ACC refuses to pay death grant to family of man stung by wasps

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ACC refuses to pay death grant

3News NZ

Morris Stretch

Morris Stretch

On February 4 a much-loved father and grandfather went out to collect firewood in Marlborough’s Keneperu sounds with his nephew and never came back.

The pair stumbled into the path of a wasp nest and 62-year-old Morris Stretch was stung hundreds of times. Morris ran but his heart gave out.

An accident surely? Morris certainly didn't go looking for the wasps and it seems very unlikely they targeted him.

Well, ACC says "no", and are refusing to pay an accidental death grant to cover his funeral.

Watch the video for Rachel Tiffen’s report.

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Comments

24/06/2012 10:10:21 a.m.

Greg wrote:

ACC are failures with rehabilitation if its anything past getting you back into your old job. Head injury patients especially end up as long cliaments because of the recovery period needs. Culling them off the books and onto another waiting list that is the black hole of WINZ is not a boon for the taxpayer. Does WINZ still have a time waiting period for there jobs. Plus what rehabiliation is on offer for sickness and invalids benifit, if not just another waiting for health care. ACC is suppose to be a highly specialist health provider, use real specialists and it will prefent the fraudsters. They take our money by force to provide a service, they dont have a mandate to run a profit as a monopoly, thats the real crime. Why do they need 20 billion dollars if they fail to help the sheep they fleece.

22/06/2012 8:29:41 p.m.

local kiwi wrote:

i think we need to get rid of ACC in its current form payouts are not part of a good health system its been rorted and abused and is a complete waste of money. Most countries dont have this system for a reason its draining and very wasteful use of taxpayers money.

22/06/2012 12:36:33 p.m.

a slight of hand wrote:

Sounds to me like ACC pay their staff on a salary scale. So the job is "Sized"(pay set) against the value of other similar jobs. A person is appointed to the role based on their qualifications and experience somewhere along that scale. Usually a person on 85% would be new to the role and learning and then their performance would be measured against the Key performance indicators as laid out in their job description as they get more experience their salary goes up. I would be very surprised if anyone ever had their pay reduced for not meeting their KPIs

22/06/2012 12:33:32 p.m.

unicorn wrote:

Not only are they entitled to the funeral expenses, but his family are also entitled to compensation! ACC are being abusive at this time coz they know everyones upset! Nasty arent they! Just send ACC the funeral bill anyway - they wont challenge it - coz they are obligated to pay it! So youre walking outside and something flies through the air and kills you. Hmm Thats an accident!!

22/06/2012 9:44:01 a.m.

ruby wrote:

I used to work years ago for ACC and the attitude was the same. Get rid of 'clients' don't tell them their entitlements. The client is the enemy. There were bonuses for money saved. Shameful.

22/06/2012 9:26:54 a.m.

Chuck Bird wrote:

If insurance companies were able to compete with ACC this might not have happened. I seen an item on Fair Go over an insurance company being unreasonable over car insurance. After contact with Fair Go the insurance company quickly reconsidered. ACC has no competition so they cannot be bothered fronting. If my insurance company behaved like ACC I would probably change my insurance company.

22/06/2012 9:05:52 a.m.

John of ChCh wrote:

I'm not surprised. I also have no problems with people who are fit for work being directed back to work - if that work is suitable and on a par with their skills. I have a huge problem if their recovery is hindered by returning to work to quickly or entitlements are not disclosed or are forced to go into unsuitable work.

21/06/2012 10:51:27 p.m.

MarkoPoloT wrote:

Judith Collins must resign - the buck stops at her, and this whole payment for screwing vulnerable Kiwis over is gonna blow up in the media and parliament. The other ACC bosses have already resigned, and John Key will come down hard against these corrupt policies and try to make meagre political capital out of otherwise dire prospects for Judith Collins as ACC minister (I reckon)

21/06/2012 10:47:16 p.m.

John wrote:

Great work on highlighting the sickening actions of ACC... including also your interview with Kevin Hague. Please keep up the pressure. Too many people have been victimised by ACC, and the tide needs to turn. Incentivising Case Managers to terminate entitlements for long-term claimants is utterly unethical. We have been targeted by such actions ourselves and the behaviour of ACC has been shocking. The culture has to change, and Judith Collins has to go.

21/06/2012 9:58:35 p.m.

Mathew wrote:

What can we as New Zealanders do to get rid of ACC they are con-artists and thieves DOWN WITH ACC!!!!