ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart denies he was put in the job to move claimants off the scheme, despite a large drop in the number of long term claimants in the last year.© 2012 Radio New Zealand
Official documents have revealed that some ACC staff have performance targets linked to the number of claimants they move off the books.
Mr Stewart told Morning Report that the number of long term claimants has dropped by 1200 to about 10,400 since November. He said ACC has two priorities: to rehabilitate claimants and to manage finances, but only 20% of its staff incentive relates to rehabilitation.
Mr Stewart, who has resigned from ACC after nine months in the role, acknowledged that people's trust in the corporation needs to be improved.
Listen to more from Ralph Stewart on Morning Report
Advocacy groups are calling for a review of the cases of everyone who was taken off the scheme in the past year to see whether those decisions were justified.
A lawyer specialising in ACC cases, John Miller, says the bonus scheme is yet another example of the corporation having its priorities wrong.
Another lawyer, Peter Sara, says the policy is unprofessional and immoral.
ACC Minister Judith Collins says she doesn't have a problem with people being encouraged into work.
Listen to more on Morning Report
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/108904/acc-claimants-removal-motive-denied
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