Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,

This is a request for a copy of ACC's TI01- Acknowledge and Extension combined- claimant template document and all processes, policies, guidelines, rules, and/or other information that indicates when ACC should use the ACC TI01 template letter.

This is also a request for the number of instances in which ACC issued a TI01 letter over the last 10 years, or any other acknowledgement letter which wrongly states the legislative timeframe for ACC to make a decision on a claim.

(e.g., Section 57 of the Act states that ACC has 2 months to investigate a claim and make a decision, not 4 months.)

Yours faithfully,

An

Dear Government Services,

Please provide me with the reference to the case law that states ACC has 4 months to investigate and make a decision on a complicated claim. Section 57 of the Act clearly states ACC has 2 months to make it's first decision.

(2) The Corporation must take the following steps as soon as practicable, and no later than 2 months, after the claim is lodged:
(a) investigate the claim—
(i) at its own expense; and
(ii) to the extent reasonably necessary to enable it to take the following steps in this subsection; and
(b) either—
(i) make its decision on the claim and give notice of it under section 64; or
(ii) decide that it cannot make its decision on the claim, or any other decision, without additional information, and tell the person of the extension, which must not exceed 2 months, that will be required.

ACC cannot make a decision to extend the time-frame before first commencing an investigation. I also reference ACC's internal documents which are available through ACC's website,
cover-timeframes-policy-request-response-gov-006562, which include:
- Timeframes to Determine Cover Policy
- Extend Cover Decision Timeframe Policy
- Deemed Cover Decisions When Timeframes Not Met Policy

Which all state that a decision must be made within 2 months, and only after "you’ve made a genuine attempt to investigate the claim within the original timeframe". [See Extend Cover Decision Timeframe Policy at 1(a)].

Thus, please provide me with the reference to the higher authority that allowed ACC to circumvent the requirements under section 57 of the Act, which requires ACC to conduct an investigation prior to extending the legislative time frame, and effectively rewrite the law.

Yours sincerely,

Anon

Dear Government Services,

Please provide me with the reference to the case law that states ACC has 4 months to investigate and make a decision on a complicated claim. Section 57 of the Act clearly states ACC has 2 months to make it's first decision.

(2) The Corporation must take the following steps as soon as practicable, and no later than 2 months, after the claim is lodged:
(a) investigate the claim—
(i) at its own expense; and
(ii) to the extent reasonably necessary to enable it to take the following steps in this subsection; and
(b) either—
(i) make its decision on the claim and give notice of it under section 64; or
(ii) decide that it cannot make its decision on the claim, or any other decision, without additional information, and tell the person of the extension, which must not exceed 2 months, that will be required.

ACC cannot make a decision to extend the time-frame before first commencing an investigation. I also reference ACC's internal documents which are available through ACC's website,
cover-timeframes-policy-request-response-gov-006562, which include:
- Timeframes to Determine Cover Policy
- Extend Cover Decision Timeframe Policy
- Deemed Cover Decisions When Timeframes Not Met Policy

Which all state that a decision must be made within 2 months, and only after "you’ve made a genuine attempt to investigate the claim within the original timeframe". [See Extend Cover Decision Timeframe Policy at 1(a)].

Thus, please provide me with the reference to the higher authority that allowed ACC to circumvent the requirements under section 57 of the Act, which requires ACC to conduct an investigation prior to extending the legislative time frame, and effectively rewrite the law.

Yours sincerely,

Anon