Veterans and their Families are Divided when it comes to Canada’s Record with Veterans’ Services while Canadians are Unclear
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Ottawa – Canada’s veterans and their families are more divided when it comes to pride in how Canada treats its veterans (41% agree they are proud, while 37% disagree) and the effectiveness of the benefits and services provided by Veterans’ Affairs Canada (39% view as effective, while 32% view it as ineffective). This is in stark contrast to almost half of Canadians who neither agree nor disagree that they feel Veterans’ Affairs Canada’s benefits and services are effective (47%) and two in five who neither agree nor disagree that they are proud of how Canada treats its veterans (38%). It would seem those with the most contact and familiarity with how the Canada treats its veterans are polarized when it comes to these issues while the general public is just not aware. Over half of veterans and their families (54%) are familiar with the programs and services offered by Veterans Affairs Canada, compared to just a quarter of Canadians (27%).
(Click to enlarge image) While the majority of Canadians (83%) agree that it is important to support members of the Canadian Armed Forces following their services, only one in three (34%) are proud of how Canada currently treats its veterans, while two in five (42%) are not sure. One in five Canadians (20%) and almost half of veterans and their families (45%) are familiar with the policies and programs related to assisting veterans with a disability. This would suggest strong support from the public for veterans programs but a general lack of familiarity and awareness of how Canada is doing in delivering this support. While there is support for these programs, only two percent of Canadians report that they are currently caring for someone who receives or is eligible to receive benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada, and only one in ten (9%) veterans and their families report being in receipt of benefits from Veterans’ Affairs Canada. Just over half (55%) of veterans, their families or care-givers were satisfied with the health benefits offered by Veteran Affair. Between half and two in five were unfamiliar with the programs and services offered including employment and career transition services (48%), affordable housing (44%), rehabilitation and treatment programs (39%) and health benefits (27%). Two in five (38%) were satisfied with the rehabilitation and treatment programs, and one in three (34%) were satisfied with the employment and career transition services. Most (63%) had not used the services of veterans’ organisations, such as Veterans Affairs Canada (19% had used their assistance) and The Royal Canadian Legion (10% had used their assistance). Ipsos Reid was commissioned by the Legion Magazine to conduct a survey among Canadians aged 18 and over regarding their attitudes towards the services offered to Canada’s veterans as a part of the Canadian Household Online Omnibus. The survey was conducted between October 28th and November 4th, 2013 among a base of n=1067 Canadians. This included a sample of n=123 veterans and family members caring for veterans. For more information on this news release, please contact: Mike Colledge President, Canadian Public Affairs Ipsos Reid 613.241.5802 mike.colledge@ipsos.co
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