Federal budget to bring back lifetime pension option for Canadian veterans

Well said Trooper, but I just want to add none of these improvements that we are seeing would have came under Harper, none, Nada, nothing! So I only hope that every veteran who deserves a pension gets one and I do believe that's Justin will deliver, sunny days! I would also like to send everyone on csat a portrait of our great leader, Justin , to put above the fire place or on the mantle. This government at the end of the day will make Canada's veterans benefits the best in the world. Instead of a portrait I think I will send teen a bronze statue and I big " I told ya"sign. A big shout out to Sparrow , propat and all the original csat sisip lawsuit veterans. Times are a changing!

I'm happy we finally have a timeline for the implementation of the
lifelong pension. However, I remain skeptical of it's merits, when
implemented. I say this for several reasons, and will try to state
these reasons by giving my opinion on the subject.

Before I get into the lifelong pension itself, I would say in my own
opinion that there is some somewhat positive movement on our file by
the Liberals in general compared to the previous government. However,
this movement although somewhat positive is inline with the previous
governments policy regarding movement on our file. Both parties are
struggling to work at fixing gaps within this new charter. It is my
opinion that the New Veterans Charter was implemented to create such a
huge continuous battle between Veterans and the government for decades
to come, simply to keep the file in constant chaos giving the
government workers the security they want in securing their own
pensions and jobs, and also keeping full control of their own
agenda.This is my opinion and one just has to take a look at various
news articles on what seems to be Veterans and Veterans group showing
their disappointment towards the government since the implementation
of this charter to authenticate this. The old pension act versus the
New Veterans Charter is another topic in itself, however, one does not
have to look very far to notice the fact that no Veterans from the old
pension act seems to want to jump on board into the New Veterans
Charter. Why is this? Also, we have seen a jump in divisions among
Veterans and Veterans groups directly related to this new charter. Why
is this? I can go on all day, but in my opinion this trend we are
seeing from our governments on our file does not give the best
interest to Veterans and their families. In contrary, the best
interest seems to be for the government themselves, and those
bureaucrats that are directly involved in writing up the
implementations. It all shadows the
the agenda of the true merits of this charter. I hear this all the
time, there's more to helping Veterans than financial security, I
agree fully, but the financial security is the main building block in
helping Veteran, therefore it is essential that the financial security
comes first. In my opinion if the financial security does not come
first, we are working in reverse, what I mean by this is the taking
away of our tax free act for life, and replacing it with a completely
taxed system that is in constant chaos with continuous fixing of gaps
that fits right into the working in reverse theory. Nevertheless, we
are free to give our own views and opinions on the subject, that's the
one thing we can say for certain that's constructive in all of this,
as long as it continues in a respective manner. This just happens to
be my opinion, it may look or seem influencing, but it really is just
an opinion.

To the lifelong pension and timeline for implementation, as stated I'm
happy we finally have a timeline. First lets look at the promise from
the mandate letter itself, "Re-establish lifelong pensions as an
option for our injured veterans" I can say with almost certainty that
Kent Hehr has absolutely nothing to do with the details of this
lifelong pension. The details will come from the bureaucrats
themselves. They, the bureaucrats are running the show with what is
being implemented, which includes the lifelong pension. The word
option has to come into play, is it an option of a lump sum or pension
moving forward? Take a look at the trend that's been taking place with
respect to the way the government has been moving with their
implementations thus far in just repeatedly fixing gaps which is
really just patch work, continuous patch work, I have absolutely no
reason to believe this lifelong pension will be any different, just
another gap fixed in patching up the charter. We must not lose focus
on what is really going on with our file, and why the New Veterans
Charter was implemented in the first place. This charter is a failure
in every aspect of it's ability to stand against the old pension act,
the new charter does not stack up against the old act and those who
believes it does, does not fully understand the old pension act in my
opinion. The tax free lifelong pension which included a disability
pension and other benefits from the old act should have never been
taken away, new benefits should have been added to it, now we are
left with a broken charter that only helps those who implemented it,
and you will see this trend continue when we all see the details come
out from the Liberals promise to reinstate lifelong pensions.

In closing I would say that the lifelong pension is apart of our
Minister mandate letter, I have no doubt a lifelong pension along with
the remainder of the promises from his mandate letter will be
implemented before the Liberals end term. Taking into account it is
the bureaucrats writing these promises up, don't expect any smoking
guns from any of the promises, including the lifelong pension come to
life. Remember the promises can be implemented any way they see fit,
fit to their own agenda and not necessarily what fits in the best
interest of Veterans. At the end of the day the Liberals will have
fulfilled their promises, regardless of how Veterans view the merits
of the implementations, in the eyes of the average citizen, the
Liberals will have shined in showing what they have accomplished on
our file.

Again, this entire post is only my opinion, those that disagree or see
it differently is all fine and good.

Bigrex- There is an unfairness in this policy i agree- I am sure the government would love to dump all those receiving pensions under the old PA and place them under a review with the NVC. Like many policies their is a grandfather clause. Those that received benefits under the old system have a right to continue to receive it. The entitlement to benefits under the NVC for new conditions and awards is surely in the interest of  all veterans.

The PA system sucked, at best prior 2006. If you received an award it was a joke amount. We felt guilty to get it. The world was a different place. The military mentality was still an internal struggle for many of us under the old system.

We can all site situations where changes in old and new policies give unfair advantage (IE the Sisip LTD used to be for life)

With the return of the life long pension (Taxable for sure) with all the additional improvements And if THEY DO NOT RELEASE MEMBERS UNTIL ALL BENEFITS ARE IN PLACE we will  have won!

We all have fought hard, we have forced the governments to act and they have. We can continue to complain and appeal its part of the process.
I chose to be somewhat content with the fairness and unfairness. I chose to move on with life after all I have been medically retired longer that 80% of you  and I have fought long enough.
I have been disappointed and battled for years but I would be a liar if i didn't say we have the potential to have the best care of disabled veterans in the world.

We are Very Very close to achieving this !

Bigrex - your last statement, about will it be offered to us who have taken lump sum" is the same thought I have. I very much doubt it, but who knows how the puzzle palace minds work..Out..VVV...

Blink, the current 100% PA pension rate, for a single Veteran is now over $2700/month, tax free. Plus they can still entitled to receive additional benefits from both the PA (which are all tax free, such as Attendance Allowance and possibly the EIA, and from the NVC, like ELB, as well as PIA/PIAS (if not getting EIA). So a severely disabled Veteran under the PA, could be well supported financially. So in order to balance things out, a new monthly pension will have to equal at least $3500/mo before taxes.

For me, the one major detail will be, what is going to be offered to those of us who have already been given a lump sum? Are we going to have the opportunity to get this new pension, or is it only going to be offered to claims going forward?

Teager wrote:The old system is not coming back period. Whatever the libs draw up will not be the old system. Also they keep saying OPTION for a pension so that tells me the lump sum will be staying here. How it will for everyone with a lump sum has been discussed with all the issues that go along. It will be interesting to see what they come up with and if it even looks like a pension.

It's a waiting game like usual

The old system is not coming back period. Whatever the libs draw up will not be the old system. Also they keep saying OPTION for a pension so that tells me the lump sum will be staying here. How it will for everyone with a lump sum has been discussed with all the issues that go along. It will be interesting to see what they come up with and if it even looks like a pension.

NAVRATILOVA wrote:Yes.... Free at last I say free at last. Trudeau mania once again delivers.  May not be the pension act but a life long pensions will give veterans security and piece of mind! Now please repeat after me, I love Justin!  

I DON'T GIVE A RATS ASS WHICH PARTY RULES ITS THE SAME OLD SAME OLD .....THAT JUST THE WAY IT IS HERE NORTH OF THE USA !

Supremedebater wrote:We will see in the very near future. Don't forget equitas, a pill Kent and the rest of the libs won't want to swallow if it was won. We will see

Even if the suit is won doesn't necessarily mean that the tax free pension will be restored. The courts will order the government to fix it within a given time frame not order too restored! Needless to say this suit will be likely be dropped if the new pension idea unfolds into something acceptable to the majority of Veterans.

I'm not going to feel all warm and fuzzy yet till I hear the details. My big question is some may not want a monthly pension, will they be offering the lump still as an option? We will also see what happens there.

We will see in the very near future. Don't forget equitas, a pill Kent and the rest of the libs won't want to swallow if it was won. We will see

Yes.... Free at last I say free at last. Trudeau mania once again delivers. May not be the pension act but a life long pensions will give veterans security and piece of mind! Now please repeat after me, I love Justin!

The new offering will  not be what it once was- tax free- Revenue Canada will get it share.
The bad news- no one ever mentions  that old pension act provided very little monthly pension income even with its tax free status. No injured veteran could live a comfortable life on the  merger payment it once offered. (2005- 100% was slightly over $1100 per month base rate single without dependents)

The NVC has grown to become a kaleidoscope of benefits and awards. Keeping ill veterans in the military until they are fully set up with vets benefits is a MUST

With a combination of this new pension offering and NVC Benefits/Awards, I think we will the discover within 1-2 years, we will have the best cared for disabled  veterans  in the world.

Mr Hehr and  team Trudeau will figure this out or get booted out. I prefer the former rather than latter and so does he I bet!

Announced today that it will be in this next budget and fixed by the end of this year. Was announced on global news. I'll try and find the link