Along with our Government, I have great respect for the men and women who have made sacrifices in service of our country. And I’ve always kept an eye on the programs and benefits for needy veterans, named yearly in the Budget. Among those benefits is an ongoing program of assistance for families of injured veterans whose annual income is less than $12,000. For those veterans, the program offers re is assistance to help with the steep funeral and burial costs.

Since 2006, over 10,000 Veterans and their families have received assistance through the Funeral and Burial program, with an average payment of $3,600. Depending on the situation, this may rise to a possible $10,000.

Not all countries provide help in these circumstances. Of those who do, many provide much less. Australia, for example, doles out a lump sum payment of $2,076 Cdn for service-related deaths. New Zealand offers $1,816 Cdn and the UK, $3498 Cdn. The US provides no assistance for funeral services of injured veterans, but offers free burial in a national cemetery to veterans and their immediate families.

After a Veteran has died, our government also supports and honours their families. The Veterans Independence Program, which assists surviving family members of the Second World War and Korean War has been expanded. The Community War Memorial program which provides funding for community cenotaphs to ensure the service and sacrifice of Canada’s Veterans is never forgotten.

Our government is keeping our Veteran’s benefits and services intact. We are, however, eliminating the red-tape that has caused tangles for some Veterans and their families attempting to receive their benefits. We agree that they deserve better.
Federal programs concerning veterans fall under constant review, in order to determine their suitability in the days ahead. As a case in point, changes were recently made so that Veterans no longer need to submit travel expense receipts to cover travel costs to medical appointments or for housekeeping and grounds maintenance service.

Liberals would like to see Veterans’ benefits cut and the NDP have voted against benefits for our Veterans. However, our Government has a strong record of standing up for Veterans and their families. We’ll keep on reviewing our standards, to make sure they continue to receive the benefits and services they need.

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The audio version of Garry's March 11, 2013 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here