Injury support · New Zealand

ACC support after an injury

Something happened. Tell us what changed, and we will show you what ACC may help with, what to check first, and what other New Zealand support may still matter.

You do not need ACC's legal names first. Start with what has changed. Official agencies still decide cover and any payment.

Private on your device
Official ACC sources
No automatic eligibility claims

This guide uses official ACC sources. It does not accept claims, calculate impairment, or replace ACC's decision process.

Tell us what has changed

We will ask about ACC cover first, then what has changed since the injury. The action plan only includes supports that match those facts.

Topic 1

What ACC can help with

ACC is New Zealand's no-fault injury scheme. It can help with treatment, income while you recover, help at home, travel, equipment, and some longer-term or family supports after a covered injury.

Treatment, rehabilitation, and some prescription costs for a covered injury
Weekly Compensation when you cannot do your usual work
Home help, personal care, travel, equipment, and return-to-work support after assessment

Topic 2

What to check first

Start with cover, then the change that is most urgent: income, treatment, or help at home. You do not need to know Independence Allowance or vocational rehabilitation first.

A health provider can usually lodge a claim
Accepted cover comes before most ACC services
Work and Income may still help with costs ACC does not cover

Topic 3

If ACC has accepted your claim

An accepted claim is the door to most ACC supports. The supports that matter still depend on what has changed — work, care, travel, or lasting effects.

Accepted cover is stronger than a lodged claim or a possible injury
Ask ACC which supports they can assess for your situation
Keep medical certificates and any receipts ACC asks for

Topic 4

If you cannot work

Weekly Compensation may replace part of eligible pre-injury earnings when ACC has accepted cover and you cannot do your usual job. MyEligible cannot calculate a payment.

Check ACC income support before Work and Income for injury-related lost earnings
Return-to-work support is a separate, ordered step after income is stable enough to plan
Loss of Potential Earnings is rare and only worth asking about if you were not yet established in work

Topic 5

Help at home

Home help is for housework and meals. Attendant care is for personal care. Prescription support is for injury-related medicine. Assessments are usually required.

Home help and attendant care solve different problems
Ask ACC for an assessment rather than assuming approval
Rongoā Māori may be funded as social rehabilitation for an accepted injury

Topic 6

Travel, equipment and home changes

ACC travel assistance is for injury-related treatment travel. Transport for Independence is about day-to-day getting around. Health New Zealand National Travel Assistance is a different scheme.

Do not treat ACC travel and National Travel Assistance as the same payment
Equipment and home modifications need assessment
MyEligible cannot say you qualify for a vehicle or home change

Topic 7

Lasting effects

If an injury may have lasting effects, ACC may later consider lump-sum compensation or Independence Allowance. These are different from Weekly Compensation. MyEligible cannot assess impairment.

Lasting-effect payments depend on ACC's impairment rules and injury date
Do not use this guide as a percentage estimate
Ask ACC whether an assessment is appropriate

Topic 8

If someone has died

After a fatal injury, ACC may have funeral, survivor, and childcare supports. The language here stays calm and practical. Other New Zealand bereavement support can sit alongside ACC.

Funeral and survivor supports are ACC decisions
Childcare payments may apply when children need care
You can also check the wider New Zealand checker for other family support

Topic 9

Treatment injury

Some injuries caused by treatment can be covered. The underlying illness is not automatically ACC. ACC and clinicians decide causation. This guide will not.

A registered health professional must have been treating you
A normal side-effect is not automatically a treatment injury
Ask the treating provider or ACC to assess cover

Topic 10

Visitors to New Zealand

ACC can apply to visitors injured in an accident in Aotearoa New Zealand. Support after you leave may differ. Travel insurance can still matter.

A health provider in New Zealand can usually lodge a claim
Cover and ongoing support can change if you return home
Keep travel insurance details as well as ACC information

Topic 11

Other support outside ACC

ACC comes first for injury-related income and injury-related services. Work and Income may still help with housing, essential costs, and a Community Services Card when ACC does not cover those costs.

Accommodation Supplement for rent, board, or mortgage costs
Temporary Additional Support when essential costs remain hard to meet
Community Services Card for some health costs ACC is not paying

New Zealand benefits checker
Check Work and Income, family, and housing supports alongside ACC.
Accommodation Supplement tool
Estimate housing support for costs ACC does not cover.
Help with health travel costs
National Travel Assistance is a different scheme from ACC travel help.
Support for carers
If you are caring for someone after an injury, carer support is a separate check.
Work and Income extra help
Housing, disability, and other Work and Income help that may sit beside ACC when ACC does not cover the cost.
Disability support that is not injury-related
Use this when the need did not start with an ACC-covered injury.
ACC: injuries we cover
Official information about what ACC can cover, including visitors and treatment injuries.

Common questions

Short answers from official ACC and Work and Income information. Confirm the details with the agency.

Does ACC cover visitors injured in New Zealand?

ACC's no-fault scheme can cover visitors injured in an accident in Aotearoa New Zealand. Support after you leave may differ, and travel insurance can still matter. Confirm details with ACC.

Is ordinary cancer an ACC claim?

Ordinary cancer illness is not automatically ACC. ACC may assess some gradual-process or work-related conditions. MyEligible does not treat a cancer diagnosis as accepted ACC cover.

What is a treatment injury?

ACC may cover a treatment injury when treatment by a registered health professional directly caused an injury that is not a normal side-effect. The underlying illness is not automatically covered.

Does ACC cover injuries during birth?

ACC may cover some listed maternal birth injuries that happened during labour or delivery on or after 1 October 2022. Pregnancy-related illness is not the same thing. Ask your midwife or doctor about lodging a claim.

How do I start an ACC claim?

See a doctor, physiotherapist, or other health provider first. They can lodge a claim. Claims are often made within 12 months of the injury. ACC may still consider later claims if there is a good reason.

How do ACC and Work and Income fit together?

Check ACC first for injury-related income and injury-related services. Work and Income may still help with housing, essential costs, family payments, and a Community Services Card when ACC does not cover those costs.

What is Weekly Compensation?

Weekly Compensation is ACC income support when you cannot do your usual work after a covered injury. ACC describes it as replacing part of eligible income. MyEligible cannot calculate your payment.

What if my claim is not accepted yet?

If a claim is lodged or you are not sure, ACC supports may become relevant if cover is accepted. Do not treat an accident or treatment need as accepted cover. Start with the claim and official ACC information.

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