Nearly half of the 46,000 disability applications before Veterans Affairs Canada are considered backlogged — but federal officials insisted today they finally have a plan to deal with it. Veterans Affairs has announced it is hiring 300 more full-time staff over the next two years to focus on the most common applications, including those for hearing loss, tinnitus and musculoskeletal conditions. "Veterans should receive the benefits and services they're entitled to in a timely manner, and the current backlog is unacceptable," said Cameron McNeil, a spokesperson for Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay. "The recent investment of nearly $90 million that our government made will allow Veterans Affairs to hire hundreds of new staff and speed up processes to ensure veterans receive faster decisions. For example, a first-time PTSD claim takes an average of 34 weeks to get through the system, according to a Veterans Affairs online calculator.

Source: CBC News June 29, 2020 19:31 UTC