Last Updated: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 | 5:42 PM ET CBC News
VVi 01 Feb 2011 db
The Canadian military says an error at the Department of National Defence resulted in tens of millions of dollars worth of unauthorized benefit payments paid to up to 7,000 service members over the last five years. (CBC) The unauthorized benefits include the Defence Department's use of taxpayer dollars to bring families of fallen soldiers killed in Afghanistan to repatriation ceremonies, which did not receive proper approval from the Treasury Board.
The payments will be cut off at midnight Tuesday while the military reviews the benefit assessments and payment process, said Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson, vice-chief of the defence staff.
In a hastily arranged news conference at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Donaldson said DND officials mistakenly changed internal eligibility policies for benefits offered to military posted outside Canada and their next of kin.
The unauthorized benefits also include next-of-kin visits to Afghanistan and some travel fee reimbursements for troops deployed to different parts of Canada.
'We didn't do our homework'
Donaldson stressed the error was the result of an "interpretation" by military administrators over eligibility for payments, and servicemen and women who received the benefits did not do anything wrong.
"Canadian Forces members are not to be blamed for this oversight," Donaldson said. "We didn't do our homework."
The military is now seeking Treasury Board approval for these costs. In addition, the costs for any future next-of-kin visits will be paid out of a non-public fund.
Donaldson stressed Canadian servicemen and women will not see cuts on their paycheques, but acknowledged they will have to wait for future payments until the process is sorted out.
He added he believes it will have a minimal impact on soldiers currently deployed to Afghanistan.
"Every effort is being made to rectify this situation," Donaldson said.
So far, no one is facing disciplinary action, he added.