- What are Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines?
Disability Pensions are awarded under the Pension Act.
Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines are policy statements used by the Department of Veterans Affairs in making decisions on applications for disability pensions. They provide guidance in determining the relationship of a client's medical condition or disability to military service.
- When will the Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines be implemented in the Disability Pension Program?
Thirty five new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines will be implemented on May 1, 2002 addressing approximately 50 commonly claimed medical disabilities. The Guidelines are available for viewing at www.vac-acc.gc.ca/providers/ on April 2, 2002.
Beginning April 2, 2002, this one month period will provide staff, including Pension Officers and client representatives, with the opportunity to become familiar with the new Guidelines prior to implementation.
- On Implementation, how will the new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines affect new applications and applications awaiting adjudication?
On implementation all applications will be ruled upon using the new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines if applicable to the claim. In the absence of a new Guideline, the existing medical guidelines will be used where possible.
- Why is VAC developing new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines?
New Guidelines are being developed to improve the quality, consistency, transparency and timeliness of disability pension decisions by:
- providing improved guidance to clients and staff regarding the information required to support an application, and
- providing improved guidance to staff in determining pension entitlement.
- What information was used to prepare the new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines?
The new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines represent the best literature consensus available and are based on epidemiological evidence from credible, peer reviewed medical research and literature including medical texts, journals and other sources of reliable, accepted medical theory and practice.
- Who was consulted when the new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines were developed?
A full range of stakeholders both within the Department and externally were consulted when the Guidelines were developed.
Development of the new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines was led by a multidisciplinary team with representation from VAC medical advisors, BPA lawyers, pension adjudicators, pension officers and policy analysts. Staff from the Veterans Review and Appeal Board were kept informed during the process. To ensure the guidelines were developed to satisfy both users and stakeholders, the multidisciplinary team consulted with the Royal Canadian Legion, the National Council of Veterans Associations, the Department of National Defence, etc., as well as staff in district and regional offices.
- Will new Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines continue to be introduced?
Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines will continually be developed and updated and will respond to arising medical issues and conditions as required.
