The elimination of frontline staff at the Victoria office of Veterans Affairs Canada this fall will deal a devastating blow to military veterans, says the union representing affected employees.

The federal departmentB次元官网网址檚 main office on the Island will see its roster of 17 client service agents shrink by 4.37 full-time equivalent positions, as part of a nationwide downsizing plan. The Victoria agents each work with hundreds of veterans B次元官网网址� including those from out of province B次元官网网址� applying for disability pensions and mobility aids, among other services.

In the wake of the job cuts, the Royal Canadian Legion in B.C. expects to see an influx of veterans submitting more disability claims.

That will further swamp the LegionB次元官网网址檚 two service officers, one each at CFB Esquimalt and in Vancouver, who are already filing papers for hundreds of vets, who turn to the Legion rather than Veterans Affairs.

B次元官网网址淭he workload has increased tenfold for our two service officers in the last few months, to a point where weB次元官网网址檙e going to have to hire two more,B次元官网网址� said Dave Sinclair, immediate past president of the B.C./Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Job cuts at Veterans Affairs will only compound the challenge of providing for military veterans, he said.

The number of Afghanistan vets who are now seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder from Legion-funded treatment programs, and who are seeking to file claims, is only the tip of the iceberg.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not going to see the full impact of the Afghanistan veterans for another four or five years,B次元官网网址� Sinclair said, adding it takes time for the disorder to manifest itself.

Across Canada, 75 agent positions are being cut. Employees will likely start receiving their surplus notices this fall, said Kim Coles, national executive vice-president of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees, representing 2,700 members, plus 500 hospital staff.

The union is already reeling from previously announced plans to terminate 552 jobs from the department over the next three years.

In the wake of the federal budget in March, Veterans Affairs now plans to eliminate a total of 804 positions by 2015-16.

B次元官网网址淗ow are they going to maintain the service to veterans with that? I donB次元官网网址檛 care how much stuff you say can be done on the computer,B次元官网网址� Coles said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not processing passports here. WeB次元官网网址檙e dealing with peopleB次元官网网址檚 lives, people that have sacrificed for their country. That mandate is all going out the window and itB次元官网网址檚 all becoming a numbers game.B次元官网网址�

The governmentB次元官网网址檚 plans to create efficiencies will actually ramp up delays, she said.

B次元官网网址淢y gosh, (some older veterans) could die before they actually get services they put in for in the first place.B次元官网网址�

A spokesperson for Veterans Affairs Canada said the restructuring process will not reduce services to veterans. Rather, it will eliminate unnecessary red tape to provide B次元官网网址渂etter and fasterB次元官网网址� service.

B次元官网网址淲e will continue to meet or exceed our service standard of one case manager for every 40 case-managed veterans,B次元官网网址� the spokesperson said.

The department expects to manage its restructuring through attrition, since approximately 1,000 workers will be eligible for retirement between now and 2016.

But Coles said only about 50 per cent of those people will be willing or able to retire.

The full impact on specific staff positions has not yet been fleshed out, the department spokesperson said, but B次元官网网址渙ur staff in the Victoria area will continue to play an important role in supporting the departmentB次元官网网址檚 work.B次元官网网址�

emccracken@vicnews.com

By the numbers

Veterans Affairs Canada plans to terminate 804 positions across the country by 2015-16. HereB次元官网网址檚 a breakdown:

B次元官网网址� Victoria district office cuts: 4.37 of 17 client service agents

B次元官网网址� Vancouver office: 5.5 of 20 client service agents

B次元官网网址� Penticton office: two out of eight positions

B次元官网网址� Job cuts in the West (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba): 192 positions over the next three years

B次元官网网址� District office closures in 2013 (including in Kelowna and Prince George): seven

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