Iain LEES-GALLOWAY

ACC Spokesperson                       

19 January  2014                                                   

MEDIA STATEMENT

ACC complaints up under National

It’s official: ACC is more brutal under National which has a deliberate policy to be aggressive towards claimants to put people off making legitimate claims, Labour’s ACC spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.

“Details of a report prepared for former ACC boss Ralph Stewart, made public today, show that payments fall, litigation increases and people get a harder time when National is in charge.

“It comes as no surprise to Labour MPs. We receive daily reports of people being denied treatment, having their home support slashed and losing compensation payments well before they are ready to return to work.

“ACC now deliberately distances its staff from its clients, making the system more brutal and less human.

“A tactic used repeatedly is to deny cover on the basis of so-called pre-existing or degenerative conditions. ACC is so sensitive about this approach that it has repeatedly refused to release to Labour the number of claims denied on these grounds.

“It’s time to bring back the ACC people can rely on. Labour is committed to restoring ACC’s reputation as a world leader in injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

“Kiwis should expect a fair deal from ACC and that means fair levies and fair treatment. They get neither from National.”

ENDS

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