COVID-19 information for clients

If you're injured, you'll find updates due to COVID-19 that affect you here. This includes if you're covered for COVID-19 or for injury as a result of the vaccination.

If you have an appointment and are feeling unwell, or have symptoms of Covid, please stay home. You will need to be fully vaccinated and show your Vaccine Pass to visit our office. You will also be required to wear a mask. Please ring in advance to confirm your appointment.

On this page

    We're still here to support you

    If there are any changes to the opening of our branches, there'll be a banner on the homepage. Please call before visiting. We continue to support the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

    We'll still be doing some things differently but our focus remains:

    • on supporting clients in vulnerable situations
    • making payments to clients
    • lodging and processing new claims and maintaining existing ones.

    Please call before visiting. You need to be well and have no symptoms of COVID-19 or illness if you’re visiting us in person. You will also need to show a valid Vaccine Pass.

    Alternatively, you can use one of the options below:

    Contact us

    Phone 0800 101 996
    Email claims@acc.co.nz

    If you have a dedicated ACC contact, please contact them directly.

    Thank you for your understanding at this time.

    Weekly compensation payments

    If you can’t return to work due to your injury, your weekly compensation payments will continue as normal.  

    You must have an ACC medical certificate from your treating practitioner confirming that you can't work due to your injury. Providers may be able to facilitate medical certificates over the phone, ie via Telehealth messaging. Contact your provider to discuss the best way forward. 

    If your health provider declares you fully fit to return to work, we can't continue weekly compensation payments.

    Contact your employer to discuss leave arrangements during closure or to access the Government’s COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme.

    COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme

    If you can’t get in touch with your employer, contact the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) directly.

    MSD COVID-19 information

    The wage subsidy is treated as income and may affect your weekly compensation payments. Email us and let us know the amount you have received and the time period it relates to. We will adjust your weekly compensation payments if necessary.

    Email covidsubsidy@acc.co.nz

    If you're being paid weekly compensation you can accept COVID-19 wage subsidy payments from your employer. We need to treat this subsidy as earnings and may need to adjust the level of weekly compensation you receive from us. Email us and let us know the amount you have received and the time period it relates to. We will adjust your weekly compensation payments if necessary.

    Email covidsubsidy@acc.co.nz

    Using MyACC for accessing support

    If you have received a unique registration code to join MyACC and manage your injury online, we recommend you join now. This will give you another channel where you can apply for and check your weekly compensation, and access other support you may need for your injury.

    Visit MyACC

    If you haven’t received a code, fill in an online form to register and join. 

    Register and join MyACC form

    Complaints and reviews

    If you have any concerns about a decision we’ve made or the service we’ve provided, you can make a complaint or discuss your concerns with us.

    Make a complaint or sort out a claim 

    Reviews will continue as normal. If there are any questions about your review, contact your Review Specialist. If you’re unsure who your Review Specialist is, you can email us.

    Email claims@acc.co.nz

    FAQs 

    Cover for the COVID-19 virus may be available if you're diagnosed with the virus and you meet the criteria for a work-related gradual process, disease or infection under section 30 of the Accident Compensation Act 2001.  

    We would need information to understand your work tasks and environment and to what extent these could have caused the illness. We would also need to understand how prevalent the disease is in the community and other possible sources for the disease, such as exposure from family or friends.

    If you believe you've contracted the COVID-19 virus at work, speak to your healthcare professional for guidance.

    Find more information on the injuries we cover:

    What we cover

    What we don't cover

    Where the criteria for a work-related gradual process, disease or infection under section 30 of the Accident Compensation Act 2001 is met ACC may be able to provide support. 

    We would need information to understand where the COVID-19 exposure occurred, including the work tasks and environment and to what extent these could have caused the illness. We would also need to understand how prevalent the disease is in the community and other possible sources for the disease, such as exposure from family or friends.

    We are unable to provide support where the COVID-19 exposure was outside of work.

    Physical injury resulting from a vaccination, including the COVID-19 vaccine, may be covered if the criteria for treatment injury are met. Under ACC legislation, the injury must be clearly caused by the vaccination and must not be a necessary part or ordinary consequence of the treatment.

    For example, inflammation and pain around the site of the injection, flu like symptoms, fatigue are common with vaccinations (an ordinary consequence) and is unlikely to be covered. Infections (such as cellulitis or septic arthritis) due to the vaccination, and anaphylaxis resulting in injury are not ordinary consequences and are likely to be covered.

    The support we can provide would depend on a person’s circumstances and needs. This may include medical treatment, compensation for loss of wages or salary and rehabilitation to help the claimant regain independence. There may be support provided in the case of death.

    Please contact your health provider if you have any questions related to your vaccination.

    For example payment assistance, transport assistance, equipment or home help. Or if you're concerned about a client in a vulnerable situation.

    If you have a dedicated ACC contact, continue to phone them directly. Otherwise please call us and follow the voice prompts or email us.

    Phone 0800 101 996
    Email claims@acc.co.nz

    Please contact your health provider if you have any questions related to your ongoing treatment.

    Clients can give consent for some services to be delivered at all settings of the COVID-19 Protection Framework through the use of online tools, like Telehealth, where clinically appropriate. If you have questions about the ability to use Telehealth at orange or red light settings, please contact your health professional to explore the options available to you.

    ACC providers and Telehealth

    Telehealth can be used to continue client recovery for mental health services. This now also covers:

    • sensitive claims (ISSC)
    • psychological services
    • clinical psychiatric services
    • sexual abuse assessment and treatment services (SAATs). 

    Assessment and therapy sessions can continue throughout COVID-19 for these services by Telehealth. This is only if you and your therapist agree that it's the right approach and that the services are consistent with what we can cover. If you have any questions related to ongoing treatment, contact your provider.

    Non-acute (elective) services are likely to be carried out as normal in those parts of the nation in the orange traffic light setting.

    Procedures are likely to be delayed or rescheduled for those regions in the red setting.

    You should contact your surgical service if you have any questions about your procedure.

    Our support for clients in vulnerable situations continues, as does making payments to clients and health providers. We’re also maintaining our lodgement and claims processes. To help you find a therapist, use the Find Support website.

    Find Support website

    If your care worker (attendant care, personal care and home help) is employed by an agency, the agency will manage the process to ensure workers are fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022.

    If your care worker is not employed by an agency, the obligation to be vaccinated will be their responsibility.

    Please note that an amendment to the Public Health Order came into effect on 8 November 2021. All family care and support workers are now required to have had their first COVID-19 vaccination by 15 November 2021, and their second vaccination by 1 January 2022.

    If you have any other non-urgent questions

    Contact your usual healthcare professional for health advice, or email us for claim advice, and we’ll respond within 1-2 working days.

    Email claims@acc.co.nz

    More COVID-19 information

    Keep up to date on general COVID-19 updates on the New Zealand Government website.

    Unite against COVID-19 website

    Keep up to date with COVID-19 health advice and information from the Ministry of Health.

    Ministry of Health COVID-19 advice and information

    Ministry of Health COVID-19 mandatory vaccination information 

    The NZ Spinal Trust has information and resources for people living with spinal cord injuries.

    Spinal Trust COVID-19 information

    Last published: 10 August 2023