# Dead veteran's last battle was for disability cheque



## 57Chevy (27 Sep 2010)

"Veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran said Quick's case is another example of the "insurance company" mentality at Veterans Affairs"
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Dead veteran's last battle was for disability cheque:

Almost daily for the last several weeks of his life, retired Canadian army Sgt. W.T. Quick would check his mailbox for the disability cheque he hoped would come from the federal government.

Quick had fought in the Second World War with the British army and then served 10 years in the Canadian army. His hearing had been severely damaged by the constant exposure to grenade explosions and rifle fire on the army training ranges where he served as an instructor.

Veterans Affairs Canada was in the process of approving his disability claim, although Quick had become somewhat frustrated by the length of time that was taking.

On Feb. 27, he died at the age of 93 in Barrie, Ont. Three weeks later, the $55,000 disability cheque he had been expecting arrived, becoming part of the assets in his small estate.

That is, until officials with Veterans Affairs Canada ordered the money seized. Quick may have qualified for a disability but now that he was dead the government wanted its money back.

"It was quite unbelievable," said Ivar Johnson, Quick's executor and the husband of Quick's daughter, Valerie.

The treatment of Quick and his family is yet another incident that veterans' advocates say supports their contention the current federal system doesn't properly care for former members of the military.

It is unclear how many cases there are similar to Quick's situation but another veteran's family, who asked not to be named because of an ongoing legal battle with Veterans Affairs, came forward with a similar story.

Veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran said Quick's case is another example of the "insurance company" mentality at Veterans Affairs.

"They took a ridiculous amount of time to provide him with the disability payment he was clearly entitled to, but they were pretty quick when it came to clawing it back," Stogran said. "That's part of the attitude among the department's management."

Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn stated in an email Friday he can't comment on specific cases because of the federal Privacy Act. But he said he has been told about the rules regarding cases involving veterans' estates.

"In certain cases, the enforcement of such rules causes situations that are clearly unacceptable," Blackburn wrote. "I am in the process of analyzing ways in which I can intervene. I can assure you that our government is determined to treat veterans and their families with the respect they so richly deserve."

Quick had previously tried to get Veterans Affairs to acknowledge that his hearing had been damaged by his military service but was unsuccessful. In September 2009 he submitted a new application.

Johnson said that in October Veterans Affairs confirmed the claim had been received and would be adjudicated. Quick was told the process could take up to six months. The situation seemed hopeful.

"This was quite a thing for him," said Johnson. "It was a big step for him to have this recognized. He lived with the disability and it really upset him that no one recognized it."

At Quick's request, Johnson talked to an official in Veterans Affairs to remind the department that the former soldier was quite elderly. The department official responded that they would speed up the process and that Quick would be contacted by Feb. 1. Nothing happened, though.

"He would check the mail every day and would get more agitated when nothing came," Johnson recalls. "He'd sit there and say, 'I guess they don't give a damn about me.' "

Quick became sick Feb. 22 and five days later died in hospital. The family had just finished the funeral arrangements when they received a phone call from Veterans Affairs that Quick's application had been approved and that he would be receiving a disability cheque for the injuries he suffered because of his military service. Johnson told the department official that Quick had just died.

"They said it shouldn't make any difference," recalled Johnson.

On March 17, the government cheque arrived, made out to Quick. Johnson's wife, who had power of attorney for her father, put the money into the joint account she shared with him. She was the sole beneficiary of Quick's small estate, so the money was later moved to her account.

On March 29, the government wrote the family, rescinding the disability payment. When the family asked for an explanation, a government representative suggested they might want to seek Stogran's help, Johnson said.

Stogran said his office asked to meet with Veterans Affairs officials and was told by bureaucrats that they were seeking "additional guidance" on the Quick case.

But in the meantime, department officials contacted the bank and on Sept. 1 seized the funds from Valerie's account.

"Veterans Affairs then informed our office that they have solved the issue and, therefore, there was no longer a requirement to talk," explained Stogran.

For Stogran and the family the situation remains clear-cut. Veterans Affairs had approved the disability payment and had determined Quick deserved the cheque. The veteran, Stogran says, followed all the rules and it wasn't his fault that the process is cumbersome and inefficient.

Stogran also notes the department made no effort to seek any kind of compassionate resolution to the issue and instead used government powers to take back what belonged to the veteran and his family.
"This is the type of attitude toward veterans that we are running into on a daily basis," Stogran said. "It's simply not right."


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## The Bread Guy (28 Sep 2010)

This from the _Ottawa Citizen_:


> The family of war veteran Sgt. W.T. Quick will be allowed to keep his disability payment after all.
> 
> Bureaucrats at Veterans Affairs Canada had seized the disability payment from the estate of the deceased former soldier earlier this month, but Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn intervened on Monday to overrule that decision.
> 
> ...


Does this mean the rules the bureaucrats must follow allow for discretion, which the staff isn't taking, or that the rules that the bureaucrats must follow need to be changed?  Just asking....


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## Jarnhamar (29 Sep 2010)

The more I read about them the more Veteran's Affairs sound like a bunch of ***holes.


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## Kilfoil (29 Sep 2010)

It is to bad that he was never able to use the money which he deserved, but I don't see how his daughter and her husband receiving the money would have made things right. I would rather see the money stay with Veteran's affairs, where it  can be given to veterans who do deserve it, not some 50 or 60 something year old women who is going to use to buy as a down payment on a Winnebago. Veterans Affairs may not deal with claims very quickly but if that claim had been filed early, he could have been receiving disability payments for a number of years. It seems as if you are persistent with your claim you will eventually get what you deserve.


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## Trinity (29 Sep 2010)

I disagree.

The veteran has already has shelled out money to cope with his injury, hearing aids and other items I can't fathom to think of.  I think the family should be allowed to keep the claim to simply recoup their out of pocket loss that should have been covered years ago.  

I bet families of injured vets also suffer along side with the veteran.  IMO the wife, children, and other family has dealt with his disability in many ways we don't understand.  Although there is no allowance/award for families I have no problems with the wife keeping the money in recognition of the suffering of that family.


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## dogger1936 (29 Sep 2010)

armoured29 said:
			
		

> It is to bad that he was never able to use the money which he deserved, but I don't see how his daughter and her husband receiving the money would have made things right. I would rather see the money stay with Veteran's affairs, where it  can be given to veterans who do deserve it, not some 50 or 60 something year old women who is going to use to buy as a down payment on a Winnebago. Veterans Affairs may not deal with claims very quickly but if that claim had been filed early, he could have been receiving disability payments for a number of years. It seems as if you are persistent with your claim you will eventually get what you deserve.



Wow.


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## riggermade (29 Sep 2010)

armoured29 said:
			
		

> It is to bad that he was never able to use the money which he deserved, but I don't see how his daughter and her husband receiving the money would have made things right. I would rather see the money stay with Veteran's affairs, where it  can be given to veterans who do deserve it, not some 50 or 60 something year old women who is going to use to buy as a down payment on a Winnebago. Veterans Affairs may not deal with claims very quickly but if that claim had been filed early, he could have been receiving disability payments for a number of years. It seems as if you are persistent with your claim you will eventually get what you deserve.



Are you for real or are you angling for a job at VA?


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## OldSolduer (29 Sep 2010)

armoured29 said:
			
		

> It is to bad that he was never able to use the money which he deserved, but I don't see how his daughter and her husband receiving the money would have made things right. I would rather see the money stay with Veteran's affairs, where it  can be given to veterans who do deserve it, not some 50 or 60 something year old women who is going to use to buy as a down payment on a Winnebago. Veterans Affairs may not deal with claims very quickly but if that claim had been filed early, he could have been receiving disability payments for a number of years. It seems as if you are persistent with your claim you will eventually get what you deserve.



I have no idea who you are, but get a grip. We're talking about lives and what is MORALLY right,


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## dogger1936 (29 Sep 2010)

My last comment didnt really accomplsih much. And I aplogise for the waste of bandwidth. I am assuming as your 20 and in gagetown your a DP1 student who hasnt had to deploy, get injured, or deal with VAC.
Your most likely not going to get a call from VAC to tell you Mr. Bloggins..I know you've been out of the army for `60 years and our system shows you have hearing damage..where do we send your check?

It has most likely taken YEARS for him to prove this condition was directly related to service. And maybe been years since he found out he was able to claim such things. The WWW.com generation may be able to find this information quick...a 90 year old ww2 vet who proabally has no army connections left; not so easy.
I have all( serious) injuries documented with summary investigations on a few of them. Still I am being given the run around and it takes forever...and you get jack.
As far as your "family" comment.... you have no idea. I chalk your comments up to your lack of experience in the real world or army. Your full of bright ideas that the army will look after you.  That your country cares. Fact is your nothing but that service number to any of them. And when you become incapacitated it isnt the army of VAC who cares for you...its your family.

And that lady deserves every red cent of it.

I hope you get to keep your innocence and dont wake up in a pool of your own blood in afgan etc surrounded by dead or injured friends. And I hope by the time your a vehicle crewmember your country and VAC stand behind you. Unlike the vets today.


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## The Bread Guy (29 Sep 2010)

armoured29 said:
			
		

> It is to bad that he was never able to use the money which he deserved, but I don't see how his daughter and her husband receiving the money would have made things right. I would rather see the money stay with Veteran's affairs, where it  can be given to veterans who do deserve it, not some 50 or 60 something year old women who is going to use to buy as a down payment on a Winnebago. Veterans Affairs may not deal with claims very quickly but if that claim had been filed early, he could have been receiving disability payments for a number of years. It seems as if you are persistent with your claim you will eventually get what you deserve.


And you know how long they've been waiting for the cheque, how, exactly?

Let me make this simple for you:  The problem is NOT how the family would have spent the money.  The problems were:
1)  someone who was entitled to the money didn't get it until after he was dead, and
2)  first it was given to the estate, then clawed back.



			
				dogger1936 said:
			
		

> As far as your "family" comment.... you have no idea. I chalk your comments up to your lack of experience in the real world or army. Your full of bright ideas that the army will look after you.  That your country cares. Fact is your nothing but that service number to any of them. And when you become incapacitated it isnt the army of VAC who cares for you...its your family.


Amen - the wounded carries the scar, but the family also lives with it.


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## Jarnhamar (30 Sep 2010)

armoured29 said:
			
		

> It is to bad that he was never able to use the money which he deserved, but I don't see how his daughter and her husband receiving the money would have made things right. I would rather see the money stay with Veteran's affairs, where it  can be given to veterans who do deserve it, not some 50 or 60 something year old women who is going to use to buy as a down payment on a Winnebago. Veterans Affairs may not deal with claims very quickly but if that claim had been filed early, he could have been receiving disability payments for a number of years. It seems as if you are persistent with your claim you will eventually get what you deserve.



 ???


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