ACC is planning to use artificial intelligence to identify claimants it could remove from the long term claims pool, as a way to save money, even though it acknowledges this could produce errors. ACC has been under strict instruction from its Minister Scott Simpson to reduce the long term claims pool - which is the largest it has even been.
Earlier this year the organisation commissioned advice to work out how it could both remove existing clients, and prevent new ones from entering the pool. The cohort exists of anyone who has been receiving weekly compensation for more than one year. Currently almost 25-thousand are in the pool. In the year to June 2025 a record 8,000 long term claimants were taken off its books - because they were deemed "work ready". And ACC plans to ramp up exits even more - with a goal of 11,675 exists by June next year.
By the year 2028 it hopes to have more people coming out of the pool, than coming in. ACC claimant advocate Warren Forster speaks to Kathryn.
ACC logo Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
