A record number of long-term Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) clients have had their payments stopped after being deemed “work ready” or “no longer injured,” prompting outrage among advocates and clients who say they are being unfairly pushed off support.
According to a report by RNZ, in the year to June, nearly 8,000 clients were removed from the long-term claims pool, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year. ACC described this as an “important achievement” in its annual report, with Chief Executive Megan Main stating that the clients were “ready to work or no longer injured.”
However, critics argue that many of those affected still live with chronic pain and debilitating conditions that prevent them from working. ACC advocate Warren Forster told Nine to Noon that the increase was not a sign of improved rehabilitation, but of systemic “exit strategies” to cut costs.
“If ACC had somehow tripled the effectiveness of their rehabilitation in the last 10 years, I’d be the first person celebrating,” Forster said. “But we have no evidence of that. What we see instead are people being pushed off support without genuine recovery,” RNZ reported.
One of those affected is Jonathan Simcock, who suffered a severe brachial plexus injury in a bike accident that left his dominant arm mostly paralysed. Simcock, who also struggles with chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, was shocked to receive a letter from ACC stating he was “work ready” and that his weekly payments would cease within 28 days.
This decision came despite recent medical advice provided to ACC that clearly stated he was not fit for work.
“It was totally out of the blue,” Simcock said. “We were working towards finding suitable work options, and suddenly ACC decided, without new medical evidence, that I could work full-time,” reported RNZ.
Simcock said ACC had internally reassessed his capacity and concluded he could work 30 hours a week, triple what his doctor recommended.
RNZ quoted, “It would be impossible,” he said. “I’d be in constant pain, anxious, unable to sleep or function properly. It feels like ACC just wants long-term people off their books — we don’t fit their nice model.”
After inquiries from Nine to Noon, ACC agreed to re-assess Simcock’s case and reinstated his payments temporarily.
ACC’s acting head of client recovery, Matthew Goodger, said the organisation was reviewing Simcock’s case and expressed regret for the distress caused.
“We are taking another look at his case. While we do, he will continue to receive weekly compensation,” Goodger said. “We will work with his GP and providers and continue to fund his rehabilitation,” reported RNZ.
Goodger added that in mid-2024, ACC introduced new processes and interdisciplinary teams to better support long-term claimants.
“This focus is reflected in an increased number of long-term claims being closed as clients were supported to recover and return to independence,” he said, as quoted by RNZ.
ACC Minister Scott Simpson praised the figures, calling them a “huge result,” and noted that his Letter of Expectations had directed ACC to focus on reducing long-term claim numbers.
“Often ACC staff deal with clients with long-standing and complex situations, and I rely on them to use their judgement given each client’s individual circumstances,” Simpson said, RNZ quoted.
Forster and other advocates have called for an independent review of ACC’s handling of long-term claimants, arguing that many are being unfairly assessed and cut off while still unfit for work.
“This isn’t about one person, it’s happening across the board,” Forster said. “ACC is supposed to rehabilitate, not abandon, the people who need it most,” RNZ quoted.
As ACC touts its “success” in closing long-term claims, many former clients like Simcock fear being left behind, trapped between chronic pain and a system they say is more focused on savings than recovery.