Retired soldier W.T. Quick -- who suffered hearing loss from exposure to rifle fire and grenade explosions-- died at 93, just weeks before his long-awaited $55,000 disability cheque arrived. Then Veterans Affairs seized the money from his estate. David Pugliese reports.
By David Pugliese, The Ottawa Citizen September 27, 201 0 VVi 27 Sep 2010
Almost daily for the last weeks of his life, retired Canadian Sgt. W.T. Quick would check his mailbox for the disability cheque he hoped would come from the federal government. Quick had fought in the Second World War with the British army and then served 10 years in the Canadian army. His hearing had been severely damaged over that time by the constant exposure to grenade explosions and rifle fire on the army training ranges where he served as an instructor. Veterans Affairs Canada was in the process of approving his disability claim, although Quick had become somewhat frustrated by the length of time that was taking. On Feb. 27, he died at the age of 93 in Barrie, Ont. Three weeks later the $55,000 disability cheque arrived, becoming part of the assets in his small estate. That is, until officials with Veterans Affairs Canada ordered the money seized. Sgt. Quick may have qualified for a disability but now that he was dead the government wanted its money back. "It was quite unbelievable," said Ivar Johnson, Quick's executor and the husband of Quick's daughter, Valerie. The treatment of Quick and his family is yet another incident that veterans' advocates say supports their contention that the current federal system doesn't properly care for former members of the military. It is unclear how many cases there are similar to Quick's situation but another veteran's family, who asked not to be named because of an on-going legal battle with Veterans Affairs, has contacted the Citizen with a similar story. Veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran said Quick's case is another example of the "insurance company" mentality at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). "They took a ridiculous amount of time to provide him with the disability payment he was clearly entitled to, but they were pretty quick when it came to clawing it back," Stogran said. Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn stated in an e-mail Friday that he can't comment on specific cases because of the federal Privacy Act. But he noted that he has been told about the rules regarding cases involving veterans' estates. "In certain cases, the enforcement of such rules causes situations that are clearly unacceptable," Blackburn wrote. "I am in the process of analyzing ways in which I can intervene. I can assure you that our government is determined to treat veterans and their families with the respect they so richly deserve." Quick had previously tried to get VAC to acknowledge that his hearing had been damaged by his military service but was unsuccessful. In September 2009 he submitted a new application. Johnson said in October, VAC confirmed the claim had been received and would be adjudicated. Quick was told the process could take up to six months. The situation seemed hopeful. "This was quite a thing for him," said Johnson. "It was a big step for him to have this recognized. He lived with the disability and it really upset him that no one recognized it."
At Quick's request, Johnson talked to an official in VAC to remind the department that the former soldier was quite elderly. The department official responded that they would speed up the process and that Quick would be contacted by Feb. 1. Nothing happened, though. "He would check the mail every day and would get more agitated when nothing came," Johnson recalls. "He'd sit there and say, 'I guess they don't give a damn about me'." Quick became sick Feb. 22 and five days later died in hospital. The family had just finished the funeral arrangements when they received a phone call from VAC that Quick's application had been approved and that he would be receiving a disability cheque for the injuries he suffered because of his military service. Johnson told the department official that Quick had just died. "They said it shouldn't make any difference," recalled Johnson. On March 17, the government cheque arrived, made out to Quick. Johnson's wife, who had power of attorney for her father, put the money into the joint account she shared with him. She was the sole beneficiary of Quick's small estate, so the money was later moved to her account. On March 29, the government wrote the family, rescinding the disability payment. When the family asked for an explanation, a government representative suggested they might want to seek Stogran's help, Johnson said. Stogran said his office asked to meet with VAC officials and was told by bureaucrats that they were seeking "additional guidance" on the Quick case. But in the meantime, department officials contacted the bank and on Sept. 1 seized the funds from Valerie's account. "Veterans Affairs then informed our office that they have solved the issue and, therefore, there was no longer a requirement to talk," explained Stogran. For Stogran and the family the situation remains clear-cut. VAC had approved the disability payment and had determined Quick deserved the cheque. The veteran, Stogran says, followed all the rules and it wasn't his fault that VAC's process is cumbersome and inefficient. Stogran also notes the department made no effort to seek any kind of compassionate resolution to the issue and instead used government powers to take back what belonged to the veteran and his family. "This is the type of attitude towards veterans that we are running into on a daily basis at VAC," Stogran said. "It's simply not right."