If you are over 65 years old and have a pre-existing injury you will not be eligible for income compensation for the time off to fix the injury. This is despite the fact that you are still paying full ACC levies on your income.
Don’t be fooled if you have a CPX ‘agreed cover policy’ as the eligibility restriction applies irrespective of the type of ACC policy you have. Generally, income compensation is based on the type of policy you held ‘at the time of the accident’, so changing the type of policy later may not give the level of compensation expected.
For the over 63’s that have a new injury, the income compensation period is restricted to two years. Similarly, if you have a new injury when you are over 65, you can receive both ACC and your superannuation for the injury period for up to 2 years.
The message is clear that if you have been working and are waiting for retirement to fix an old injury then make sure that it is ‘fixed’ before you turn 65 (preferably 63).
Also, if you are eligible for ACC and your partner is receiving income tested superannuation then their superannuation payments could be reduced for the year. Those receiving compensation from death or injury will not be affected by NZ Super eligibility.
As always, we are pleased to assist with ensuring you receive the correct compensation.
