Canada is responsible for the financial, physical and mental well-being of eligible Veterans and their families. It ensures that they receive the care, compassion and respect they deserve. Canada’s development as an independent country with a unique identity results partly from its achievements in times of war. It is our duty to help those whose courage gave us this heritage and contributed to our growth as a nation. Veterans Affairs Canada is responsible for developing and administering programs and services available to our veterans.
The following is a summary of the programs and services available for Canadian Veterans.
Benefits for Canadian Veterans
Financial Support Programs & Services for Veterans
These programs and services exist to offset the impact of service related disabilities, severe injuries or wartime detention.
Programs and services for the financial support of Veterans consist of pensions, allowances, and disability payments. In most cases, disability pensions, allowances and awards are received tax-free.
These programs also make it possible to compensate in part for the impact on income, and to guarantee basic needs.
Veteran Health & Wellness Programs and Services
Programs and services for Veteran health and well-being consist of Healthcare benefits and services and Wellness benefits and services. They are administered through reimbursement for the cost of delivering benefits approved by Veterans Affairs Canada. Veterans’ eligibility is based on need.
Health benefits include health care coverage such as vision, dental, prescriptions coverage. The Health program also offers rehabilitation benefits for medical, psycho-social and vocational rehabilitation services that assist the serviceman to adapt to life at home, in the community and at work.
The Wellness programs offers benefits for:
- housekeeping services
- grounds maintenance services
- personal care services
- home adaptation services
- access to nutrition services
- health and support services
- ambulatory healthcare services
- transportation services
- intermediate and long term care services
- career transition services
- mental health services
Programs & Services for Veteran Families and Communities
Following the death of a service member, family members may be eligible for certain income assistance. The type and amount of assistance is based on whether the service member died due to service related injuries or non-service related causes. Those eligible for compensation include:
- A surviving spouse who was living with the member of the Canadian Armed Forces at the time of the member’s death.
- A common-law partner who had been living with the member of the Canadian Armed Forces for at least one year at the time of the member’s death.
- The child of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces or their spouse or common-law partner who is under 18 years of age.
- The child of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces or their spouse or common-law partner who is under 25 years of age, attending school and living in the home of his or her parents.
These family members may be eligible for additional compensation for death benefits, educational assistance, career transition counselling, and funeral and burial costs. In addition, the program covers rehabilitation costs to adapt to life at home, work or in the community with a disabled veteran or upon the loss of the loved one.
Canadian Tax Benefits for Veterans
The Government of Canada provides tax relief to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and police officers deployed on international high- and moderate-risk operational missions.
This tax relief recognizes the special contribution that CAF members and police officers make to international peace and stability while serving their country abroad.
Eligible CAF members and police officers may claim a deduction against taxable income in respect of income earned while deployed on such missions. The maximum amount that an individual may deduct in a taxation year cannot exceed the highest level of pay earned by a non-commissioned member of the CAF. The Government proposes to increase the maximum amount that an individual may deduct in a taxation year to the highest level of pay earned by a Lieutenant-Colonel of the CAF.
In addition, as discussed above, veterans are entitled to earn certain disability pensions and allowances tax free along with disability tax credit.
We at AG Tax would like to take the opportunity to salute all the heroic deeds and sacrifices made by the men and women enlisted in our military both past and present. We are forever grateful.
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