29 September 2009
Media Statement

Government cost-cutting responsible for ACC sexual abuse counselling delays

ACC Minister Nick Smith’s denial that he’s responsible for major delays processing claims for sexual abuse victims is contradicted by an ACC newsletter which puts the blame squarely on Government cost-cutting, says Labour’s Victim’s Rights spokesperson Lynne Pillay.

“Yesterday I released figures showing there were 420 sexual abuse claim decisions pending in August - up from a consistent average of less than 72 a month earlier this year. That’s an increase of over 500 per cent.

“A spokesman for Nick Smith is quoted today laying the blame on ACC, saying it was a clinical matter and the Minister did not intervene in claim eligibility matters.

But his attempt to shift the blame for the delays is completely contradicted by an ACC newsletter sent to Sensitive Claims providers in July,” says Lynne Pillay.

“It says a number of providers have raised concerns about the delays and ‘we understand some of the frustration and acknowledge there have been issues’.

“It says rising claim numbers have created added pressure and ‘as staff numbers are calculated on the previous year’s claims, this has put ACC staff under stress…In today’s financially constrained environment, it isn’t possible to simply recruit more staff. Our approach is to streamline the service…’

“This, in conjunction with the explanation on the front of the newsletter which states how ACC is changing how it works to keep ‘a close eye on expenditure, in line with government expectations’ makes it entirely clear that a refusal to employ extra staff to meet victims’ needs is behind the delays,” Lynne Pillay says.

“Nick Smith needs to come clean and accept responsibility for forcing victims of sexual abuse to be left stranded and without counselling for months. He must give an assurance that the problem will be rectified immediately and establish clear timelines for processing such claims.

“There is already considerable scepticism among sensitive claim providers that proposed changes to the processing of ACC funded counselling claims for victims of sexual abuse, due next month and set to tighten eligibility criteria, are driven by cost-cutting, not service improvement imperatives.

“The deliberate decision not to employ more staff to process claims only deepens those concerns and is a shocking way to treat victims of serious assaults. It will put people off seeking counselling, just as the toughened ‘mental injury’ eligibility tests will. This is not ‘Value for Money’ this is ripping victims of crime off.”

Sensitive Claims Newsletter (pdf)

ENDS

© Scoop Media