Diminished Earning Capacity (DEC) and Education and Training Benefit

[CenterOfMass]

Hello,

I am going through VAC policy, and as usual, I’m so confused.

Can anyone please provide fairly simple advice to the following?:

• Medical release five years ago, 2019
• Qualified for Diminished Earning Capacity (DEC),
• Several physical and mental health awards,
• Going crazy, wanting to refocus on anything new, outside home,
• Would like to make use of the Education and Training Benefit,

All of my recognized awards and injuries are post-2006, New Veterans Charter (NVC), and the confusing mutations over the last bunch of years, Veteran’s Wellbeing Act (VWA).

Some comments online make it seem as though a veteran with a DEC can no longer submit an Education and Training Plan to VAC without it being denied; or possibly have the DEC questioned, ?

I cannot find policy that absolutely supports or denies my intended hope for re-education.

I’ve learned it is necessary to grasp any scenario before asking for VAC’s help. My level of injuries makes it much harder to understand everything.

When I was being removed from VAC’s rehab program, I think I was told I could no longer qualify for one kind of re-education option, but now I could still use something along the lines of special interest courses. I’m reading policy now and the only thing resembling that is phrased as Short Courses.

One avenue I’m debating is maybe computer programing, accounting, or small business. I would really rather follow a class environment with peers and instructors versus self online training. I’m not confident Short Courses are for me, but is that my only option?

I’m just realizing the Education and Training Benefit ends at 10-years from release date.

I’ve been reading all the Acts, and confused how they don’t seem to correlate with the Regulations.

Do Acts supersede the corresponding Regulations? They just twist and twist and twist as you read them.

Any and all advice, policy info, or experiences will be extremely appreciated.

 

[Teager]

What you need to do is figure exactly what you want to do the program you want and the cost.

So if you want to do accounting but just want to enhance your personal knowledge of it and there are a few courses and the cost is under $6k you can easily apply for the short courses program.

If your looking at a full time university or college program you should directly ask VAC if you can do that as it would have to fit into any medical limitations. As you know it may also trigger a review of your DEC status. If that happens they may just send you back to voc rehab.

You could always call VAC and ask to speak to a case manager and explain what it is you would like to do and why. They would be able to advise better on it.

 

[Baz]

This is based on my experience, not knowledge of the rules:

My understanding is that DEC is for life, and anything you earn is just subtracted from it on an annual basis.

I know VAC is supportive of activities that get you out of your own head. In my case, I volunteer at the Shearwater museum (if I’m stuck in the past I may as well make use of it).

However, if your no longer on vocation rehab it would not make sense to pay for retraining.

 

[kratz]

DEC can be reviewed and removed if a veteran's status has changed substantially. The bar measuring the removal of DEC is higher than the bar for being deemed incapacitated. So earning a degree on it's own does not always trigger a review. The Education Training Benefit (ETB) is available for any qualified veteran, including those who are DEC.