VAC is currently updating the legal and medical guidelines that are used to assess disability pension applications and determine the amount of compensation clients are entitled to receive.

As part of this initiative, we are now drafting new Entitlement Guidelines which will help us to better determine if the disability is related to military service. The new guidelines will incorporate modern medical knowledge on a wide range of existing disabilities, including emerging disabilities that affect peacekeeping personnel. The second component of this initiative is to revise the Table of Disabilities (the Table) which is used to determine the extent of physical or medical impairment. The revised Table will incorporate expanded criteria for assessing disabilities that is more comprehensive, descriptive and accurate. As well, this updated Table will provide us with a better method of evaluating the impact of the disability on your quality of life. Once in place, the guidelines and the Table will strengthen our ability to make disability pension decisions that are more consistent and fair.

We're now consulting staff and key stakeholder groups, such as veterans' organizations, on the revised guidelines. The implementation date for the new Table will be announced in 2002.