What Veterans Affairs Canada does

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is a federal government department of Canada, established in 1944, headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and operating under the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs Act. The department administers pensions, benefits, and services for Canadian Armed Forces Veterans (Regular and Reserve), RCMP members and veterans, their families and survivors, and smaller eligible cohorts including Second World War and Korean War veterans and qualified civilians. Service delivery is mandated by the Veterans Well-being Act, War Veterans Allowance Act, and Civilian War-Related Benefits Act, with current ministerial leadership under Jill McKnight and independent oversight by Veterans Ombud Colonel (Ret'd) Nishika Jardine.

VAC's service portfolio spans disability benefits (pensions, pain and suffering compensation, attendance allowance, critical injury benefit, death benefit), income support (Income Replacement Benefit, Canadian Forces Income Support, War Veterans Allowance), healthcare benefits (medical, dental, pharmaceutical, travel, prosthetics, preventive care), the Veterans Independence Program for home and community care, transition services (rehabilitation, vocational assistance, education and training, career transition), the 24/7 VAC Assistance Service, and commemoration programs. Technology delivery is anchored by the My VAC Account secure online portal, the Benefits Navigator and Find Benefits eligibility tools, the My VAC Book personalized product, and mobile applications Coach ESPT Canada and Connexion TSO for PTSD and operational stress injury self-management. The Federal Health Claims Processing System is operated under contract by Medavie Blue Cross, and the Veteran Family Telemedicine Service is delivered by Maple. Distribution is multi-channel, combining digital self-service, area offices across Canada, CAF Transition Centres co-located with military bases, the Bureau of Pensions Advocates, and Service Canada Centres, supported by a toll-free contact line.

VAC is funded exclusively through annual parliamentary appropriations and does not generate commercial revenue or have shareholders. The department is governed under the Government of Canada, with information-sharing and operational MOUs with Library and Archives Canada, the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, the Last Post Fund, and Canadian Forces Morale Welfare Services. Headcount is reported at 1,001–5,000 employees, and the department maintains offices in Charlottetown, Whitehorse, and across Canada, with commemorative activities extending overseas.

Name

Veterans Affairs Canada

Legal name

Veterans Affairs Canada

Website

https://veterans.gc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1944

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Veterans Affairs Canada is a Canadian federal government department, founded 1944, that administers pensions, disability benefits, healthcare, mental health, transition, and commemoration programs for Canadian Armed Forces veterans, RCMP members, their families, and survivors under statutory mandate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Veteran Services

NAICS

Administration of Veterans' Affairs (92314), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans & Military Family Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Veterans & Military-to-Civilian Transition Programs (EDAAAOAH), Military & Veterans Public Health Departments (HLAJAAAI)

Keywords

• Veteran benefits administration
• Disability pension programs
• Military healthcare services
• Veteran transition support
• Military commemoration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Matane

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Veterans Affairs Canada administers a statutory portfolio of pensions, disability compensation, healthcare benefits, rehabilitation, vocational assistance, income support, long-term care, transition services, and commemoration programs for Canadian Armed Forces Veterans, RCMP members and veterans, and their families. Services are funded through federal parliamentary appropriations and delivered at no direct cost to eligible recipients via digital portals, a national network of area offices, transition centres, and partner agencies.

Product overview

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) operates as a government department providing a comprehensive portfolio of benefits, services, and support programs for Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans, RCMP members, and their families. The offering consists of multiple interconnected digital service tools (My VAC Account, Benefits Navigator, Find Benefits tool, My VAC Book), mobile applications (Coach ESPT Canada, Connexion TSO), financial compensation programs (Disability Benefits, Income Support, War Veterans Allowance), healthcare programs (Health Care Benefits, Veterans Independence Program), transition support (Rehabilitation, Career Transition, Education and Training), and commemoration services. The core platform enables Veterans to access, apply for, and manage benefits online while the department administers direct financial payments and coordinates care services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coach ESPT Canada: Mobile application designed to help users better understand and manage symptoms that may occur after trauma
• Connexion TSO

Products and services

• My VAC Account A secure online portal that allows Canadian Veterans, RCMP members, and their families to manage their VAC benefits, view applications, and communicate with the department electronically.
• Benefits Navigator An online tool that guides users through a series of specific questions to identify VAC programs and services they would be eligible to receive based on their answers.
• Find benefits and services tool An interactive online tool where users answer questions to receive a customized list of benefits and services tailored to their specific situation and military service.
• My VAC Book A personalized services and benefits book that users create by answering questions, providing information about VAC programs relevant to their status as CAF/RCMP members, Veterans, or family members. Print and mail services operated by Gilmore Global.
• Coach ESPT Canada (PTSD Coach Canada)
• Connexion TSO (OSI Connect)
• VAC Assistance Service
• Disability Benefits
• Income Support Programs
• Health Care Benefits
• Veterans Independence Program
• Transition Services
• War Veterans Allowance
• Commemoration Programs
• Bureau of Pensions Advocates

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Memorial UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Collaboration to create a fibreglass replica of the Danger Tree, a symbolic World War I battlefield marker, for unveiling at the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in France on June 30, 2026, marking the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The replica was created using archival imagery of the original tree.
• Canadian Forces Morale Welfare ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Federal government partnership to extend and expand the Veteran Family Telemedicine Service to all Canadian Armed Forces Veterans released on or after April 1, 2025, their families, and survivors, funded through Veterans Affairs Canada until March 31, 2027.
• MaplecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party contractor delivering the Veteran Family Telemedicine Service, which provides telemedicine access to veterans and their families for up to two years to fill healthcare service delivery gaps during transition from military to civilian life.
• Gilmore Global (Gilmore Printing Services)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal service provider operating print and mail services for the My VAC Book product. Bound by contract to treat personal information in accordance with Government of Canada privacy requirements.
• Library and Archives CanadacoreTechnology or IntegrationEstablished Memorandum of Understanding for sharing personal information to obtain Service Records and Service Health Records for veterans. Library and Archives Canada maintains records including Army Reserve Force Pay Sheets, Collective Medical Records, Military Personnel Bank, and Performance Evaluation Records.
• Veterans Review and Appeal BoardcoreOthersInformation sharing for appeals process. Name, identifying numbers, service information, health information and supporting claim information may be shared to support veteran appeals.
• Last Post FundminorOthersInformation sharing to determine eligibility for burial benefits under the Veterans Burial Regulations. Shares name, health information, and service information.
• Canada Revenue AgencyminorOthersInformation sharing for collection of War Veterans Allowance overpayments.
• Medavie Blue CrosscoreTechnology or IntegrationContract partner operating the Federal Health Claims Processing System for health benefits administration including effective date of coverage and income-qualified health care benefits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: The U.S. federal counterpart administering veterans' benefits, healthcare, and commemorative programs. Most directly comparable peer given similar statutory mandate, scale, and comprehensive benefit portfolio across health, disability, and transition services.

Direct peers

• Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs: Australian federal department administering veterans' compensation, rehabilitation, mental health, and commemorative programs under analogous legislation. Operates with comparable scope, including disability pensions, healthcare funding, and digital self-service platforms.
• UK Ministry of Defence - Veterans UK: UK unit administering veterans' pensions, compensation, and welfare services. Comparable in providing statutory benefits, mental health support pathways, and transition assistance to former armed forces personnel and their families.
• New Zealand Veterans' Affairs: New Zealand government body within the New Zealand Defence Force providing veterans' entitlements, rehabilitation, and support services. Closely comparable in mandate, scope of benefits, and small-population scale.

Regional players

• Service Canada: Canadian federal service delivery partner providing VAC services alongside Employment Insurance, CPP, and OAS through shared Service Canada Centres. Operates in adjacent citizen-services space with overlapping distribution infrastructure and information-sharing arrangements.

Others

• Royal Canadian Legion: Canada's largest veterans service organization providing advocacy, financial assistance, and transition support. Complementary rather than competing; an ecosystem partner that helps drive veteran demand toward VAC programs and represents the same constituency.
• Last Post Fund: Canadian charitable organization that partners with VAC on burial benefits eligibility and veteran commemoration. Closely tied to VAC through information-sharing and program referrals, though focused on funeral and grave-marking services rather than comprehensive benefits administration.
• Wounded Warriors Canada: Canadian charity providing mental health programs for veterans including PTSD and OSI support. Comparable target population and overlapping mental health mandate, positioning it as a complementary service provider in the same veteran support ecosystem.
• Soldier On: Canadian Armed Forces program supporting ill and injured personnel with rehabilitation and sport-based recovery. Comparable in transitioning injured veterans and operating within the broader veteran support ecosystem alongside VAC.
• Medavie Blue Cross: Canadian health benefits administrator contracted by VAC to operate the Federal Health Claims Processing System. A direct operating partner that processes health claims on VAC's behalf, making it materially comparable as the service-delivery backbone for VAC's healthcare benefits.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VeteransENG_CA
• Facebookfacebook.com/VeteransAffairsCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veterans-affairs-canada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments23 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Veterans Affairs Canada