It’s rarely that the claim isn’t real. It’s that the file never told VAC what it needed to know.
Roughly 20% of VAC disability applications are denied outright, according to parliamentary committee testimony. Talk to anyone who’s actually walked a veteran through this process and a pattern shows up fast: most denials don’t happen because the claim isn’t real. They happen because the file never told VAC what it needed to know.
The Veterans Ombudsman’s own 2025-26 report names the root of it plainly: access to primary health care upon release is “probably the most acute issue facing Veterans today” — without a diagnosis, a veteran can’t complete a disability claim in the first place. Everything downstream of that gets harder.
Even when a claim does get appealed, VAC doesn’t always hold up its end. A December 2025 systemic review found the department’s internal review process often produces decision letters that “do not meet the requirement for fair reasons set out by the Supreme Court of Canada.” It isn’t only veterans who need to build a better file. Sometimes VAC needs to explain itself better too — and the Ombud’s report also flags that applications from French-speaking and women veterans consistently move slower than others.
Here’s where most files actually stall, and what closes the gap:
- No diagnosis, no claim. Get one on file before anything else — this is the single most common dead end.
- Ask directly: does your doctor’s letter use VAC’s language, or just clinical language? They are not the same document, and VAC evaluates evidence, not sympathy.
- Historical service or medical records that were never filed. Request them early through an ATIP request — they take time to come back.
- Losing track of what was submitted, when, and what’s still outstanding. This is the quiet killer of otherwise-strong claims.
- If a denial letter arrives, read why it was denied, not just that it was. The reason is what the appeal has to answer.
This is the exact work I do with veterans — closing the evidence gaps, keeping practitioners on track, and making sure a claim doesn’t stall on something fixable. If you’re unsure whether you need help, a free 20-minute consultation will tell you fast. 👉 ejmack.ca