Letter to CDS: Reserve Force emerging issues
26 June 2025
General M.A.J. Carignan
Chief of the Defence Staff
Canadian Armed Forces
101 Colonel By Drive
13th Floor, South Tower
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K2
Dear General Carignan,
In December 2024, our office launched a systemic review into delays in the implementation of the Primary Reserve recommendations made in our two 2016 reports: Part-Time Soldiers with Full-Time Injuries and A Systemic Review of Compensation Options for Ill and Injured Reservists. As committed to you at the onset of this review, this letter is to inform you of the emerging issues affecting the Reserve Force. As these reported issues fall outside the scope of the review we completed, they will not be included in our final report to the Minister. However, these areas of concern were raised by many interviewees and constituents as having a significant impact on them and their subordinates, for this reason, I bring these to your attention.
Our review uncovered four areas of concern that are ongoing and negatively impact Reserve Force members and their families: 1) Disparities affecting Reservist when in receipt of compensation due to illness or injury, 2) Disparities in transition support for ill and injured Reservists, 3) Backlog interrupting Reserve Force medical and dental insurance coverage, 4) Short-term Class "C" Reserve Service not paid on the 31st day of the month.
1) Disparities affecting Reservists when in receipt of compensation due to illness or injury
The Reserve Force Compensation (RFC) supports Reserve Force members during periods of illness or injury attributable to military service that go beyond the period of Reserve Service during which it occurred. Reserve Force members may opt, instead, to claim income replacement under the Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA).
While these programs provide compensation, there are certain benefits that cease once they are in receipt of compensation for an illness or injury, as Reserve Force members are no longer on a period of reserve service during that time. Consequently, they may be missing benefits to adequately support their recovery, return to duty or transition. Reservists must navigate a complex administrative process to demonstrate that the injury, or illness is related to service to access compensation.
The time spent during which Primary Reserve members receive RFC is also not considered pensionable time, yet pension contributions continue to be deducted.
A further complication for Reservists, when they are receiving compensation (either RFC or under GECA), is that they and their dependants are not entitled to medical and dental insurance coverage nor to funeral and burial benefits.
These disparities in compensation—despite the illness or injury being related to service—exacerbate the challenges faced by Reservists and widen the gap in treatment between them and their Regular Force counterparts.
2) Disparities in transition support for ill or injured Reservists
Regular Force members with an illness or injury (service related or not) can get posted to a CAF Transition Group to recover, return to duty or transition to civilian life. During this time, they are fully paid, considered in service (pensionable time) and afforded supports. Primary Reserve members injured because of service are currently not afforded equivalent supports under the very similar conditions. This can have a negative impact on retention, recovery or proper transition out of the military.
While promising initiatives are in progress to eliminate the gaps in support recovery or transition of full-time Reservists, I remain concerned about the CAF's level of support for Class "A" and Class "B" Reservists who serve less than 180 days and may become ill or injured due to service, on weekend exercises, or summer training, for example.
3) Backlog interrupting Reserve Force medical and dental insurance coverage
The Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) and the Public Service Dental Care Plan (PSDCP) serve as supplement to the provincial or territorial health insurance plan of eligible and participating Reserve Force members and their dependants. The eligibility requirements are based on class and length of service.
Medical insurance plan under PSHCP
Issues in the CAF administration of PSHCP exist at both the national and local Reserve unit levels. At the national level, delays in the CAF PSHCP Administration Office and slow cheque processing have left members and families without benefits. Processing of more than 90 days can result in cessation of coverage. These delays have a disproportionate financial impact on Reserve Force members and their families.
The CAF PSHCP standard for processing is two weeks, which would ensure continuous coverage when Reservists go back and forth between different types of reserve employment. However, the current backlog for processing went from two months (Dec 2024) to three months (June 2025).
At the local level (unit orderly rooms), we continue to see cases of miscommunication and lack of information that leads to document mishandling. At the same time, repeated documentation requirements for new reserve periods of employment add to administrative burdens.
Dental insurance plan under PSDCP
There is currently a 3-month delay with processing applications for the dental plan under PSDCP. The backlog at the CAF PSDCP Administration Office is primarily caused by the lack of staff to process those applications. CAF PSHCP staff are currently being cross trained to fill this gap on an interim basis.
Our office is engaging with the Director General Compensation and Benefits on this matter. Although staffing is in progress, no established timeline was provided to resolve these delays, meaning Reserve members and their families will continue to face delays or interruptions in accessing health care and dental coverage. I am concerned the workload pressures contributing to the delays will reoccur each summer and perhaps increase, as reconstitution efforts aim to recruit more Reservists.
4) Short-term Class "C" Reserve Service not paid on the 31st day of the month
The last issue I am raising to your attention is the longstanding compensation issue for Reserve Force members on Class “C” employment on the 31st day of the month. A 2009 grievance, subsequent grievances and the Military Grievances External Review Committee (MGERC) have all flagged this issue. Currently, if a Reserve Force member works for five days from 26 to 30 July, they will receive five days of pay and allowances, while if they work for five days from 27 to 31 July, they will receive only four days of pay and allowances and will serve for one day without pay or allowances (as per 2021 MGERC F&R 2021-100). This disproportionately affects certain Reservists, such as Canadian Rangers conducting ground search and rescue operations, clearance divers and Primary Reserve members assisting Canadians with forest fires and floods (Operation LENTUS), if the emergency response occurs during a month with 31 days. I would be interested to hear if the computation of pay and entitlement to pay interpretation has been discussed at your equivalent level at the Treasury Board.
Conclusion
Reservists are increasingly asked to fill CAF long-term requirements and there is a growing demand to support the response to natural emergencies in Canada. As our government is calling to protect Canada’s sovereignty by rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces, the DND and the CAF must maintain the people-first approach to deliver on this mandate. I look forward to continuing discussions and addressing issues impacting the Defense community and their families.
Sincerely,
Robyn Hynes
Interim Ombud