The Royal Canadian Legion on Federal Budget 2025: Big investments, Big cuts - Veterans want immediate clarity

Veterans unclear and anxious over details…timelines uncertain

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 over details and timelines related to key concerns that are now being repeatedly questioned by the Veterans we serve.

“We are hearing concern and confusion, and the devil is in the details,” says Berkley Lawrence, Dominion President. “While we welcome the commitments to strengthen defence capabilities and support members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), there are cuts and other changes coming to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Without clear details and simple explanations, many Veterans are in the dark and worried about what it all means for their benefits and supports.”

Backlog in disability benefit applications – With a 15% budget reduction over three years as part of the comprehensive budget review affecting most federal departments, the temporary staff hired to clear the disability benefit backlog may not be renewed. The disability benefit application backlog may continue and may escalate – without permanent staff or effective digital processing measures. Related plans remain a mystery. Veterans should not have to wait longer for treatment for service-related injuries and illnesses.
Cannabis access and research – We understand the overall $4.2 billion reduction in VAC’s budget, a number that is making Veterans anxious, primarily means paying medical cannabis producers less (i.e., market price). And while it does not affect access or amount for Veterans, this reality is not clear to all. The Legion is still calling for more research into the benefits of medical cannabis for Veterans, which also remains unclear.
Calculation of long-term care costs – The budget proposes to clarify how the “accommodation and meals charge” in the Long-Term Care Program is calculated, retroactively and in the future. How it will affect Veterans is unknown and worrisome. They should not pay more for care.
Confusion related to indexing and pension calculations – Aligning pension benefits with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) includes confusing talk that is alarming Veterans; the Legion will monitor this plan to ensure both CAF and RCMP service pensions remain fully indexed to inflation, and that there is no erosion of earned benefits.
Legislative amendments affecting the RCMP - Proposed legislative amendments to the RCMP’s internal disability pension is separate from VAC’s disability pension – these amendments would not affect CAF member benefits, but it has not been made clear to them. The Legion will advocate to ensure any changes do not negatively affect RCMP members, or survivor benefits.

The Legion is pleased to note the following new investments, and hope more details are forthcoming:

$81.8 billion over five years to re-arm and modernize the CAF. This is the largest investment in national defence in generations, and a positive development. However, timelines and details for the planned allocations for priorities like recruitment, equipment procurement, and cyber-defence, remain unknown. These investments must deliver immediate improvements in daily lives, and that means tangible outcomes such as affordable housing – the CAF is still short 3,80 residential housing units.
$1.7 billion over four years for strengthening RCMP capacity when it comes to crime such as organized crime, increasing the RCMP cadet training allowance, and allowing for the hiring of 1,000 additional personnel. This is a welcome evolution, but frontline wellness and family supports must receive parallel attention.
Notwithstanding the cuts coming, VAC’s core funding will remain in place. It is critical for the ongoing support of Veterans and their families, for the Veteran Family and Well-Being Fund, and for a variety of initiatives targeting things like mental health and inclusivity.

As always, The Royal Canadian Legion stands ready to collaborate and offer advice to the Department of National Defence, the CAF, VAC, and the RCMP. Collectively we need to ensure that every dollar committed in budget 2025 serves our CAF and RCMP members and their families to the fullest extent. We are in this together.

About The Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With 270,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

Public Relations / Media Inquiries: PublicRelations@Legion.ca/ 343-540-7604 - Nujma Bond
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