2012-2013 Quick Facts

The Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB) is the independent appeal tribunal for the disability pension and disability award programs administered by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Applicants who are dissatisfied with their departmental decision have two levels of redress before VRAB: review and appeal. The Board also hears final appeals of War Veterans Allowance applications.
Applicants may bring forward new information, be represented at no cost and present arguments in support of their application for disability benefits. The Board’s appeal process is non-adversarial, which means that no one is arguing against the Veteran.
The review hearing is the only time in the process when applicants may appear and testify about the facts of their application. Review hearings are normally conducted by two Board members and take place at about 25 locations across Canada in both official languages.
If applicants are not satisfied with their review decision, they may request an appeal hearing before three different Board members. While the legislation does not permit applicants to testify in person again, they may submit written statements and new evidence. The hearing is a further opportunity for their representative to make arguments on their behalf.
Currently, the Board has 21 members (12 work out of major cities and conduct review hearings, while 9 conduct appeal hearings at VRAB's Head Office in Charlottetown).

VRAB Statistics for 2012-13:

In 2012-13, the Board finalized 3,236 review decisions (i.e. the first level of redress) at the request of applicants. This represents 9% of the 35,000 decisions* made by VAC in the same year with appeal rights to VRAB. The Board also finalized 928 appeal decisions (i.e. the second level of redress).
VRAB applicant profile: 88% Canadian Armed Forces members and Veterans; 6% Traditional Veterans (Second World War, Korean War); 6% RCMP.
On average, the Board ruled favourably in 51% of the 3,236 review decisions and 34% of the 928 appeal decisions.
The Board has committed to issuing written decisions to applicants within six weeks of their hearing. In 2012-13, 87% of review decisions and 89% of appeal decisions met this target.
If applicants have exhausted all their redress options at the Board and remain dissatisfied, they have the right to apply to the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review of the decision. In 2012-13, 16 applicants requested a judicial review. In the same year, the Court issued 10 decisions (pending from applications made in previous years). Of these, six upheld the Board's decision while the other four returned the application to the Board for a new hearing.

lower back conditions – 153
knee conditions – 104
neck conditions – 61
hearing loss – 57
tinnitus - 51
post-traumatic stress disorder AND major depressive disorder/generalized anxiety disorder – tied at 38 each

*Includes VAC decisions re: first applications for disability benefits, department reviews and medical reassessments