Canada ditching soldiers with PTSD to save money?

Hundreds of veterans 'in the worst shape' can't get pension: ombudsman
CTV News
Andrea Janus
February 5, 2014

Hundreds of Canada’s veterans who suffer from severe mental illness are living without any kind of pension because they left the Canadian Forces before reaching their 10-year service mark, says the country’s outgoing military ombudsman.

Following an appearance at a Senate committee Wednesday, Pierre Daigle told CTV’s Power Play that about 1,400 of the 76,000 former soldiers served by Veterans Affairs are “known to be totally and permanently incapacitated.” Of those, about 400 don’t receive any kind of pension.

“Those are the people who are in the worst shape,” Daigle said. “Who left the Forces, who were sick and had the bad luck of not having their 10 years done of service, so they find themselves out there with no pension, nothing.”

Daigle said many soldiers who are short of the 10-year mark and are suffering from mental illness may not seek help, because they are afraid they will be left without a pension or benefits of any kind.

“I agree with everybody when they say we need to tell people who are sick to come forward. That should be the first step. Come forward and tell people you’re sick,” Daigle told Power Play.

“But after that we need to look at those barriers that might prevent people from doing it: if you come forward and you don’t have 10 years, you might not have any revenue.”
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