Woman sentenced for $200,000 ACC fraud

File photo / NZ Herald

A woman who defrauded ACC of more than $200,000 has been sentenced to 11 months' home detention, the corporation says.

Wainuiomata woman Matekino Kine Chambers, 63, was handed the sentence yesterday in Hutt Valley District Court for eight charges of using a document for pecuniary advantage, ACC said.

The offending involved Chambers repeatedly misleading ACC about her relationship status so she could claim weekly compensation payments meant for a single surviving spouse of someone who died as a result of an injury

The payment is available until age 65, or until someone changes their marital status.

ACC said an investigation revealed Chambers continued to claim the payments, despite being in a de facto relationship for about 16 years.

Payments to Chambers were stopped in November 2012, ACC said.

By then, she had wrongly received $209,915.66.

ACC's general manager of claims management Sid Miller said it was disappointing when people rorted the system for financial gain.

"ACC collects levies to help people with genuine injury-related needs. Ms Chambers' offending therefore amounts to theft from honest, hard-working New Zealanders."

Chambers also admitted she had been living with a new partner during a meeting in December 2012 with ACC staff, the corporation said.