ACC's Turnaround Plan Helps Injured New Zealanders Return to Work Sooner

Injured New Zealanders are returning to sport, work and their communities sooner as the Accident Compensation Corporation puts a renewed focus on rehabilitation, Minister for ACC Scott Simpson says.

The results are clear – people with less serious injuries, like sprains, are returning to work and independence sooner. That’s better for injured New Zealanders, their families and employers, and it reduces pressure on the scheme. Ultimately, this is about ensuring ACC is sustainable for future generations, Mr Simpson says.

ACC’s Turnaround Plan was launched seven months ago to improve rehabilitation for clients and to ensure a stronger future for the scheme.

One of the most important changes ACC has made is reintroducing the one-on-one case manager system for most weekly compensation clients, so they have one point of contact for their claim, Mr Simpson says.

The latest results show long-term claims, excluding sensitive claims, are down four per cent compared with July last year, with fewer clients receiving weekly compensation for more than one year.

Rehabilitation outcomes are critical to the Scheme’s future. In 2025, ACC spent $4.4 billion on treatment and rehabilitation and $3.1 billion on weekly compensation for more than 160,000 people unable to work because of injury. Those injuries resulted in more than 20.8 million working days lost and $8.7 billion in lost economic output.

This isn’t about reducing support for people who genuinely need it. Those with serious and persistent injuries will continue to receive the support they need – that has not changed, Mr Simpson says.

The ACC scheme is something we can be proud of in New Zealand. Few countries in the world have such a comprehensive scheme that helps so many – but we can’t have people remaining on the scheme for months when they could be supported to recover and return to independence sooner, Mr Simpson says.

There’s still more work to do, but the results show encouraging progress.

Editor notes: Monthly reports on Turnaround Plan progress can be found on the ACC website.

Turnaround Plan report and documents: July monthly report ACC 2026/27 Turnaround Plan ACC Injuries in New Zealand report 2025