2022 Reports 1 to 4 of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of CanadaVeterans Affairs Canada failed to reduce wait times for veterans to receive disability benefits

Ottawa, 31 May 2022—A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled today in the House of Commons found that despite Veterans Affairs Canada initiatives to speed up processing, veterans from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are waiting too long to receive compensation for injuries sustained in their service to Canada. These findings are similar to those reported in a 2014 Auditor General audit.

The audit found that veterans applying for disability benefits for the first time waited almost 10 months for a decision and some subgroups including Francophones, women, and RCMP veterans took even longer. Once a decision was made, the Department considered the file closed and reported against its service standard of 4 months. Because the Department did not always calculate wait times in a consistent manner, some veterans waited longer than what was reported publicly.

The audit also found that the department’s data on how it processes benefits applications—and the organization of this data—were poor. Both the funding and almost half of the employees on the team responsible for processing applications were temporary. The Department also lacked a long‑term staffing plan.

“The combined impact of these shortcomings means that veterans are waiting too long to receive benefits,” said Ms. Hogan. “They experience unacceptable delays that can significantly impact their well‑being and their families.”

The 2022 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada, Report 2—Processing Disability Benefits for Veterans is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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