Critical Injury Benefit

[blackberet17]

I read it so quickly at first I thought it was the canned response

There hasn't been any official word about implementation. If and when I hear something, I'll post.

This is one of those things about ministerial announcements. Looks great on paper, but getting the policies, procedures and guidelines in place takes more time than waving the magic wand, or à la Jean-Luc Picard saying "Make it so."

 

[RobA]

Underestimated for sure, in my squadron of tank drivers alone, there were 12 drivers - 10 hit IED's, 2 were killed and I think only 2 didn't have an immediate injury. So 8/12 drivers who hit IED's that didn't die had some sort or medivac injury. That was one tour.

Yup, my platoon in 2007 had 8 IED strikes seperate ly.  All told, I can think of 6 guys from my platoon alone that should qualify.

Theyre either going to have to give out a lot more then they thought or deny a lot of people.

My guess is, this whole "premptive contact" thing likely means they won't be open to applications until after the election.

I can't imagine Harper wants a bunch of vets calling the papers to talk about how they've all been denied this benefit.  At least if you tell them "wait for us to call you" they can get away with  not havi ng to outright deny ppl until after October.

 

[PuckChaser]

You guys haven't been around VAC for long, right? It'll be 6 months before the preemptive contact, then another 6 months to render a decision. You'll be lucky to see money or denials before next summer, election or not.

 

[Rifleman62]

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1564605/government-of-canada-delivers-for-canadian-armed-forces-personnel-and-veterans

Government of Canada delivers for Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans

Veterans Affairs Canada to begin implementing three new benefits

OTTAWA, June 30, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Erin O'Toole, Minister of Veterans Affairs, confirmed today that the Retirement Income Security Benefit, the Family Caregiver Relief Benefit, and the Critical Injury Benefit for Canadian Armed Forces personnel, Veterans and their families will come into effect on July 1, 2015.

The Retirement Income Security Benefit will provide moderately to severely disabled military Veterans with continued assistance in the form of a monthly income support payment beginning at age 65.

The Family Caregiver Relief Benefit will provide Armed Forces Veterans with a tax-free annual grant of $7,238, allowing their informal caregivers some relief when they need it, while also ensuring that the Veteran's care needs are being met.

The Critical Injury Benefit will provide a $70,000 tax-free payment to recognize and compensate severely injured or ill Canadian Armed Forces personnel and Veterans.

Quick Facts 

    The Retirement Income Security Benefit will ensure that an eligible military Veteran's total annual income is at least 70% of what he or she received in financial benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada before age 65.
    The Family Caregiver Relief Benefit will provide funds to be used for a wide range of relief options such as covering the cost of having a professional caregiver come into the home or covering the cost for another family member or friend to travel to the Armed Forces Veteran's home.
    The Critical Injury Benefit is being paid to eligible Canadian Armed Forces personnel and military Veterans who have suffered a service-related sudden traumatic injury or developed an acute disease and works in concert with existing services and benefits so that there is a continuum of support from the onset of a traumatic injury or disease.
    These benefits are part of the Government of Canada's response to the June 2014 House Standing Committee report on Veterans Affairs on the New Veterans Charter. These benefits are in addition to other enhancements of benefits for part-time Reserve Force personnel, expanded eligibility criteria for the Permanent Impairment Allowance, and the hiring of new case managers and additional staff for disability benefits, previously announced by the Minister

 

[blackberet17]

Posted online today:

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services/after-injury/critical-injury-benefit

The Critical Injury Benefit is a tax-free lump sum award.

Eligibility details

Canadian Armed Forces members or military Veterans may be eligible if they experienced a severe and traumatic injury or acute disease which:
•was service-related;
•was the result of a sudden and single incident occurring on or after April 1, 2006; and
•immediately caused a severe impairment and interference in quality of life.

Severe impairment and interference in quality of life
For the purposes of the Critical Injury Benefit, at least one of the following must apply to you:

Amputation
•An amputation at or above the wrist or ankle

Conditions of less than 12 weeks
•Admitted to intensive care for at least five days.
•Hospitalized and received complex treatment.

Conditions that lasted 12 weeks or more
•Hospitalized
•Blind in both eyes
•Paralysis of one or more limbs
•Loss of control of kidneys, bladder or bowel

Conditions that lasted 16 weeks or more
•Required assistance with three or more of the following activities: eating, bathing, walking, toileting or transferring (e.g. from bed to chair)

Before you start

First time applying for a VAC benefit

You must confirm your identity with one piece of current and valid ID.

Acceptable documents include:
•Driver's licence (provincial)
•Provincial health care card (excluding Alberta and Manitoba)
•Certificate of Indian Status or Secure Certificate of Indian Status
•Vital statistics documents: birth certificate, marriage certificate
•Employee identification card (federal, provincial or municipal)
•Canadian passport
•Other provincial identification card
•Other federal identification card

Proof of identity is also needed for any spouse, common-law partner and/or eligible dependent child who may also benefit from the program.

If you are applying in person, you can take the original of an acceptable document listed above and VAC staff will photocopy it for your file.

If you are applying by mail, please photocopy one of these acceptable documents and attach that to your application. Please write the Veteran’s service number on the photocopy. Do not send original documents to VAC.

There's an "Apply Now" button, plus the 1-866 number, a link to help you find an office, and if sending an application by mail, an address.

There is a "Rates" link, but it's a non-starter at this time.

 

[Teager]

There is a "Rates" link, but it's a non-starter at this time.

I think it's strictly $70k as long as you meet the criteria but could be wrong.

 

[RobA]

Yeah, it's $70k or nothing.

I see now why they were so comfortable giving the (seeming) ridiculously low estimated number of 100ish by 2020.

So I'm guessing that lawsuit will be back on now. This award will be given out to almost nobody, the conditions the lawsuit was founded on still exist.

 

[dunlop303]

Well, I applied.

I'll keep you guys posted as usual. I hit three of the "must haves below", but who knows for sure.
Critical care is open for interpretation (Role 3 in Kandahar?) as is mobility assistance / bed transferring / complex care... ect. a lot of wiggle room.

if anyone gets any kind of feed back in the meantime it would be much appreciated!

 

[RobA]

Yeah same with me.

Injured on highway #1, flown in a Blackhawk to KAF hospital.  Stayed there abkut a week.

Don't know if thats "intensive care unit" but we'll see.

 

[dunlop303]

I was in role 3 for 7 days after being flown in via Blackhawk from panjwai ish area, then was flown to Bagram for 24hrs then to landshtule Germany for another week, and after that I was stable enough to fly but couldn't sit or walk so they sent one of Harper's little blue gov jets with a bed in it for me. Another 2 days in an Ontario hospital, the  rest at home for a few months before physio.

I'd like to hope it's a slam dunk on this benefit. But I am not getting my hopes too high.

 

[RobA]

Yeah, I don't want to get your hopes up either but yours sure sounds like a slam dunk to me. If a case like yours doesn't get it, then this award shouldn't even exist.

Mines much more borderline. If I get it, good, if not,  I'll survive lol. Not gonna lose any sleep over it either way.

 

[Teager]

I"ll keep you guys in the loop as well was in the hospital for 6 months so I think I should qualify. I"m having some issues with the PDF download never opens for me. PDF is up to date. So might have to request an application through snail mail.

 

[dunlop303]

Might be your browser, it doesn't like anything but internet explorer. And your need to have Adobe set as your default pdf reader. I had to switch mine from bluebeam.


Thanks Rob, I'll keep u posted!

 

[dunlop303]

Got some information regarding turnaround times on applications, interesting few calls this morning. The 1st rep I had on the phone was all snooty, Sir.. the bill hasn't even passed yet, once it does you can apply not before then. Umm, Miss, it has passed, and ive already applied threw the apply now button on your website form VAC1033.

She puts me on hold and comes back embarrassed, and says well in my defense my boss has been on vacation. - Wow. So I said thanks anyway and sent them a message asking the same question so they could have a minute to get them selves sorted out.

The turnaround target on applications is within 12 weeks. - tic tock.. One week down and the rep I spoke to didn't even know the benefit existed, lol not a good start.

 

[blackberet17]

Dunlop303

Not surprised. There has not been an official communiqué internally on the CIB. The last we got, dated 02 JUL 15, was on the Veterans Hiring Act, and on Enhanced Transition Services.

There was information posted to the internal Web set, but not everyone thinks to look there.

Disappointing and embarrassing a rep didn't have SA on it, but info has not been passed down all the same.

 

[dunlop303]

Yep,

I wasn't hard on her or anything I told her not to feel bed it had just come out and I had been checking it daily.
I got an odd generic message today, I double checked via secure message that they have everything they need to detrmine my eligibility since its all based on evidence used in previous physical injury awards.

And I get this:

Veterans Affairs Canada
Sent: UTC 2015-07-08 18:35
Dear Mr.

Thank you for using My VAC Account and our secure E-mail services.

You will be contacted in the near future regarding this benefit.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact
us again via My VAC Account or our toll-free number 1-866-522-2122.

Sincerely,


Inquiries Analyst
Veterans Affairs Canada


You
Sent: UTC 2015-07-07 20:56
Thank you for the follow up,

The criteria that I believe entitles me to this benefit should
already be in the possession of Veterans Affairs Canada.
They were all noted on my most recent derision letter for traumatic
brain injury regarding nursing notes from 2007, diagnostic imaging
ect.

Can you confirm that I do not need to submit any further information,
since my entitlement is based on a disability award I received
for an IED strike that caused a broken pelvis and tailbone causing
helicopter evacuation to Role 3 intensive care in Kanadhar and
transferred roughly a week later to the military hospital in
Landshtule Germany.

Thank you,

 

[blackberet17]

The generic reply, and you "should" receive a more "personal" response soon. I think the turnaround is five business days for a response, although as it is specific to the CIB, it may take a little longer.

This information was included in an e-mail to staff today. It expands on the criteria for eligibility.

For the purposes of determining eligibility for this benefit, applicants who present evidence demonstrating that at least one of the following criteria has been met shall be considered to have a severe impairment and severe interference in quality of life:

+ sustained an amputation at or above the wrist or ankle;
+ sustained legal blindness in both eyes - meaning that their best corrected visual acuity is less than or equal to 6/60 or they have less than 20 degrees of visual field remaining - for a minimum of 84 consecutive days;
+ sustained quadriplegia, paraplegia, hemiplegia or complete paralysis of a limb for a minimum of 84 consecutive days;
+ sustained total loss of urinary or bowel function for a minimum of 84 consecutive days;
+ required the assistance of at least one person to perform at least three activities of daily living for a minimum of 112 consecutive days;
+ was admitted to an intensive care unit for a minimum of five consecutive days;
+ was admitted to a hospital for acute or rehabilitative inpatient care for a minimum of 84 consecutive days; or
+ was admitted to a hospital for acute or rehabilitative inpatient care for less than 84 consecutive days during which the member or veteran received complex treatments.

It's only a little more detail from what I shared previously. And the days (84, 112) equate to the weeks used on the VAC web site (i.e., 12 weeks equals 84 consecutive days).

 

[dunlop303]

Anything new on VAC's end that anyone know's about? I was considering calling in for an update but thought I would check here first.
I electronically submitted my application on July 2nd. Does anyone know if they are looking at them yet?

Thanks,

 

[blackberet17]

No word here, but I can make some inquiries of friends in Adjudication.

Note it will take some time before you receive a response. This is a new benefit, decisions will not be rushed as procedures and kinks are worked out.

 

[dunlop303]

Thanks that would be great. I wonder (and kind of hope) its not the same adjudicators that are backlogged with Disability Claims.

Thanks again,