2021/22 – 2023/24 business plan
Letter of transmittal
The Honourable Todd Smith
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
Dear Minister Smith:
Consistent with the requirements of Treasury Board Secretariat, I am pleased to present this 2021/22 – 2023/24 business plan on behalf of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission.
Sincerely,
Colin R. Rowe
Chair
Executive summary
In 2020-21 the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services enacted new legislation, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020 that has expanded the scope of the program to reach all eligible Veterans and their family members in the province of Ontario.
Mandate
Pursuant to the Soldiers’ Aid Commission Act, 2020, the Commission is mandated to:
- Administer a financial assistance program for eligible Veterans and eligible family members of Veterans who reside in Ontario;
- Review applications for financial assistance and decide whether or not to approve them, in whole or part, in accordance with the regulations made under the act;
- Provide advice to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services on matters affecting Veterans and their families; and
- Engage in any other activities that may be prescribed by the regulations made under the act.
By implementing the financial assistance program, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission will continue to make a positive difference to the well-being of vulnerable Ontario Veterans and their families by providing them with access to modest financial assistance.
The Commission operates at arm’s length from government. The current members are appointed by Order-in-Council and do not have fixed terms of appointment. Future members of the Commission will have fixed terms up to three years in length.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Commission and the ministry was signed by the Minister and the Chair on January 1st, 2021.
Eligible Veterans
A Veteran is a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who has completed basic training and was released from service.
The following people are also Veterans:
- Any person who served in any armed force of Canada or any Allied Force during World War I or World War II.
- Any person who served in any armed force of Canada during World War II and who was stationed in Canada or the United States.
- Any person who served in the Merchant Navy in a theatre of war during World War II.
- Any person who served in any armed force of Canada or any Allied Force and who served in a theatre of operations during the Korean War.
Eligible family members
The following family members of an eligible Veteran may receive financial assistance from the Soldiers’ Aid Commission:
- the spouse of a Veteran, including the surviving spouse of a deceased Veteran
- the child of a Veteran or Veteran’s spouse who is financially dependent, including the child of a deceased Veteran or Veteran’s spouse
The Commission may provide up to $2,000 over a 12-month period per household.
If both spouses in a household are Veterans, each spouse is eligible for up to $2,000 in a 12-month period. However, each Veteran cannot make an application for the same expense.
The Commission will consider applications to support eligible recipients with financial assistance for essential expenses in the following categories:
- housing-related items, modifications or repairs that support mobility, accessibility or health and safety
- assistance to secure or maintain housing
- specialized equipment and assistive devices to support mobility, accessibility or health and safety
- health-related items and services to support physical and mental health
- personal items, services and expenses to support basic needs
- employment-related supports to remove barriers to employment or improve employability
The Commission accepts applications for financial assistance made by Veterans in need or their dependents by way of the Royal Canadian Legion, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and the Royal Canadian Naval Benevolent Fund (RCNBF). The Royal Canadian Legion or Veterans Affairs Canada receives applications for assistance and completes an initial screening to confirm Veteran status, obtain financial/income documentation and quotes for services being requested. Financial assistance is available to resolve a specific situation when all other resources have been exhausted.
Organization
The Commission is comprised of a Chair and Vice-Chair, and six other Commissioners for a total of eight members. As of April 2021, the membership of the Commission is as follows:
| Position | Member name | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Colin Rowe | December 18, 2002 |
| Vice-chair | John Stapleton | May 14, 2003 |
| Member | William Earle Thomas | June 25, 2008 |
| Member | Homer Brooks | July 9, 2008 |
| Member | Rosemarie Mcguire | October 21, 2015 |
| Member | Susan Beharriell | October 21, 2015 |
| Member | John Greenfield | November 4, 2015 |
| Member | Kenneth Osborne | November 15, 2017 |
Environmental scan
The outlook for the immediate assistance of Veterans over the coming year may be lower than expected due to the COVID‑19 pandemic and limited accessibility of applicants to local Legion and Veterans Affairs Branches. However, application intake may increase in fiscal year 2022-23 and 2023-24 as these restrictions are loosened.
The impact of a younger demographic on the annual budget is yet undetermined and will need to be closely monitored.
Any significant increase in applications will require a review of staffing resources required.
Assistance with the purchase of specialized equipment will likely extend beyond the traditional requests for wheelchairs and hearing aids.
The need for mental health support is seen as critical for the rehabilitation of younger Veterans.
Strategic directions
As per the request of the Minister, the Commission should:
- implement the expanded financial assistance program in accordance with relevant legislation, regulation and program guidelines, and operating within your agency’s allocation
- Work collaboratively with Veterans Affairs Canada, Royal Canadian Legion – Ontario Command and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to ensure a smooth application process for Ontario Veterans and their families and explore digitization or digital modernization strategies for provision of supports online;
- Liaise with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services as needed to ensure the Commission meets its goals and objectives;
- Abide by applicable government directives and policies and ensuring transparency and accountability in reporting, including adhering to requirements of the Agencies and Appointments Directive and responding to audit findings, where applicable;
- Maintain an effective system of internal controls and compliance with applicable requirements to promote accountability and sustainability;
- Develop and implement an effective process for the identification, assessment and mitigation of risks, including planning for and responding to emergency situations such as COVID‑19; and
- Support transparency and data sharing with the Ministry, as appropriate.
The Commission will monitor the applications received to ensure that established rates of assistance adequately address any increase in the cost of living and the cost of devices that the aging Veteran or spouse/dependent needs to improve their quality of life.
The Commission will continue to follow the Ministry’s procedures operating in accordance with all administrative policies as established and specified in all Management Board and Treasury Board Directives and/or Guidelines.
The Commission will continue to work in conjunction with the Communications Branch through the Ministry’s social media platform, to highlight the contributions of Veterans and raise awareness on occasions of historical significance.
The Royal Canadian Legion continues as the main source of applications for assistance through Veterans Affairs Canada and the Commission will continue to meet annually with representatives of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Ontario Command, to discuss and resolve any issues that pertain to the Service Officers and applications for assistance.
The Commission will continue to reach out to other Veterans support groups e.g. Military Family Resource Centres (MFRC), to better understand the needs of our Veterans.
Overview of commission’s current and future programs and activities
The current COVID‑19 restrictions have shown that use of technology for outreach, communication and meetings can be cost effective and time saving, and the Commission will build on the experience gained over the past year.
The cycle of monthly meetings for application reviews will be maintained but frequency may be increased, as required, to deal with any increase in number of applications or unintended or unanticipated consequences resulting from the expansion of the Commission’s mandate.
As the agency of last resort, the Commission will maintain an ongoing review of its internal processes to ensure that decisions and issuance of payments are timely and do not result in any inconveniences for applicants and community partners.
Resources needed to meet goals and objectives
The Commission is not requesting any additional financial or capital resources to continue its core services or to meet the proposed expansion of its mandate.
Realty and information technology (IT)
For fiscal years 2021-22 to 2023-24 the Commission is not anticipating any capital or IT related expenditures.
Staffing, human resources and compensation strategy
Each Commissioner is appointed by an Order-in-Council. These members serve without remuneration but may claim out-of-pocket expenses related to travel and meal expenses.
The Ministry supports the Commission with one FTE who performs administrative/analytical duties. The employee is a member of the Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario.
Performance measures and targets
| Fiscal Year | Goals | Targets | Possible factors affecting outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Receive & process applications in a timely manner | 100 applications received and reviewed |
|
| 2022-23 | Receive & process applications in a timely manner | 200 to 300 applications received and reviewed |
|
| 2023-24 | Receive & process applications in a timely manner | 300 to 500 applications received and reviewed |
|
Financial budget
- The Ministry of Children Community and Social Services will provide the Soldiers’ Aid Commission with up to $1.5M for each fiscal year from 2021-22 to 2023-24 to support eligible Veterans and their families
- The Commission does not receive revenue and staffing costs associated with the FTE supporting the Commission will be paid through the ministry
Risk identification, assessment and mitigation strategies
For fiscal years 2021-22 through 2023-24 there are no risks identified that will potentially inhibit the Commission from fulfilling its mandate within the prescribed funding allotment.
Initiatives involving third parties
The Commission relies on the Royal Canadian Legion, Royal Canadian Naval Benevolent Fund and Veterans Affairs Canada for application intake. These organizations are the starting point for assistance for all Veterans or their family members in Ontario.
The Commission has strong relationships with each of these organizations and will continue to meet and work with them regularly to ensure the application intake process is continually successful.
The application intake requirements to receive Commission funding has been shared with all three organizations to ensure that front line staff are aware of the program parameters and type of information the Soldiers’ Aid Commission requires to decide on an application.
In addition to the standard application form owned by the above organization the Soldiers’ Aid Commission has established a cover form that requests the applicant or front-line staff member to attest that the applicant willingly shares their personal information with the ministry and Commission, that the will use any funds received for the service/support requested and that they retain copies of receipts/invoices in the event of an audit.
Communication plan
The Commission has established an ongoing cycle of videoconferencing meetings with the Royal Canadian Legion and Veteran Affairs Canada for the purpose of identifying and resolving any delivery issues.
The Commission is committed to establishing a relationship with every Ontario based Veterans support agency and will establish a schedule of meetings to better understand the services they provided.
The Commission’s website will be continually updated and used to further promote our assistance program.
The Commission will continue its partnership with the Ministry’s Communication Branch using their Social Media platform to highlight important military events and dates throughout the year.
A response to the expectations set out in the agency mandate letter
The members of the Soldiers’ Aid Commission are delighted to continue the long historical relationship with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and the expansion of its mandate is viewed by Commissioners and as a giant step forward in responding to the needs of Ontarians in an ever-changing society.
The Commission has already taken steps to strengthen the relationship with our two main community partners, the Royal Canadian Legion and Veteran Affairs Canada through ongoing meetings now in place to address issues as they arise.
It is acknowledged that the strength of the Commission lies in the dedication of its members and every step will be taken to assist the Ministry in identifying dedicated individuals with varying backgrounds who can add to the skills and expertise needed to serve our Veterans on the Commission.
We look forward to the evolution of the program over the next few years and the continued support of the Ministry.