Veterans Affairs Canada’s 2024–25 Departmental plan

Core responsibilities and internal services:

• Benefits, Services and Support
• Commemoration
• Veterans Ombudsperson
• Internal Services

Benefits, Services and Support

• In this section

  • Description
  • Quality of life impacts
  • Results and targets
  • Plans to achieve results
  • Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25
  • Related government priorities
  • Program inventory

Description

Support the care and well-being of Veterans and their dependents or survivors through a range of benefits, services, research, partnerships, and advocacy.

Quality of life (QoL) impacts

This core responsibility contributes to all the QoL domains and indicators listed below via all of the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description.

• Health: Self-rated mental health, Self-rated health
• Prosperity: Financial well-being, Employment, Housing needs
• Society: Sense of belonging to local community
• Life satisfaction

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Benefits, Services and Support, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Note: The Life After Service Survey (LASS) was replaced with the Canadian Veteran Health Survey (CVHS) to provide better sampling of all Veteran groups. The LASS, last completed in 2019, surveyed Regular Force Veterans at non-entry ranks and who released after 1998. This represented only about 12.5% of the total Veteran population. The CVHS by contrast represents over 95% of the Veteran population as of 2022. It is also closely aligned with the Canadian Community Health Survey which will allow for easier comparison with the broader Canadian population.

There are also differences in methodology and the questions posed between the two surveys. The majority of previous year results are provided for information only and should not be used for comparison purposes due to these changes in methodology and data source. The footnotes in the following section provide further detail regarding results/indicators impacted by these changes.

After consulting with Statistics Canada, VAC launched the CVHS to replace the LASS which was last conducted in 2019. The CVHS, conducted by Statistics Canada, provides better representation of all Veteran groups allowing for improved comparability with the broader Canadian population.

Table 1: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans are physically and mentally well”

After consulting with Statistics Canada, VAC launched the CVHS to replace the LASS which was last conducted in 2019. The CVHS, conducted by Statistics Canada, provides better representation of all Veteran groups allowing for improved comparability with the broader Canadian population.

Table 2: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans and their families are financially secure”

After consulting with Statistics Canada, VAC launched the CVHS to replace the LASS which was last conducted in 2019. The CVHS, conducted by Statistics Canada, provides better representation of all Veteran groups allowing for improved comparability with the broader Canadian population.

Table 3: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans have a sense of purpose”

After consulting with Statistics Canada, VAC launched the CVHS to replace the LASS which was last conducted in 2019. The CVHS, conducted by Statistics Canada, provides better representation of all Veteran groups allowing for improved comparability with the broader Canadian population.

Table 4: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans are able to adapt, manage, and cope within post-service life”

After consulting with Statistics Canada, VAC launched the CVHS to replace the LASS which was last conducted in 2019. The CVHS, conducted by Statistics Canada, provides better representation of all Veteran groups allowing for improved comparability with the broader Canadian population.

Table 5: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans are living in safe and adequate housing”

After consulting with Statistics Canada, VAC launched the CVHS to replace the LASS which was last conducted in 2019. The CVHS, conducted by Statistics Canada, provides better representation of all Veteran groups allowing for improved comparability with the broader Canadian population.

Table 6: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans are socially supported”

Table 7: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans are satisfied with the services they receive”

The financial, human resources and performance information for our program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

Under this Core Responsibility, we continue to work on improving our benefits and services to Veterans and other clients through various initiatives.

On 3 November 2023, the Government of Canada announced an extra $164.4M in funding to ensure that Veterans receive access to benefits quicker and when they need them. Of that funding, $109.2M will help us keep temporary employees who process disability benefit applications for an extra two years, until March 2026. This will support efforts to reduce the backlog of disability benefit applications and ensure timely decisions for Veterans and members/former members of the RCMP. We will also continue to invest in research that increases our understanding of Veterans across the seven domains of well-being.

We will use data from the CVHS to estimate how common specific physical and mental health conditions are among Veterans. We will also collaborate with Statistics Canada to find Veterans in more federal data sources and identify groups with higher needs.

To better support Veterans with their mental health, we will evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (formerly called the Centre of Excellence for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Mental Health).

We will work to modernize and improve access to mental health services, such as e-therapy approaches or other evidence-based and emerging treatments [e.g., PTSD Coach 2.0, Therapist-Assisted Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TA iCBT)].

In 2024–25, we plan to review the Health Care Benefits (HCB) program, identify gaps and create a plan to address priorities. We will increase promotion of the Public Service Health Care Plan through social media channels to ensure Veterans and their families are aware of its availability.

One of the commitments in the Minister’s mandate letter is to “work to reduce barriers to accessing services for Indigenous Veterans, including improving outreach to Indigenous communities and expanding the offering of culturally appropriate services”. We are looking for ways to engage respectfully with Indigenous Veterans to understand their views on accessing culturally appropriate services that align with the unique practices of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

We will keep monitoring the annual percentage of Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic clients reporting improved mental health using the Client-Reported Outcomes Monitoring Information System (CROMIS). We will also help the clinic network with CROMIS 2.0 activities to encourage more use of outcome monitoring through the system. This includes support from specialists in the field of outcomes monitoring, support from the VAC Operational Stress Injury National Network team, support from local OSI Clinic CROMIS Champions, various in-person and virtual training opportunities, and improvements to local clinic processes.

We began the Veterans’ Well-Being Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) last year to better understand the strengths and needs of our diverse Veteran population. In 2024–25, we will continue to work with stakeholders to apply what we have learned and focus our efforts on what is most meaningful to Veterans.

We will ensure the continued support for Veterans and eligible individuals in maintaining their health and independence within their homes and communities and will incorporate the findings from the 2022 Veterans Independence Program evaluation by creating a dedicated tool to enhance consistency and efficiency in approving personal care benefits, with an implementation target of 2025.

To ensure Veterans receive timely financial benefits, promoting their financial security and that of their families, we will continue to improve VAC systems through Information Technology (IT) Modernization, which includes enhancements and modifications to legacy systems to ensure timely processing of payments and benefits. We will improve services by using data and new technologies to speed up processing times and ensure Veterans can quickly access benefits and services. For example, we will refine the Service Health Record Search Tool to help improve the disability backlog.

Providing the Income Replacement Benefit (IRB) to Veterans in the Rehabilitation Program helps them focus on their health. We will begin an annual income verification process to ensure Veterans receive accurate payments and the level of support for which they qualify.

Over the next year, we will conduct research to better understand the financial well-being of Veterans. We will continue to partner with organizations to ensure Veterans and their families have access to the information and resources they need to understand their financial options and improve their financial well-being.

As part of our policy modernization efforts, we will ensure that Veterans participating in the Canadian Forces Income Support program are also supported through participation in VAC’s Career Transition Services program, which promotes workforce re-integration and financial security.

We will launch a National Veterans’ Employment Strategy to help Veterans make a smoother transition to the civilian job market. The goal is to provide meaningful employment opportunities in their chosen careers. This strategy includes improved support services, private sector job development, enhanced public service career opportunities, and stronger partnerships with organizations supporting Veteran employment. Immediate outcomes include creating a community of practice, providing employment tools, and increasing resources for Veterans so more Veterans will participate in the workforce. Ultimately, the goal is for Veterans to have a sense of purpose and effectively manage post-service life.

We will keep promoting the Education and Training Benefit to help Veterans reach their career and personal goals. Promotion includes ongoing social media campaigns to highlight the program and share eligibility details.

A horizontal evaluation on the transition process will assess if the current transition process effectively helps Veterans adapt and manage life after service. In addition, an Enhanced Transition Services (ETS) Renewal working group with members from VAC, CAF, and Military Family Services is reviewing the ETS process to find ways to improve it. They are also looking for opportunities to align the process with the new Military to Civilian Transition process being introduced nationwide. This review supports the commitment in the Mandate Letters of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Minister of National Defence to enhance transition services.

We will continue providing a nationally consistent and quality-assured Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program (RSVP) to meet the medical, psycho-social, and vocational rehabilitation needs of program participants. RSVP has introduced a new feedback mechanism to collect input from participants at three stages of their rehabilitation plan. In 2024–25, RSVP will analyze this data to identify areas for program improvements.

We will keep collaborating with the Department of National Defence to simplify processes, improve service delivery, and enhance transition services through the CAF-VAC Seamless Transition Task Force. The goal is to streamline data sharing (using automation, when possible) for a “tell us once” approach. To support this, we will conduct an internal review to confirm VAC’s information requirements from CAF and create a data inventory to better align our systems, ensuring we receive the right information at the right time.

We will also create a list of national resources from the Veterans’ Well-Being CHNA and will collaborate with external partners to develop a tool with available resources for Veterans.

Our work with Infrastructure Canada on the Veteran Homelessness Program will continue, providing funds to third-party organizations for rent supplements and support services for Veterans facing or at risk of homelessness. In the fiscal year 2024–25, Veterans will receive support from funding recipients. The program will also provide funding to support research and enhance capabilities to address Veteran homelessness.

Through the Veteran and Family Well-being Fund, we will support Veteran housing initiatives that will help to create a pathway for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to establish a safe and secure environment and develop long-term stability. We will also explore opportunities for support organizations to contact us through My VAC Account (MVA) or other platforms to verify services for homeless Veterans and provide immediate support to them.

Via our occupational therapy services, we aim to enhance home adaptation for Veterans through a pilot project set to commence by 1 April 2024, lasting six months or until 50 home modifications are completed, whichever comes first. The project will assess improvements by tracking turnaround times and decision-to-completion timelines, evaluating backlogs in pilot areas, comparing average costs of home adaptations before and during the pilot, and gathering feedback through surveys from occupational therapists involved in the project.

We will introduce a Social Prescribing Model in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team that includes experts from VAC and Veteran communities. This model aims to help Veterans address various aspects of health. For example, managing chronic illness, mental health, and social integration. The goal is to improve overall well-being by promoting self-determination in Veterans’ health through positive outcomes, including new employment, volunteering, social connections, and housing.

We will keep working with the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre to help those affected by military sexual trauma. This involves collaborating on shared interests, raising awareness about each other’s programs, and working together to establish a Peer Support Program for those impacted by sexual misconduct during their CAF service.

We will continue to partner with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and offer mental health literacy training tailored to the Veteran community.

We will continue to fund community-based organizations across the country through the Veteran Family and Well-Being Fund to deliver innovative projects and services to support the well-being of Veterans and their families.

We are dedicated to the health and well-being of Veterans and their families. Our top priority is to improve disability benefits processing times. Significant progress has been made in reducing the backlog, decreasing it by 77% since 2020. As of 30 December 2023, there were 5,054 applications over the service standard (backlog) as compared to 6,621 on 31 March 2023.

Although we made progress in improving service standard results for disability benefits, there is more work ahead. With the additional funding announcement, $109.2M of the funding is dedicated to keeping trained temporary employees who process disability benefits decisions until 2026. This will allow for continued progress addressing the backlog to ensure that Veterans and members/former members of the RCMP receive their decisions in a timely manner.

We will continue working to reduce inequality gaps in processing disability claims. We have dedicated resources specifically to oversee processing times for French and female applicants. We have made progress, with staff members proficient in French or who are bilingual now handling approximately 30% of our disability benefit decisions.

We will continue to provide a service experience that is responsive to the needs of our Veterans and members/former members of the RCMP and their families. The new funding also provides $55.2M to extend temporary case management resources for an extra 2 years and allow for hiring new temporary staff beginning in 2025, which will improve overall case management services. Our 2022 VAC National Client Survey (VNCS) reveals a 78% overall satisfaction with VAC services and 78% for case management.

We are actively advancing automation initiatives to expedite decision-making. This includes prepopulating data into disability benefits decision letters and expanding to other decision types in 2024–25. In February 2023, we introduced the VAC Healthshare platform for electronic submission of medical reports, audiograms, and questionnaires. In the coming year, we plan to enhance the platform with automatic coding for document identification to streamline the submission process. Additionally, automatic ordering of Service Health Records will facilitate earlier requests and ensure timely processing.

We will conduct the 2024 VNCS, analyzing the main results to identify trends and areas for improvement. A detailed secondary analysis will be done to identify more opportunities to improve service delivery.

We will survey My VAC Account users to understand perceptions, behaviors, and experiences with our primary online channel. The study will also assess reactions and satisfaction with the recent redesign in 2023–24. This will mark the fourth iteration of the study, which was first conducted in 2017.

We have created short video scripts to clarify the disability benefit application process, including required information, applicant statements, medical questionnaires, etc. These videos will be accessible on our external website by mid-2024. We have also revisited our top five most frequently used VAC letters and are working to make them clearer for Veterans and other clients.

We will develop a Service Management Plan to help identify and prioritize VAC’s digital products which aim to improve client service experience and government operations. We will also implement the new Virtual Services Plan for our health professionals to work with Veterans, providing services in the way that suits them best (in-person, virtually, or a combination).

The Bureau of Pension Advocates (BPA) is implementing initiatives to streamline its operations. The Digital Age Renewal (DARE) project is closely examining BPA’s current setup, including its structure, processes, resources, culture, communication, service demand, and processing capacities. The project is experimenting how to simplify claim processing and is being piloted with VAC Redress System partners to resolve less complicated cases more efficiently.

The Table of Disabilities (TOD) is a legal tool to assess a disability for the purpose of benefit decisions. The TOD modernization is ongoing to make decisions more efficiently and reduce processing times. As part of these efforts, the tools are reviewed for up-to-date health evidence to ensure consistent, efficient, and quick decision-making. This work will be finished and in place by the end of 2024–25.

The Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines (EEGs) are policy statements guiding disability benefit decisions, ensuring fair and consistent judgments about the link between a disability and military service. We are in the process of modernizing the EEGs to help adjudicators make faster, fairer, and more transparent decisions on Veteran Disability Benefit applications. This involves creating new EEGs for common or complex conditions. The updated EEGs will be in use by the end of 2024–25.

A Gender Based Analysis Plus is being applied to the modernization of the TOD and EEGs to ensure that they consider the diverse health related experience of Canadian Veterans. GBA Plus encompasses many factors of intersectionality. However, the following three elements influence the entitlement and assessment of Disability Benefits: sex, disability and service.

As an example of this work, we are in the process of developing a new EEG for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) where a review of current research shows that the symptoms of CAD often present differently in females than in males. Females, therefore, are often misdiagnosed, undertreated and may be diagnosed later in life (65+ for female vs to 55+ for male). This can result in poorer health outcomes for females. Our guidance aims to assist our decision-makers to recognize the signs and symptoms of CAD that are unique to females. This reduces the need for medical consultation and steps in the process of making decisions which in turn, reduces the processing time for females claims.

We will create guidelines for out-of-country elective medical care (services, treatments, benefits) for clients residing in Canada.

We will collaborate with the newly awarded Federal Health Claims Processing Services contractor to ensure seamless health care authorization and claims reimbursement services for Veterans under the upcoming contract, set to launch in summer 2026. We will oversee the implementation phase, ensuring adherence to timelines and deliverables. A review of documents, including business processes, forms or letters, and communications materials, will be conducted in 2024–25 to provide the contractor with essential information for achieving desired outcomes.

We will work with academic partners and Veterans organizations to study the best ways to meet the needs of survivors of military sexual trauma. We will also work with survivors of the LGBT Purge to understand their experiences and identify any challenges in accessing programs and services.

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Benefits, Services and Support is supported by the following programs:

• Caregiver Recognition Benefit
• Disability Benefits
• Health Care Benefits
• Income Support
• Long Term Care
• Research and Innovation
• Transition Services
• Veterans Emergency Fund
• Veterans Independence Program
• War Veterans Allowance

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to our program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Commemoration

• In this section

  • Description
  • Quality of life impacts
  • Results and targets
  • Plans to achieve results
  • Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25
  • Related government priorities
  • Program inventory

Description

Pay tribute to the sacrifices and achievements of those who served in Canada’s military efforts.

Quality of life (QoL) impacts

This core responsibility contributes to all the QoL domains and indicators listed below via all of the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description.

• Society: Sense of pride/belonging to Canada; Participation in cultural or religious practices, recreation or sport; Sense of belonging to local community
• Sense of meaning and purpose (headline indicator)
• Environment: Conserved areas

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Commemoration, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Table 8: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans and those who died in service are honoured”

Table 9: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Canadians remember and appreciate Veterans and those who died in service”

The financial, human resources and performance information for our program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

We will continue to support the Government of Canada’s duty to pay tribute to all who have served, and continue to serve, Canada in times of war, conflict, and peace.

To contribute to this departmental result in 2024–25, we will continue improving learning materials to share stories of the diverse population of Veterans who served both at home and abroad.

We will lead and support commemorative efforts in Canada and internationally to mark:

• 10^th Anniversary of the end of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan (Canada)
• Repatriation of the Newfoundland Unknown Soldier (Somme, France)
• 80^th Anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (Normandy, France)
• 80^th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign (Italy)
• 60^th Anniversary of Peacekeeping in Cyprus (Cyprus)
• 30^th Anniversary of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda II
• Invictus Games (Canada)

We will ensure sound stewardship of international memorial sites through increased funding which supports the ongoing restoration of monuments, infrastructure and visitor experiences at Canadian memorial sites, including the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. This work includes the initial design phase of the Vimy parking lot redevelopment and conservation work to the Vimy monument.

We are committed to caring for our First World War memorials. Additional funding ensures the preservation of aging memorials, updating site infrastructure with a focus on sustainability, and reducing environmental impact. We are also modernizing visitor services and interpretive support. We are currently developing a visitor experience strategy for the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. This includes introducing new exhibits, improving digital technology, and renewing the permanent exhibit at Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial. Our goal is to preserve these cultural resources, ensuring their stories are shared today and in the future.

We continue to implement the multi-year forest management plan which includes maintenance, replanting and long-term sustainability of wooded areas and forests at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial National Historic Sites.

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Commemoration is supported by the following programs:

• Canada Remembers
• Funeral and Burial Program

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to our program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Veterans Ombudsperson

• In this section

  • Description
  • Quality of life impacts
  • Results and targets
  • Plans to achieve results
  • Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25
  • Related government priorities
  • Program inventory

Description

Provide an independent and impartial review of complaints and issues related to programs and services delivered by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio and uphold the Veterans Bill of Rights.

Quality of life (QoL) impacts

This core responsibility contributes to all the QoL domains and indicators listed below via all of the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description.

• Good governance: Discrimination and unfair treatment; Confidence in institutions

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Veterans Ombudsperson, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

Table 10: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Veterans and their families have access to a timely review of complaints about the programs, services and support delivered by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio”

Table 11: Indicators, results and targets for departmental result “Issues about the programs, services and support provided to Veterans and their families by the Veterans Affairs Portfolio identified by the Office of the Veterans Ombudsperson are addressed”

The financial, human resources and performance information for our program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

Under this core responsibility, the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) will continue to look into issues and complaints related to programs and services to determine whether Veterans and their families are treated fairly.

The Office aims to promptly handle complaints. They will review client files and intervene with Veterans Affairs to find solutions. Providing excellent service is a top priority for the Ombud’s office, making sure Veterans and their families feel heard and acknowledged, no matter the outcome of individual complaint reviews.

In 2024–25, the OVO will undertake the following activities which will contribute to this departmental result:

• use call recording for periodic monitoring of OVO client interactions to support quality assurance. Call recordings will be regularly reviewed, and feedback will be provided to analysts to ensure excellent service for all clients contacting the OVO.
• continually improve internal processes and develop skills within OVO staff to address unfairness at the lowest level possible. This speeds up complaint resolution and lessens the impact on clients. For example, we are setting up an internal Complaint Review Committee to discuss and identify options for the escalation of findings of unfairness to ensure they are raised to the right level within VAC at the right time. This will ensure that issues escalated to VAC are supported by evidence and promote the best interests of Veterans and their families.
• increase awareness of OVO services within the Veterans’ community by offering virtual town hall-style meetings, in-person outreach events, communications support for report releases, etc. This will improve awareness of services and hopefully reach populations who may not be aware how the OVO can assist them.
• continue to connect with Veterans and their families through social media to ensure they understand VAC programs and benefits, and that they understand our role in advocating for fairness.

The OVO addresses complaints of fairness from Veterans and their families. This includes assessing if complaints are valid (based on treatment, process and outcome) and within the mandate of the Office. Complaints with recommendations are then submitted to the Veterans Affairs Portfolio for resolution.

The office also identifies and reviews systemic issues. Reviews highlight gaps and fairness issues in VAC’s programs and services and include recommendations to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

Since 2009, OVO has tracked recommendations in their annual publication, Spotlight (previously called Report Card). In that time, methods for conducting systemic reviews and assessing fairness have evolved. To ensure our efforts were focused on fairness, an independent, technical review of outstanding recommendations was commissioned to get expert advice on the validity of recommendations and improving follow-up. In 2024–25, the OVO will improve tracking by increasing consultation and follow-up with VAC, reviewing and updating evidence for recommendations that have not been implemented, and publishing updates or revisions. This will help to ensure that fairness issues in their reports are addressed.

The OVO will continue to conduct systemic reviews and make recommendations that focus on fairness issues related to VAC programs and services. They will implement training and tools to improve the assessment of complaints brought forward by individuals. This will ensure that the OVO has solid evidence to support any fairness issues raised (individual or systemic), which will then help ensure those issues are addressed.

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Veterans Ombudsperson is supported by the following programs:

• Veterans Ombudsperson

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to our program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

• In this section

  • Description
  • Plans to achieve results
  • Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25
  • Related government priorities

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

We will support departmental objectives by continuing to innovate and evolve internal services so we can deliver efficient results for Veterans.

We will focus on service excellence for internal services by continuing to modernize internal services to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. In this fiscal year, we will:

• strengthen our information management obligations by creating a better Information Governance Framework. This includes defining roles and responsibilities; promoting training and awareness; implementing performance measures for monitoring; and identifying gaps across the organization.
• improve information management by consolidating digital workspaces into an integrated solution. This includes providing storage quotas, search and monitoring capabilities, and an improved user experience.
• enhance Access to Information and Privacy services to the public by introducing digital solutions that support automation of processes, such as redaction software.
• evolve our approach to security operations and security management to reflect the hybrid work model. Align with the evolving security dynamic in Canada through the implementation of an updated Departmental Security Plan.
• modernize materiel management services to reflect the new Directive on the Management of Materiel. This will help improve results and responsibly manage resources, aligning with the Government of Canada’s socio-economic, security, and environmental goals.
• continue to implement our digital strategy by promoting education and awareness, and by taking measures to increase digital and data literacy.
• improve efficiency at VAC by digitizing common forms and processes. This includes implementing tools like an integrated Human Resources (HR) dashboard to make our data easily accessible.
• leverage new technologies to evolve our reporting and analytics capabilities, helping us understand and leverage our data holdings.

We value our people and will continue to be more agile and resilient. This involves identifying future needs to ensure we can attract, develop, and retain the talent required for a changing work environment. We will:

• improve how we hire through continual process enhancements to our staffing and recruitment practices. This includes simplifying tools which are inclusive and accessible by design, integrating data-informed decision-making while developing our staffing strategies and introducing innovations such as automation of pool management for the benefit of both candidates and managers.
• support the Government of Canada's Call to Action and our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace by implementing the “We All Belong” Diversity and Inclusion action plan to empower and support employees, carrying us through 2026.
• continue to support the accessibility needs of both our clients and employees by continuing the implementation of our Accessibility Action Plan 2022-2025.
• improve support available to our employees through the implementation of a centralized Disability Management Program, including the adoption of the Government of Canada (GC) Workplace Accessibility Passport.
• foster a work culture that increases awareness of mental health and uses best practices to promote well-being for all employees.

We will continue to provide accessible, timely, accurate, Veteran-centric, and objective communications services and products to Veterans, their families, and Canadians in both official languages, using gender-inclusive terms wherever possible. We will:

• continue to use our website, social media platforms, advertising, and other digital communications tools to share information about our programs and services, and to commemorate and recognize Veterans, with a focus on modern-day and under-represented communities.
• share the diversity of Veterans’ stories through storytelling, using a variety of communications tools and platforms to ensure we keep their memories alive.
• focus on understanding communications analytics, the media environment and stakeholder analysis to inform decision-making on internal and external communications approaches.

Spending

Table 13: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of our core responsibilities and for our internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.

Table 14: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of our core responsibilities and for its internal services for the upcoming three fiscal years.

Funding

The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.

Text description of figure 1

Fiscal year	Statutory	Voted	Total
2021-22 Actual	42	5,364	5,406
2022-23 Actual	42	5,380	5,422
2023-24 Forecast	51	5,920	5,971
2024-25 Planned	45	6,169	6,214
2025-26 Planned	45	6,097	6,142
2026-27 Planned	41	5,568	5,609

Note: Some totals may not add up due to rounding.

Explanation of figure 1

Our budget changes each year because of the demand-driven nature of our programs and services, which are based on the supports and services for which Veterans come forward. Annually, we update our client and expenditure forecasts to ensure that all Veterans who come forward receive the benefits and services to which they deserve.

While forecasting helps ensure enough funding is available, expenditures are only incurred for Veterans who in fact come forward to use the program or service. The design of the Government’s budget process accounts for these fluctuations, which is why there will be changes to both forecasted and actual spending from one year to the next. Fluctuations in spending are normal, given that initial forecasting is typically done many months in advance of the reporting period and adjusted throughout the year based on actual results. In addition, due to timing, any new spending announced in the upcoming Federal Budget, are not included in the planned spending figures.

In the coming fiscal year 2024–25, an overall increase in planned spending is anticipated when compared to 2023–24. This is due to an increase in demand for many of our benefits and services.

Planned spending is currently shown to decrease in the outer years as temporary investments made to continue our mission to improve disability benefits processing times and to extend resources to support case management services conclude. Moreover, a phased reduction in departmental spending has commenced beginning in 2023–24, aligned with the implementation of the Budget 2023 Refocusing Government Spending initiative.

While planned spending is currently shown to decrease in the outer years, it is expected we will continue to see increased demand for many of our programs and services. In the future, the budgets for Veteran benefits will be updated through the Estimates process to align with the latest forecast of client demand and expenditures.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of our operations for 2023–24 to 2024–25.

The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on our website.

Table 15: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending 31 March 2025 (dollars)

Human resources

Table 16: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for our core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Table 17: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of our core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.