Your Rights
ACC claimant's new hope for hearing aid funding
Central Hawke's Bay man Bill Stevenson is one of a group of 10 claimants represented by The National Foundation for the Deaf who are awaiting confirmation on when a Human Rights Tribunal hearing will proceed.
The Accident Compensation Corporation is facing legal action over noise-related hearing loss thresholds introduced in 2010.
Having completed Human Rights Commission mediation, the group hopes publicly-funded specialist lawyers from the Office of Human Rights Proceedings will pick up their case, in which they allege that ACC is discriminating against people who are hearing impaired.
ACC forced to remove loophole in contracts
ACC is being forced to close a legal loophole in contracts covering more than 300,000 workers after discovering it allowed big employers to illegally challenge entitlements.
The ombudsman has ruled that a clause in ACC's accredited employer contracts allowing them to dispute a lump sum payment is in direct conflict with the ACC act, which forbids such action.
ACC's accredited employer scheme is designed for large employers and provides a significant reduction in levies in exchange for the employer taking responsibility for any workplace claims.
ACC wrongly asserts business is brothel
A Tauranga man is furious after he received a letter from ACC accusing his wife of being involved in keeping brothels, running a massage parlour and prostitution services.
The woman is a qualified doctor in China and has a small Chinese medicine and massage business that she runs from home.
The parents of two young children did all the right things, registering the business with ACC and IRD.
Beneficiary says 'stop abusing us'
Beneficiaries. The first thing that comes to mind is: "Filthy person who either can't keep her legs closed and keeps popping out children, or way too lazy to get a real job."
I, for one, am neither of these. The benefit has kept me supported for the past two years while I struggle to find a job to support me and my son. Mainly because people won't hire someone with no experience. I try very hard to find a job, any job, but I am terrified that because I have no experience I will be working part-time hours earning minimum wage. With things like rent to pay and a family to raise, $270 a week just won't cut it. I was too afraid to get a job because of that.
I would like to say to you complainers, stop abusing beneficiaries. Yes, some abuse the system, but there are genuine people who are afraid, in need of support and the benefit is their only hope. We don't like being on it just as much as you don't like that your tax is paying for it. Just stop being so cold-hearted and up tight and think about someone else for a moment.
Cut to services for disabled ruled discriminatory
The Health Ministry has been censured for discriminating against intellectually disabled elderly people.
A High Court decision published yesterday upheld earlier findings that cuts to support for intellectually disabled people over 65 were discriminatory.
Facing a budget blowout in 2005, the ministry cut access to "day services" - such as sport and educational activities - for disabled people over retirement age.
Research Reveals Disturbing Results for Disabled Peoples
Groundbreaking Research Reveals Disturbing Results for Disabled People
New Zealanders with significant disabilities are falling through the cracks and in too many cases are being treated as second class citizens, according to ground-breaking new research.
The study into the experiences of 12 people with high and complex support needs was designed to assess whether New Zealand is meeting an important Article within the United Nations Convention on the rights of the disabled, known as Article 19.
