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Prior to retiring I was the Senior Reserve Advisor, Class B’A’, 3rd Canadian Division (3 Cdn Div) Headquarters. In this position I had numerous duties including reserve succession planning, interaction with Honorary Colonels as the Division Commander’s representative, mitigating reserve training and personnel issues, Executive Assistant to the Division Deputy Commander (Class A Reservist, part time soldier) as well as other assigned duties.

When I retired I was initially told in an email correspondence from Daphne Millar, Pension Specialist, dated September 23, 2015 that it would take “4 to 6 months to receive your pension cheque.”

On December 9, 2015 I was in email correspondence with a Sergeant Deborah Simms who informed me that my PERS file/Release TD had been received at DMCA4 Release section on October 13, 2015 and that the wait period once received at DMCA would be 12 to 14 weeks.

I corresponded again on January 20, 2016 with Sergeant Simms who informed me that there were further delays with the processing of files due to a “large influx of files and some unforeseen staffing shortages especially during the Christmas Leave Period.”

To date I have yet to receive a pension cheque after six months of patient waiting. As a result I have been living off of my savings which are being depleted. In addition, I have had to pay for health and dental bills out of pocket as I am not entitled to pensioner health and dental benefits until I am in receipt of a pension. Recently, I have had to pay for two root canals which cost approximately $2200 for both. Any further delays in the pension and no access to pensioner health and dental benefits will end up causing me undo financial hardship.