'Revolting' inaction: Survivor ignored after abuse victim compensation issue discovered

Roger Allison prompted an inquiry last year about compensating people who cannot work due to injuries such as PTSD. But the Government won't say what if any progress has been made. Photo / Supplied

An abuse survivor says he's heard nothing from officials almost a year after a Government pledge to look into compensation loopholes.

After Roger Allison and the Herald made inquiries last year, it became clear 2000 people including abuse survivors could be victims of the ACC compensation oversight.

Allison made contact with ACC 18 years ago about abuse he suffered as a boy.

One claim was lodged about five days before he started a new job. He was told that meant he couldn't receive compensation for lost earnings.

The upshot was Allison was not deemed an "earner" when injured, with the injury defined as the point he lodged a claim.

ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni investigated the matter late last year and made inquiries about changing eligibility from injury date to incapacity date.

Sepuloni told Allison's local MP, National's Simeon Brown, the policy had impacted between 1000 to 2000 people every year.

The Herald this week asked what was happening with the case, what work the minister had done on the issue since last year, and what she said to people in Allison's situation.

Sepuloni's office on Thursday just said work on the issue was ongoing.

Allison this week said he'd heard nothing back, even though almost a year had passed.

"It's not acceptable under the circumstances if something's been identified that needs to be fixed."

Before untangling the compensation issue, Allison spoke out in court when child molester and 1980s paedophile ring member Wayne Moonie was jailed.

One of the abusers, now dead, was linked to Dilworth School, where historical sex abuse led to the Operation Beverly investigation and numerous arrests and convictions.

Brown on Thursday said given the passage of time and Sepuloni previously saying she'd asked officials to investigate, it was surprising nothing more seemed to have been done.

"It's pretty unacceptable. He's been incredibly vulnerable ... The minister made it clear she was going to do some work, or instruct officials to do some work."

Brown said Allison should be commended for bravery in going public with his story.

"There are many others who are suffering in silence."

He added: "Surely by now there'd be some preliminary work done [at least] to give them a strong indication about whether something can be done."

Independent volunteer victim advocate Ruth Money was in touch with Allison and aware of compensation issues affecting survivors.

She said the lack of correspondence or any apparent action was appalling.

"It's just a complete lack of insight and also a complete lack of respect for what a survivor's journey is," she said. "I just don't have any words for how revolting it is."

She said officials were well aware of compensation issues affecting survivors after the Herald and other media highlighted the problems over the past year.

"Every day feels like a year for them. It's just not a victim-centric response. If you say you're going to look into something and get back to someone, they're thinking in weeks, not months."

She said deeming someone ineligible for compensation because they weren't an "earner" at the time they suffered a traumatic incident was absurd.

"I probably get contacted weekly by survivors who just can't comprehend it," she added. "People quite rightly can't understand that because it doesn't make sense."

Money said officials were engaging in behaviour "worse than stonewalling" for Allison.

"He is being punished. It's not just Roger, People are punished for being proactive with ACC."

Money said survivors in situations akin to Allison's started every day hoping to get good news, but ended up getting disappointed.

"It's a f****** joke."

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