Hon Craig Foss

National Party ACC Spokesman

8 September 2014 Media Statement

National to further reduce ACC levies

A re-elected National Government will continue to support ACC’s rehabilitation and injury prevention work while further reducing levies on households and businesses, National Party ACC Spokesman Craig Foss says.

“National has turned ACC around. We inherited a scheme where claim costs were blowing out, ACC was losing money and levies on workers, employers and motorists were being forced up. That has all changed for the better,” Mr Foss says.

“National is focused on rehabilitation, injury prevention and streamlining processes, while maintaining high levels of service.

“Good management of ACC, together with a strong economy, means the levy accounts are fully-funded. Over the four years from 2012/13 to 2015/16, levy reductions will have put $1.5 billion back in the pockets of New Zealanders.

“This includes a reduction in motor vehicle levies from 1 July next year, with the average vehicle levy falling from $330 to $195 a year.

“We are committed to further reductions of between $700 million and $900 million, starting 1 April 2016. This is the equivalent of a tax cut for households and businesses.”

Mr Foss says if re-elected, National will continue to improve ACC’s systems and processes by:

• Reviewing all forms and processes to ensure they are fair and user friendly

• Continuing to put the privacy of claimants at the forefront of the scheme

• Working to ensure that claimants and providers find the ACC scheme as user-friendly as possible.

“Under a re-elected National Government, ACC will continue to meet the needs of New Zealanders, both as levy payers and as claimants,” Mr Foss says.

National’s Accident Compensation Policy is available at:ntnl.org.nz/1pEXXdU

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