Veterans
Veterans Affairs Canada benefits, pensions and services.
Headline figures
Fiscal year 2024–25
$7.7B
1.6% of the $474.4B of federal program spending reported by theme, across 32 programs.
Cost per tax filer uses 29,965,100 tax filers (2023, the latest count published); per person uses a population of 41,162,593 (2024). It is an allocation of cost, not a tax bill.
Spending programs
Actual spending by program in 2024–25: operating costs, capital and payments to others, as reported by each department and reconciled to the Public Accounts. Select a program for its history and cost per taxpayer.
Disability Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs
$4.2B
54.8% of list$140per tax filer$102per personIncome Support
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.5B
19.0% of list$48.45per tax filer$35.27per personHealth Care Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs
$909M
11.9% of list$30.35per tax filer$22.09per personVeterans Independence Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
$405M
5.3% of list$13.52per tax filer$9.84per personTransition Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$234M
3.1% of list$7.82per tax filer$5.69per personLong Term Care
Department of Veterans Affairs
$172M
2.2% of list$5.73per tax filer$4.17per personCanada Remembers Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
$51.8M
0.7% of list$1.73per tax filer$1.26per personInformation Technology Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$47.5M
0.6% of list$1.58per tax filer$1.15per personCaregiver Recognition Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$30.5M
0.4% of list$1.02per tax filer$0.74per personResearch and Innovation
Department of Veterans Affairs
$26.4M
0.3% of list$0.88per tax filer$0.64per personManagement and Oversight Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$22.9M
0.3% of list$0.76per tax filer$0.56per personReview and Appeal
Veterans Review and Appeal Board
$21.3M
0.3% of list$0.71per tax filer$0.52per personHuman Resources Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$19.8M
0.3% of list$0.66per tax filer$0.48per personFinancial Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$17.0M
0.2% of list$0.57per tax filer$0.41per personCommunications Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$14.2M
0.2% of list$0.47per tax filer$0.34per personReal Property Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$9.7M
0.1% of list$0.32per tax filer$0.24per personFuneral and Burial Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
$6.0M
0.1% of list$0.20per tax filer$0.15per personLegal Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$5.3M
0.1% of list$0.18per tax filer$0.13per personVeterans Ombudsperson
Department of Veterans Affairs
$4.6M
0.1% of list$0.15per tax filer$0.11per personWar Veterans Allowance
Department of Veterans Affairs
$3.4M
0.0% of list$0.11per tax filer$0.08per person
Show the other 4 programs
Information Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$2.6M
0.0% of list$0.09per tax filer$0.06per personMateriel Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$2.5M
0.0% of list$0.08per tax filer$0.06per personVeterans Emergency Fund
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.8M
0.0% of list$0.06per tax filer$0.04per personAcquisition Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.2M
0.0% of list$0.04per tax filer$0.03per person
Grants and contributions
Payments to provinces, organizations and individuals in 2024–25, by transfer payment program, from the Public Accounts. These are a different cut of the same money as the programs above, so the two lists are not added together. Select one to see its largest recipients.
Pain and Suffering Compensation
Department of Veterans Affairs
$2.3B
41.3% of list$76.95per tax filer$56.02per personIncome Replacement Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.4B
25.7% of list$47.85per tax filer$34.84per personPensions for disability and death, including pensions granted under the authority of the Civilian Government Employees (War) Compensation Order, P.C. 45/8848 of November 22, 1944, which shall be subject to the Pension Act; for former prisoners of war under the Pension Act, and Newfoundland special awards
Department of Veterans Affairs
$993M
17.8% of list$33.14per tax filer$24.12per personAdditional Pain and Suffering Compensation
Department of Veterans Affairs
$327M
5.9% of list$10.92per tax filer$7.95per personHousekeeping and Grounds Maintenance
Department of Veterans Affairs
$319M
5.7% of list$10.64per tax filer$7.75per personContributions to Veterans, under the Veterans Independence Program, to assist in defraying costs of extended health care not covered by provincial health programs
Department of Veterans Affairs
$71.7M
1.3% of list$2.39per tax filer$1.74per personEducation and Training Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$28.9M
0.5% of list$0.97per tax filer$0.70per personCaregiver Recognition Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$27.8M
0.5% of list$0.93per tax filer$0.67per personCommonwealth War Graves Commission
Department of Veterans Affairs
$12.9M
0.2% of list$0.43per tax filer$0.31per personContributions under the Commemorative Partnerships Program, to organizations, institutions and other levels of government, in support of projects related to the health and well-being of the veteran population, and commemoration activities and events
Department of Veterans Affairs
$12.2M
0.2% of list$0.41per tax filer$0.30per personCentre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other related mental health conditions
Department of Veterans Affairs
$9.1M
0.2% of list$0.30per tax filer$0.22per personContribution for Research Funding Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
$7.1M
0.1% of list$0.24per tax filer$0.17per personLast Post Fund
Department of Veterans Affairs
$5.9M
0.1% of list$0.20per tax filer$0.14per personGrant for Research Funding Program
Department of Veterans Affairs
$4.3M
0.1% of list$0.14per tax filer$0.10per personEarnings Loss and Supplementary Retirement Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$4.1M
0.1% of list$0.14per tax filer$0.10per personGrant for Veterans and Family Well-Being Fund
Department of Veterans Affairs
$3.3M
0.1% of list$0.11per tax filer$0.08per personCanadian Forces Income Support Allowance
Department of Veterans Affairs
$3.3M
0.1% of list$0.11per tax filer$0.08per personWar Veterans Allowances and Civilian War Allowances
Department of Veterans Affairs
$2.3M
0.0% of list$0.08per tax filer$0.06per personContribution for Veterans and Family Well-Being Fund
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.7M
0.0% of list$0.06per tax filer$0.04per personVeterans Emergency Funds
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.6M
0.0% of list$0.05per tax filer$0.04per person
Show the other 11 grant and contribution programs
Critical Injury Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.5M
0.0% of list$0.05per tax filer$0.04per personChildren of Deceased Veterans Education Assistance
Department of Veterans Affairs
$1.0M
0.0% of list$0.03per tax filer$0.02per personGrant for Commemorative Partnerships
Department of Veterans Affairs
$970K
0.0% of list$0.03per tax filer$0.02per personDisability Awards and Allowances
Department of Veterans Affairs
$679K
0.0% of list$0.02per tax filer$0.02per personPayments under the Flying Accidents Compensation Regulations
Department of Veterans Affairs
$488K
0.0% of list$0.02per tax filer$0.01per personTreatment Allowances
Department of Veterans Affairs
$78K
0.0% of list<$0.01per tax filer<$0.01per personAssistance in accordance with the provisions of the Assistance Fund Regulations
Department of Veterans Affairs
$31K
0.0% of list<$0.01per tax filer<$0.01per personRetirement Income Security Benefit
Department of Veterans Affairs
$23K
0.0% of list<$0.01per tax filer<$0.01per personUnited Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea
Department of Veterans Affairs
$23K
0.0% of list<$0.01per tax filer<$0.01per personAssistance to Canadian Veterans—Overseas District
Department of Veterans Affairs
$5K
0.0% of list<$0.01per tax filer<$0.01per personPayments of Gallantry Awards
Department of Veterans Affairs
$509
0.0% of list<$0.01per tax filer<$0.01per person
Sources and basis
- GC InfoBase - Open Datasets, retrieved 2026-11-03. Open Government Licence - Canada. Program spending is reconciled to Public Accounts expenditures by vote for every organization and year. It excludes Employment Insurance benefits, the Canada Child Benefit and other items that are not appropriated, so it differs from the budget tables.
- Detailed information on Transfer Payments, as per the Public Accounts of Canada, retrieved 2026-11-03. Open Government Licence - Canada.
- Themes group programs by purpose, not by department. Each program is assigned to one theme by a published, reviewable rule set.