OTTAWA, Ontario, Nov. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the release of Canada's 2025 Budget, the Royal Canadian Legion is calling for immediate clarity and transparency on the details and timelines surrounding key issues that are now being repeatedly questioned by the veterans we serve.
“We're hearing concern and confusion, and the devil is in the details,” says Berkeley Lawrence, Dominion's president. “While we welcome commitments to strengthen defense capabilities and support for members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is experiencing cuts and other changes. Without clear details and simple explanations, many veterans are left in the dark and worried about what this all means for their benefits and support.”
- Backlog of applications for disability benefits – Given budget cuts of 15% over three years as part of a comprehensive budget review affecting most federal departments, temporary staff hired to clear the backlog of disability benefits cannot be extended. The backlog of claims for disability benefits may continue and may grow – without permanent staffing or effective digital processing measures. Related plans remain a mystery. Veterans will no longer have to wait longer for treatment for service-connected injuries and illnesses.
- Cannabis access and research “We understand that the overall $4.2 billion reduction in the VAC budget, a figure that veterans are concerned about, primarily means less payment to medical cannabis producers (i.e. market price). While this does not affect access or the amount for veterans, this reality is not clear to everyone. The Legion continues to call for more research into the benefits of medical cannabis for veterans, which also remains unclear.
- Calculating the costs of long-term care – The budget proposes to clarify how “room and board fees” are calculated in the long-term care program retroactively and into the future. How this will impact veterans is unknown and concerning. They shouldn't have to pay more for care.
- Confusion surrounding indexation and calculation of pensions – Aligning pension benefits with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) involves confusing conversations that worry veterans; The Legion will monitor this plan to ensure that CAF and RCMP superannuation benefits are fully indexed to inflation and that there is no reduction in earned benefits.
- Legislative amendments affecting the RCMP – Proposed amendments to RCMP Domestic Disability Pension legislation separate from the disability pension of the Higher Attestation Commission – these amendments would not affect benefits for CAF members, but this was not clear to them.. The Legion will advocate to ensure that any changes do not have a negative impact on RCMP members or survivor benefits.
The Legion is pleased to note the following new investments and hopes to have more details available soon:
- $81.8 billion over five years rearm and modernize the CAF. This is the largest investment in national defense in generations and a positive development. However, the timing and details of planned allocations for priorities such as staffing, equipment purchases and cyber defense remain unknown. These investments must provide immediate improvements in everyday life, which means tangible results such as affordable housing – CAF is still 3.80 housing units short.
- US$1.7 billion over four years to strengthen RCMP power when it comes to crimes such as organized crime, increasing the training allowance for RCMP cadets and authorizing the hiring of 1,000 additional officers. This is a welcome evolution, but Frontline health and family support need to be given parallel attention.
- Despite the upcoming cuts, Core VAC funding will remain in place. This critical for ongoing support veterans and their families, for the Veterans Family and Wellbeing Foundation, and for various initiatives aimed at things like mental health and inclusion.
As always, the Royal Canadian Legion stands ready to cooperate and provide advice to the Department of National Defence, CAF, VAC and the RCMP. Together, we must ensure that every dollar allocated in Budget 2025 fully serves our CAF and RCMP members and their families. We're in this together.
About the Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada's largest veterans support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada, as well as affiliates in the United States and Europe. With 270,000 members, many of whom devote enormous amounts of time to their affiliates, our strength lies in our numbers.
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