This topic may bring up a range of emotions. We have some suggestions of help and support that is available to you.
In December 2023, the Court of Appeal issued a ruling in the ACC v TN case, clarifying when survivors of sexual abuse can qualify for financial entitlements (payments of money) if they cannot work or study, or have a permanent impairment ( for example, permanent injury/disability).
The court ruled that survivors who suffer a mental injury from sexual abuse and have had ACC accept a sensitive claim, are eligible for financial support based on the date they suffered their mental injury - rather than the date they first received treatment for the mental injury.
This significantly changes how much compensation a survivor can receive. Children and young people in the care of State, faith-based or other organisations, were unlikely to receive treatment for mental injury caused by sexual abuse until decades later.
If you are unable to work because you were sexually abused or assaulted as a child, you may be eligible to receive LOPE from when you turned 18, even if ACC previously declined your request.
Contact ACC if you think you might be eligible for LOPE:
If you have made a sensitive claim recently and are waiting for a decision on whether you can get financial support from ACC, they may ask you to be reassessed for a different type of financial entitlement if your mental injury happened before you turned 18.
Someone from ACC will contact you if you need to be reassessed for this reason, to explain the process to you.
The court decision does not affect whether someone can get cover or access to treatment.
Learn more about making a claim with ACC as a survivor of abuse in care.