OTTAWA, ON, October 30, 2003 - Cliff Chadderton, Chairman of the 47-member National Council of Veteran Associations, has today written to the Veterans Affairs Minister asking when the Regulations permitting the Veterans Independence Program for all veterans' spouses will go into effect. (The letter is appended to the end of this statement.)

Chadderton said that it was a great day for the Canadian parliamentary system and for war veterans and their widows in reference to yesterday's Motion in the House of Commons that the Regulations of Veterans Affairs be amended so that all widows will benefit from the Veterans Independence Program (mostly groundskeeping and housekeeping).

This should effectively wipe out the May 12, 2003 deadline in the current Regulation so that VIP, which was formerly paid to widows for one year after the death of their husbands, will be restored to them for life.

In our opinion, the unanimous adoption of the Motion to adopt without further debate the Report of the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs removes all obstacles in regard to Veterans Affairs Canada restoring VIP where it was in payment to widows, provided of course that they can still qualify on the grounds that they are occupying a house for groundskeeping and housekeeping, and if they are in an apartment or a condominium, for housekeeping. The average amount is approximately $300 a month.

We have been advised that the Motion will now be forwarded to the Senate; and that the Senate has already given First Reading to the Report and the Motion. The only requirement left is for the Senate to approve the Motion. The Veterans Independence Program is not legislation. It is provided under a Regulation of Veterans Affairs Canada.

With the unanimous consent of both the Senate and Parliament, Veterans Affairs Canada can now commence the work of restoring the benefit to the widows of all those veterans who died before May 13 of this year. If there are not sufficient funds available to restore the benefit to all widows, top priority should be given to those who acted as "caregivers" to their totally disabled husbands.

LETTER TO VETERANS AFFAIRS MINISTER,
THE HON. DR REY PAGTAKHAN, FOLLOWS HEREWITH. 

October 30, 2003

Minister:

Re: Extension of VIP to Widows

We were pleased to note that the House of Commons adopted unanimously a Motion to the effect that benefits under the Veterans Independence Program would be available to widows whose spouses had died prior to the amendments which went into effect May 12, 2003.

It is our assumption that the Senate will endorse the Motion from the House of Commons.

In our opinion, this would not require a Legislative change, but merely an amendment to Section 16 of the Veterans Health Care Regulations.

We would be grateful if you could inform us as to a possible date upon which Section 16 etcetera would be put into effect, provided of course that Senate approval is forthcoming.

Yours sincerely,

H. Clifford Chadderton, CC, O.Ont., OStJ, CLJ, CAE, DCL, LLD
Chairman