ACC reforms will short-change older New Zealanders

The Government’s unprecedented attack on New Zealand’s world-leading accident compensation scheme will have serious impacts on older New Zealanders who are particularly vulnerable to injury, says Labour’s Senior Citizens spokesperson Ross Robertson.

“Over 65s have a one in three chance of having a fall each year, down to one in two once they are over 80. Yet ACC has dumped a nationwide falls prevention programme, which has been shown to save taxpayers $2 for every $1 spent.

“ACC is also moving to reduce the cost of home help for the injured, so if you do fall, you may find it harder to get the help you need to stay in your home – especially if you can’t rely on family members,” Ross Robertson says.

“It is also reducing spending on home and vehicle modification for the seriously injured by at least 20 per cent, which will limit people’s mobility and ability to manage at home.

“All of these Government-directed cost-cutting measures have been done without public consultation and will compromise the health of the elderly, as well as impose potentially significant extra costs on the most vulnerable.

“A law change before Parliament will further erode the protection older New Zealanders who are injured now have. The change will reduce the amount of income compensation available to injured part-time and casual workers. It will also introduce a six per cent threshold for people suffering work-related hearing loss, which will see thousands lose ACC support for hearing aids.

“The new law will clamp down on entitlements for work-related gradual process diseases, caused by exposure to chemicals or other substances. Because these diseases are often gradual, many people don’t become ill until later in life – so older New Zealanders are particularly vulnerable,” Ross Robertson says.

“A major stocktake underway is expected to propose further cuts to entitlements and the Government is considering proposals to charge injured New Zealanders up to $100 each time they turn up to a doctor or hospital with an injury.

“On top of all this it is moving to privatise ACC, which will see New Zealanders pay more for less, so private insurance companies and lawyers can reap profits. Older New Zealanders, who have supported this scheme for decades, do not deserve to have the protection it offers ripped out from under them. Nor will they relish having to jump through lengthy legal hoops, to try to gain entitlements.”

END

© Scoop Media