Veteran pensions not as sold (Letters)

Veteran pensions not as sold

Contributed - May 10, 2018

MP Steve Fuhr's comments to the effect of "life-long pensions for veterans" would lead a lot of people to believe all disabled veterans are going to receive a life-long disability pension.

Further on in the news release, it gives two different scenarios, suggesting what two different age groups would receive.

Fuhr makes it clear the veteran group listed is those 100 per cent disabled.

About 12 per cent of veterans who are receiving a life-long disability pension are 100 per cent disabled, so how about the other 88 per cent?

Well, let's look at the truth.

Most of the 88 per cent might have a disability of approx 5 to 10 per cent. All under the 12 per cent mentioned will receive a buyout or lump sum award, and the veteran has the choice to take the award or have it processed over their natural life.

I will let you do the math for a 22-year-old veteran with a $20,000 award life-long pension, believing the average life expectancy for a Canadian is about 80 years. How much per month would the veteran receive?

The Liberals did away with the life-long pension when they enacted the New Veterans Charter, which brought in the disability award.

Before that, a 10 per cent disabled veteran who was released from the military and would not improve physically would have received approximately $120 per month for each 5 per cent, which included a small percentage for the spouse.

Again, do the math for the 22 year old – over $80,000 dollars for 5 per cent disability.

That's a far cry from perhaps a $15,000 award.

Trudeau said he would bring back the life-long pension, but he did not tell the truth. In fact, he said government could not afford what some veterans are asking for.

Fuhr is a veteran, a retired senior officer, and he still has to toe the party line, regardless of what is printed.

Dale Dirks

https://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/225892/Veteran-pensions-not-as-sold