Vets brace for news on long-awaited disability pension plan

OTTAWA— Veterans across Canada are praying that the Trudeau government will deliver more than a lump of coal when it rolls out its longawaited plan for providing pensions to injured ex-soldiers.

Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan will unveil the pension scheme on Wednesday, more than two years after it was first promised during the 2015 federal election.

The Liberals were the only party to promise to reinstate lifelong pensions for disabled veterans, which were replaced by a controversial lump-sum award, career training and income-replacement programs in 2006.

The commitment was in direct response to widespread complaints from veterans that the new benefits, known collectively as the New Veterans Charter, amounted to far less financial assistance than the old pensions. Yet there are widespread fears that the Liberals’ plan, which is being announced after the House of Commons has risen and only days before Christmas, will fall far short of expectations.

Veterans receive financial benefits and compensation based on the extent of their injuries or disabilities, and were eligible under the previous pension system for up to $2,733 per month, tax free, for life.

The New Veterans Charter, implemented by the previous Conserva- tive government with unanimous support from the Liberals and NDP, provides a lump-sum award for pain and suffering worth a maximum of $360,000. But it also included various rehabilitation and career-training programs to help disabled veterans adjust to civilian life, and income-replacement benefits for those unable to work.