Accident Compensation Corporation’s long-term claims pool grew by 41 claims in September, with rising Sensitive Claims offsetting continued improvement elsewhere, according to the corporation’s latest Turnaround Plan report released on Friday.
The long-term claims pool counts clients who have received weekly compensation for more than one year. Excluding Sensitive Claims - those from people who have experienced sexual abuse or assault - the pool shrank by 91 claims through September, contributing to a 5% reduction in that portion of the pool over 12 months. Sensitive Claims moved in the opposite direction, rising by 132 from August to reach 2,936. That growth lifted the total pool by a net 41 claims.
Adding that to August’s reported total of 24,426 puts the pool at approximately 24,467. ACC’s year-end target range for 2026/27 is 23,000 to 23,500. On that basis, the pool sits roughly 970 to 1,470 claims above target with two months remaining in the reporting year.
Return-to-work rates were largely stable in September. The nine-month result improved slightly while other rates dipped 0.1%, following August when rates improved across all four tracked intervals. ACC notes that Sensitive Claims have a growing impact on return-to-work measures because backdated weekly compensation claims count in the calculations.
It is the second Turnaround Plan report published since Sid Miller became ACC chief executive on September 21.
ACC data released proactively shows the number of Sensitive Claims clients in the pool rose from 492 in June 2017 to 2,129 in October 2025. Over the same period, the one-year return-to-work rate for that group fell from 25.6% to 8.8%. ACC has responded by excluding Sensitive Claims from its primary long-term claims pool measure this financial year, treating it as a separate category to give what it describes as a clearer view of underlying performance.
The gap between the current pool and the year-end target is the number that matters most for the levy outlook. Claims performance shapes future ACC levies, which employers and their advisers must plan around. Cabinet confirmed in December 2024 that the earners’ levy would climb to $1.59 per $100 of liable earnings by 2027/28, from $1.39 in 2024/25. The next levy round, covering 2028/29 and beyond, will be shaped by scheme performance in the current period.
For brokers advising employers in the Accredited Employer Programme (AEP), the September data has a specific implication. AEP employers manage their own work injury claims and can potentially reduce their Work levy by up to 90%. The rehabilitation gains visible in the non-Sensitive Claims portion of the pool indicate the self-management model is continuing to produce results in the claims categories employers can influence. Sensitive Claims sit entirely outside that calculation - no employer can influence them, and their growth does not affect the value of participation in the AEP.
For clients outside the AEP, the broker conversation centres on what ACC does not cover: illness, and some mental health conditions. Social rehabilitation and elective surgery costs remain broadly in line with budget.
ACC board chair Jan Dawson said when the 2026/27 plan was released that “the turnaround is not complete” and more work is needed to hit key targets. ACC publishes its Turnaround Plan progress reports on the last business day of each month. The October report is due at the end of November.
