Unions, MPs warn funding cuts could affect services for veterans

Canadian Soldiers take part in a press conference regarding the arrival of new ambulance variants to the armoured combat support vehicle fleet at Garrison Petawawa in Petawawa, Ont., on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Unions and MPs say a bureau at Veterans Affairs which provides free legal advice to veterans and RCMP members who have been denied disability benefits is about to see its workforce cut almost in half.

Toufic El-Daher, national president of the Union of Veterans’ Affairs Employees, told a House of Commons committee this week that the Bureau of Pension Advocates is eliminating almost 100 temporary positions, including 24 lawyers.

The overall cut amounts to a workforce reduction of 44 per cent.

“The BPA remains the only free, impartial and specialized service that allows veterans to effectively challenge decisions related to their benefits,” El-Daher told the committee.

“For many, it represents not only legal support, but also a real safety net in a complex system where they should never be left to fend for themselves.”

Veterans Affairs Canada spokesperson Marc Lescoutre said in an email that temporary funding granted to address a “significant backlog” at the bureau ends on March 31.

He said the bureau is transitioning back to “steady state operations in line with its permanent funding levels.”

Gregory Harlow, president of the Association of Justice Counsel, also told the House committee this week that the cuts are taking place as demand for service is rising. He warns of an increase in wait times.

“It’s not just a cut. It’s a decimation,” he said.

“Some elderly clients could become incapacitated or even die while waiting for a hearing date.”

Harlow said the bureau expects approximately 25,000 new files in 2026, which follows a 200 per cent increase in demand since 2018.

“These cases can be complex, involving occupational illness, cancers, military sexual trauma and PTSD,” he said.

“This work establishes precedents that shape how similar cases are handled. The results are often significant for veterans, including retroactive payment when entitlements should have been recognized earlier or significant decisions that become relevant to under-represented groups of veterans, including women.”

Erin Zimmerman served with the Canadian Armed Forces from 2012 to 2016 as a resource management support clerk.

She currently has a disability claim with Veterans Affairs Canada, which she said is related to a diagnosis of a rare form of Parkinson’s disease and service-related exposure. She said she was on a site that was contaminated with a volatile compound that causes Parkinson’s disease.

Zimmerman said her claim is unlikely to be approved at the departmental level under current policies.

“In practice, this means my only path forward will likely be to wait for a denial from Veterans Affairs Canada, which is still pending, and then enter the appeal process where the Bureau of Pensions Advocates would represent me before the Veterans Review and Appeal Board,” she said.

“For veterans with complicated medical conditions, BPA representation is often the only realistic way to navigate that process effectively.”

Zimmerman said she’s concerned that reductions at the bureau will slow down the process for cases like hers.

“With existing backlogs and new cuts, this could mean waiting many years just to receive legal representation, before even reaching a (Veterans Review and Appeal Board) hearing,” she said. “For some veterans, that delay could mean they may never see their case resolved.”

Joel Peddle, who served in the military for about eight years and used the bureau’s services, said the BPA is “pretty much the only avenue that veterans truly have to get some claims approved.”

Peddle said he had problems with his back but initially was not awarded any financial compensation because he wasn’t in enough pain or experiencing enough issues with his range of motion.

“With how much money we’re pumping into our defence industry … it just seems like (Veterans Affairs Canada) is getting worse and worse,” he said. “No one’s going to want to serve their country and join the military if they’re not going to be covered for these permanent injuries they’re going to get from service.”

NDP member of Parliament Gord Johns said in February that the bureau has an 89 per cent success rate.

Johns said the NDP put forward a motion to reverse the cuts in February, which was defeated.

Conservative members of Parliament have also expressed concerns about the cuts.

MP Blake Richards said on social media this week that veterans “shouldn’t have to fight for years to receive the support they deserve.”

“The government continues to claim there are no cuts to veterans’ services. But the reality tells a different story,” he said. “Our veterans deserve better.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press