Wounded vets see 20-per-cent income drop: surveys
Two new reports paint a troubling portrait of post-military life for the country’s soldiers, suggesting that for many the return to the civilian world is marked by health concerns, a sense of social isolation and less cash.
The Statistics Canada surveys, released in tandem Thursday, present a challenge to the Harper government, which has staked a lot of its political reputation on supporting the troops and has poured tens of millions of extra dollars into both the veterans affairs and defence budgets to help ex-service members achieve a soft landing in their new lives.
The Pre- and Post-Release Income survey and the Health and Well-Being of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans reports examine the quality of life and financial burdens of the country’s former service members over 15 years, starting in 1998.
The income survey, which measured to 2011, looked at the tax and Veterans Affairs records of 70,771 ex-soldiers and found that both regular and reserve members experienced an income decline upon shedding their uniforms.
Read more: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/wounded-vets-see-20-per-cent-income-drop-surveys
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