40 new positions filled at Veterans Affairs P.E.I. office

About 40 of the 61 new positions allotted to the headquarters of Veterans Affairs Canada in Charlottetown have been filled.

Their hiring is part of the government's commitment to add hundreds of more staff across the country. To date more than 100 positions have been filled across Canada.

In addition to increased staffing, the government also promised to reopen nine Veteran Affairs offices that were closed under the Conservative government.

Of the 40 hired, many of them are responsible for disability benefit claims.

Veterans Affairs officials say staff ensure veterans have the support they need when completing their applications.

They also help to adjudicate and make decisions, and process payments.

With the new staff in place, officials say the case manager ratio will be reduced to no more than 30 people for every case manager.

As a result, more veterans will receive timely access to a case manager and managers themselves will have more time to address the needs of veterans.