VETERANS REVIEW and APPEAL BOARD
MEMBER JOB DESCRIPTION
Primary Focus
Adjudicate review and appeal applications made to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board which may provide financial compensation to eligible claimants
Interpret and apply the Pension Act, the War Veterans Allowance Act and other related statutes.
Specific Accountabilities
Provide an independent review of disability pension and War Veterans Allowance decisions taken by Veterans Affairs Canada by hearing and adjudicating cases. This involves:
Context
The hearing process is non-adversarial. Clients are most often represented at hearings by a lawyer.
Reporting Relationship
Members are independent decision-makers.
Dimensions
Decisions rendered by Members have a direct impact on disability pension program expenditures which total $1.2B annually.
Pension recipients receive life long payments (non-taxable), as well as possible treatment benefits.
Challenges, Issues, and Initiatives
The medical issues presented are increasingly complex and are not always understood by experts in the medical field.
Clients appearing before the Board are usually represented by a lawyer.
Board Members may have to render decisions without an optimal amount of evidence.
Need to balance the demand of assisting Veterans and service members while respecting the applicable legislation.