VETERANS MINISTER BOASTS OF BACKLOG REDUCTION

Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay is boasting about a reduction in the number of outstanding requests for assistance from veterans with disabilities, even though advocates say COVID-19 is the real reason for the apparent improvement. MacAulay, pictured, repeatedly told a parliamentary committee on Thursday that the backlog of claims from former service members was starting to decline, which he credited to staff at Veterans Affairs Canada. The number of outstanding applications fell from 49,000 at the end of March to 45,000 three months later, the first such reduction in years. Veterans Affairs says around 8,000 veterans applied for federal benefits and services during the first three full months of the pandemic, which is about half the normal number.