If you were injured in the Christchurch terror attack, you can get:

• cover for all your medical care
• up to 80% of your income as weekly compensation if you can’t work because of your injury
• support for cleaning and looking after your home and everyday personal tasks like showering and dressing while you are injured
• support for childcare either at home or at a playcentre or kindergarten
• support with care for injured parents to help them with everyday tasks
• mental health support and counselling if it’s needed.

If you lost a family member or other loved ones in the Christchurch attack, you can get:

• A tax-free funeral grant of up to $6,219 for funeral and memorial costs. This is topped up to a total of $10,000 by the Ministry of Justice. The funeral or memorial can be held either in New Zealand or overseas.
• A one-off, tax-free survivor’s grant of up to:
  • $6,668 for the partner
  • $3,334 for each child under 18 or other dependants. For children under 16, the money will go to the parent or caregiver.
• Weekly childcare payments for up to five years, or until the child turns 14 if they’re a child of the person who was killed. If a child has a disability, the payments may continue for longer. These payments are tax-free, but they could affect what support is available from Work and Income.
• Up to 80% of the deceased’s income for the partner, children and any other relatives who were depending on the deceased if they were earning an income in New Zealand when they were killed. If a dependant lives overseas, they may be able to receive payments; the amount will depend on that person’s particular situation.

If you were admitted to hospital, the medical staff will have made an ACC claim for you, and ACC will contact you.

If you have been injured are your family members has been injured, contact ACC by either:

• Visiting the Christchurch branch:
  • BNZ Centre, Level 2
    101–111 Cashel St
    Christchurch
    8.30am – 5pm, Monday to Friday
• Phone: 0800 101 996 (international callers, phone +64 7 848 7400)
• Email: christchurchresponse@acc.co.nz

You can access this information on the ACC website, here (or go to acc.co.nz and search “Support available to victims of Christchurch terror attack”)

The information is available in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Bahasa Malaysia
• Bengali
• Farsi Persian
• Hindi
• Indonesian
• Urdu.

ACC won’t cover the following costs:

• the cost of treatment, rehabilitation, home help, transportation assistance or child-care if victim goes overseas (though weekly income support may still be paid)
• the cost of lost earnings if the victim had earnings from overseas
• the cost of childcare for children of the deceased aged over 14
• the cost of mental health support or counselling for anyone who was not physically injured or traumatised while working (for example, mosque employees and emergency responders). This means that family members of those injured or killed or those who witnessed the attacks but were not injured are not entitled to mental health support or counselling under ACC.

Social Security (Cash Assets and Income Exemptions – Christchurch Mosque Attack Support Payments) Amendment Regulations 2020 Residential Care and Disability Support Services Exempt Assets (Christchurch Mosque Attack Support Payments) Amendment Regulations 2020

Victim Support can provide some financial help for family members of someone who has died, people who were admitted to hospital following the attack, and their family members, and others who witnessed or were seriously affected by the attack.

Victim support can offer financial assistance of:

• $15,000 for each family member killed
• $5,000 for each person admitted to hospital
• other grants for urgent costs resulting from the attacks (for example, funeral arrangements or family travel).

You don’t need to be a New Zealand citizen or resident to access this support. For more information, phone: 0800 842 846.

A support payment is not taken into account (is “exempt”) as income when Work and Income work out what you might get for temporary additional support or as an accommodation supplement, see: “Other benefits and allowances”.

A support payment is also not taken into account when working out whether you qualify for financial support for long-term residential care.

Work and Income (WINZ) is the New Zealand government agency that pays welfare benefits and other financial support. It can help with:

• urgent or unexpected essential costs, like food, bedding and travel costs within New Zealand
• advance payments of a benefit of up to six weeks
• an emergency benefit for people who don’t qualify for any other benefit

To find out more, see: “Dealing with Work and Income”.

The Government has promised that victims of the Christchurch terror attacks will be able to get mental health treatment and support, even if they were not physically injured. There have been reports that the government is considering broadening the definition of who is eligible for mental trauma funding. For now, ACC is working with other agencies, including the Canterbury District Health Board, to make sure people receive the mental health support they need.

We recommend contacting either the Christchurch branch of ACC or the Government helpline to find out what mental health assistance you may receive and how to access it.

• Anyone can call or text 1737 (from a mobile) or call from a landline on 0800 1737 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor. This is a free, 24-hour service.
• If you are a New Zealand resident of citizen you can visit your local doctor, though a fee may apply. If you are travelling from overseas this may be covered by your travel insurance.

Victim Support can offer grief and trauma support for victims and their families.

They can help family members of someone who has died, people who were admitted to hospital following the attack, and their family members, and others who witnessed or were seriously affected by the attack.

You don’t need to be a New Zealand citizen or resident to access help from Victim Support. For more information, phone 0800 842 846.