wesleyd said:
I thought it looked to good to be true. I have looked all over the VAC website and there doesn't appear to be any way to action or grieve the slow turnaround time. You can appeal which I am in the process of for another claim right now, but there is zero acccountability on the VAC part to complete decsions within a resonable time period.
1) There is nothing you can do about the turnaround times (TATs). It's not something which is legislated, and the "promise" of a 16-week TAT is not legal and binding. And it used to be a 24-week TAT. Some nincompoop is bound to promise 14, if it hasn't already been done.
The truth of the matter is, the Department tries to have decisions out the door quick as it can. However, there are always going to be delays in one form or another. It could take time for any of the following reasons (and a bunch of others):
- Getting your service docs;
- Getting an opinion from one of the doctors you mentioned in your application;
- Getting one of the Medical Advisors at the Department to look at your file and for this doctor to provide an opinion;
- The existing backlog in processing applications;
- The complexity of the condition(s) you are claiming (mechanical low back pain or plantar fasciitis vs prostate cancer due to claimed exposure to Agent Orange or post traumatic stress disorder).
Best I can tell you is... the gang in Disability Adjudication do the best they can. Those who deal with the public and promise faster turnaround times and speedier processes on the one hand, then cut resources and overtime and staffing levels because of government-ordered job cuts on the other hand, well... you tell me if you think a 16-week TAT is realistic.
2) Assessments take longer, because you need to see a doctor for a proper medical examination. This is no different than trying to get in to see your family physician for a check up. I called my family doc two weeks ago, and my annual isn't going to happen until DEC 2013.
3) There's some level of accountability, because some politico somewhere promised Parliament - when the issue was raised by Veterans and CF members - to reduce TATs. And reports are sent to the Minister as to how VAC is doing in meeting it's TATs. But it's in percentages. X number of First Applications were received in the 1st Quarter. X% of those First Applicants were processed within the 16-week TAT. X% were processed within 18 weeks. And so on.
Soldier on is right. It does take time...