Veterans Independence Program (VIP)
Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) has a national home care program to help qualified veterans and certain civilians remain healthy and independent in their own homes and communities.
Under the VIP, veterans may receive financial support to help pay for services as:
- grounds maintenance (such as grass-cutting or snow-removal)
- housekeeping
- personal care
- some home modifications
- care and support by health professionals
- some transportation costs
Eligibility
The ability to access VIP services depends on the veterans health needs and whether or not these services are available through another federal, provincial or municipal program.
VIP housekeeping and grounds maintenance services are also available to eligible caregivers of those veterans who received these VIP services at the time of their death or admission to a long-term care facility in the years since the program began in April 1981. A caregiver can include a spouse, common-law partner, adult child or another individual.
Only those services that the veteran was receiving at the time of their death or admission to a long-term care facility may be extended to the caregiver. For example, if a veteran was only receiving grounds maintenance services, the caregiver will only be entitled to grounds maintenance services. To qualify, a caregiver must have a continuing need for the services to remain self-sufficient at home.
VIP services for housekeeping and grounds maintenance have recently been extended to low-income or disabled survivors of veterans and civilians who served during World War II and the Korean War and meet the following criteria:
- were entitled to a disability pension under the Pension Actor the Civilian War-related Benefits Act; or
- received an allowance under the War Veterans Allowance Actor the Civilian War-related Benefits Act; or
- would have received an allowance if they had not been receiving benefits under the Old Age Security Act; and
- were not receiving VIP housekeeping and/or grounds maintenance benefits when they died or were admitted to a health care facility.
MORE INFORMATION
In view of the complex eligibility requirements it is recommended that you visit the VAC website http://www.veterans.gc.ca or call toll-free 1-866-522-2122 (English) or 1-866-522-2022 (French).