As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence work with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Safety to issue a declaration that gives a definitive answer to which department is responsible for survivor pension benefits of Veterans.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada immediately table a document explaining in detail the reasons for creating and maintaining clauses denying survivors’ pensions when the relationship began after the pensioner reached age 60 (CFSA and RCMPSA).

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada immediately adopt regulations to make the Optional Survivor Benefit (OSB) available to both common-law spouses and legally married spouses.

Recommendation 4

That the department responsible for pension benefits return to the Veteran any funds that were put aside through the Optional Survivor Benefit program, upon the death of the spouse of the Veteran, if the spouse passes away before the Veteran.

Recommendation 5

That the Department of National Defence and the Department of Public Safety take vigorous action to ensure that members of the Canadian Armed Forces and of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have all the necessary information about their pension plan, and have access to financial advice to make the most informed financial decisions before they retire.

Recommendation 6

That Veterans Affairs Canada use the research and data provided by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research to identify survivors and immediately distribute the $150 million Veterans Survivors Fund, focusing on those most in financial need, and publicly provide the formula and calculations for the funding allotment.

Recommendation 7

That the Government of Canada recognize that pension benefits must be modernized to ensure that the survivors of CAF and RCMP Veterans, mostly senior women, are not pushed into a life of poverty because their partner died without being able to leave them survivor pension benefits.

Recommendation 8

That the Minister of Veteran Affairs work with the RCMP and the RCMP Veterans Association to ensure survivors of RCMP Veterans will receive an equitable portion of the Veterans Survivors Fund.

Recommendation 9

That the Government of Canada repeal the “marriage after 60” clause in both the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act, and make survivor benefits proportional to what the pensioner was receiving rather than the unreduced benefit that they would have received, and as needed, adjust the contribution rates and percentage applicable to the survivor benefit to adequately reflect the resulting reduction in financial liability.