Petition to Parliament in response to ACC backpay changes
A petition to Parliament in relation to the recent law changes that allow MSD to demand repayment of supplementary assistance by those who subsequently receive ACC backpay is now available online.
The text of the petition is as follows:
Petition request
That the House of Representatives amend the Social Security (Accident Compensation and Calculation of Weekly Income) Amendment Act 2026 to: limit recovery of supplementary benefit payments received in good faith or where delay in ACC recognition was not caused by the claimant; exclude Disability Allowance and rehabilitation-related supplementary assistance; introduce a hardship and proportionality safeguard; enable discretion; and remove retrospectivity.
Petition reason
We explained to the Minister that we consider: the amendment affects people in ways that are not acknowledged; it creates inequity and impacts some of the most vulnerable in society; those whose ACC claims are accepted early receive treatment and rehabilitation funded by ACC; others, facing delays, must rely on MSD support, including supplementary assistance to fund these same costs, and once ACC cover is in place, must repay these from weekly compensation. It also applies retrospectively.
You can sign the petition on the Parliament website.
