used to calculate pension increases each year .  Seems so unfair for those of us that received awards back in 2006 will receive so much less than what was hoped.  Thank you for this great forum.

I think you are not understanding the method of their payment system.   Everyone will get the same in the end based on there  %  awarded  but depends what your initial % and payment was in 2006.  It's all based on the method of subtracting your initial payment from the 360k and then applying what ever interest they apply thru the years up to 1  April 2017.

Seems very fair to me, but if VAC wants to be truly fair it would be one system not two systems like they have now.