Despite open letters, petitions and
press releases from The War Amps, the
National Council of Veteran Associations
of Canada and the Royal Canadian Le-
gion, among others, demanding improve-
ments to the regulations and funding
governing the Last Post Fund, the govern-
ment is ignoring the issue.
With the federal government appar-
ently unwilling to move on this issue, the
Last Post Fund has undertaken a national
fundraising campaign to meet this na-
tional obligation. LGen(Ret’d) Louis
Cuppens, chair of the Last Post Fund
(LPF) fundraising committee, issued a
statement asking Canadians to pressure
the government and their MPs to help
Modern Day Veterans in need.
“The number of Modern Day Veter-
ans in need of financial assistance to
ensure a dignified funeral continues to
increase,” stated LGen(Ret’d) Cuppens.
“Thankfully, the Last Post Fund’s charita-
ble donation funds have assisted in
arranging and funding the funeral and
burial of Modern Day Veterans who, for
the most part, are denied benefits by their
government. What a disgrace to Canada!”
Run by volunteers with a small but
dedicated staff, the Last Post Fund
receives funds both from government and
by donation. Its mission is “to ensure that
no eligible veteran is denied a dignified
funeral and burial, as well as a military
gravestone, due to insufficient funds at the
time of death.” It delivers the VAC
Funeral and Burial Program.
However, for the most part the Funeral
and Burial Program applies only toVeterans
from the Second World War and Korea,
leaving theModern DayVeterans of the past
60 years or so who are in financial need
ineligible for assistance from Canadians for
a dignified funeral. This is unacceptable.
In November 2012, the Wars Amps,
together with the National Council of
Veteran Associations in Canada (repre-
senting 60 member groups including
AFP/AAC) petitioned the government to
amend the LPF governing regulations, the
Veterans Burial Regulations.
The main issues brought forward in-
cluded the rejection rate of over two-
thirds of eligible applicants, with only
$3,600 as the maximum award for those
approved, including “Seriously Disabled
Veterans” who, under the regulations, also
have a two-thirds rejection ratio. The
Funeral Services Association of Canada
advises that the average cost for a simple,
dignified funeral is in excess of $6,000.
In January 2013, the Royal Canadian
Legion launched a letter writing
campaign, asking members to write to
members of parliament to pressure the
government for change.
The Legion called on the government
again for an increase in the $3,600 cap for
coverage, a raise in the survivor estate
exemption rate (currently $12,015 – reduced
from $24,000 in 1995) and eligibility for
Funeral and Burial Program benefits to be
extended to Modern Day Veterans in need.
On March 6, 2013, Gordon Moore,
dominion president of the Royal Canadian
Legion sent out an “urgent call toCanadians.”
“Our veterans and their families
deserve to be treated with respect and dig-
nity for their service to our country,” he
stated. “We welcome any and all Canadi-
ans who wish to support this campaign to
send a letter to your member of parliament
demanding government action to ensure a
dignified funeral service is provided to
our most vulnerable veterans.”
Together, the Legion, the War Amps
and the National Council of Veterans
Associations in Canada are asking the
government to increase the benefits to
better reflect the current cost of a funeral,
to expand eligibility rules and to simplify
administrative rules governing the LPF.
LCol(Ret’d) Daniel O’Connor, is the
LPF national president. He says changes
need to be effected urgently.
“It must be embarrassing to most
Canadians to know that their government
will not adequately provide a dignified
funeral for a Canadian veteran who dies in
financial need having served his or her
country with honour, and having been pre-
pared to pay the ultimate price to defend
his or her fellow citizens and the freedoms
that we all enjoy today, to the envy of most
of the world.” says LColRet’d) O’Connor.
“Surely, it is time for this to change; the
federal government must address this
situation now. In the interim, the LPF will
meet this need on behalf of Canadians with
donation funds, as long as they last.”
If you would like to donate to the LPF,
you can fill out an online form at
or call 1-800-465-
7113. AFP/AAC also urges you to write or
email your MP and voice your concerns and
support for change to the Veterans Burial
Regulations. A list of all MP contact infor-
mation can be found at
.
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ARMED FORCES PENSIONERS
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/ANNUITANTS
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ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
Despite increased pressure, the Government
of Canada is not addressing long-overdue
improvements to Last Post Fund
