Seriously injured soldiers would get up to $70,000 from new payment

CBC News has learned the Conservative government will announce legislation Monday that will create a new payment worth up to $70,000 for soldiers who have been seriously injured in the service of their country. 

The new benefit will apply only to the most seriously wounded soldiers, but will also be applied retroactively.

This change is yet another action taken by the government in recent weeks to improve the suite of benefits available to Canadian veterans.

• Erin O'Toole, veterans affairs minister, moves to address complaints
• Paul Franklin, veteran and amputee, fears 'degrading' paperwork may never end
• Erin O'Toole, Jason Kenney say reservists will get same benefits as regular force

New Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole, who took over from Julian Fantino in January, has travelled the country promising veteran amputees they won't have to verify lost limbs, expanding benefits for reservists and grants for "informal caregivers" of injured veterans to hire help.

However, neither the new award nor any of the other changes address the key complaint of veterans: the loss of monthly pensions as a benefit for all wounded vets under the New Veterans Charter introduced in 2006.

The official government notice paper dated Friday said O'Toole will announce “An Act to amend the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act.”