ACC breach victims could get thousands in compo

A news report from TVNZ

People caught up in the Bronwyn Pullar ACC privacy scandal could be paid thousands of dollars in compensation, ONE News has confirmed.
ACC is about to send out letters with details of settlements.
ONE News has learned the corporation is in the process of posting payment offers to some victims of the massive privacy breach.
"This is now not only causing embarrassment to ACC and harm to all these people, it's actually costing you and me, the taxpayers and levy payers," said Green Party health spokesman Kevin Hague.
Nearly 7000 ACC clients had their privacy breached in August when an ACC staff member accidentally emailed their details to Pullar.
ACC has repeatedly refused to tell ONE News how many of those claimants are being offered payments or how much.
One client expecting compensation from this breach also had his privacy breached last year. According to a letter from ACC, obtained by ONE News, the corporation paid him $10,000 in compensation. Over the last seven-and-a-half years ACC has paid more than $185,000 in compensation for 32 privacy breaches. That is $5,800 per settlement on average.
Those considered to have sensitive claims are most likely to be eligible for compensation. If ACC made its average payment to every one of 250 sensitive claimants, the bill would amount to almost $1.45 million.
ACC Minister Judith Collins told ONE News compensation is a matter for ACC.
"It's an operational matter."
Asked if she should take an interest given that it is a potentially very expensive operational matter, Collins repeated, "Well actually it's an operational matter."

© 2012 Television New Zealand Ltd

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/acc-breach-victims-could-get-thousands-in-compo-4937772