Claims

ACC's Accredited Employers Programme: Claims Guide

ClaimsGateway

22 Oct 26

•

min read

ACC's Accredited Employers Programme lets large New Zealand employers take on ACC's role for their own staff's work injury claims. In return, they pay a lower levy. Accredited employers assess, manage and pay those claims for a set period, and must meet ACC's audit standards. Many use a third-party administrator. Changes from April 2025 tightened performance monitoring.

This article is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Check the current text of the code, standard or legislation, and take advice for your situation.

Key takeaways

Accredited employers step into ACC's shoes for work injury claims, managing and paying them for a set claim management period.
According to Insurance News, 459 employers were in the programme when changes were announced, covering 21% of New Zealand's workforce.
There are two plans: the Partnership Discount Plan and the Full Self-Cover Plan, which differ in who carries claims after the period ends.
From April 2025, ACC introduced a new performance monitoring model and an updated health and safety audit process.
Claims management, rehabilitation and records must meet ACC's audit standards, whether the employer runs claims in-house or through a provider.

What is the Accredited Employers Programme?

The Accredited Employers Programme, or AEP, is an ACC scheme in which approved employers manage their own employees' work injury claims instead of ACC. In return, they pay a reduced ACC levy. To join, an employer must show strong injury prevention, claims management and rehabilitation practices, and meet ACC's audit standards.

The programme moves ACC's role in work injury claims to the employer. Accredited employers decide cover, manage rehabilitation and pay entitlements, following the same rules ACC would. Injuries outside work stay with ACC as normal.

It is a large part of the system. According to Insurance News, 459 employers were in the programme when ACC announced its 2025 changes, covering 21% of New Zealand's workforce. As a result, a significant share of work injury claims in New Zealand are managed by employers rather than ACC itself.

What do accredited employers take on?

Accredited employers take on the assessment, management and cost of their employees' work injury claims for an agreed period. That includes deciding whether a claim is covered, arranging treatment and rehabilitation, paying weekly compensation and other entitlements, and supporting return to work. They must keep records ACC can audit.

There are two plans. Under the Partnership Discount Plan, the employer manages and meets claims for the claim management period. It then hands them back to ACC without further liability. Under the Full Self-Cover Plan, the employer pays ACC for the assessed ongoing liability of claims it hands back. In return, it gets a larger levy discount.

The claim management period is set in the programme's framework. The current framework allows up to four years after each cover period. ACC also added Partnership Discount Plan options for longer periods from April 2025. Employers should confirm the current terms with ACC.

How is the programme audited?

ACC audits accredited employers against its audit standards, covering both claims and injury management and workplace health and safety. Employers must meet at least the entry standard to join, and are reviewed regularly after that. From April 2025, ACC introduced an updated audit process, a certification option and a new performance monitoring model.

The 2025 changes aimed to raise consistency. According to Insurance News, ACC set out "improved assessment of claims and injury management". It also announced "an updated health and safety audit process and a new option of certification". ACC also said it would identify underperforming employers sooner, and remove them if poor performance continued.

For claims teams, the audit is about evidence. Each decision, entitlement payment and rehabilitation step should be recorded, with dates and reasons. Gaps in the file are what an audit finds.

How do accredited employers manage claims in practice?

Accredited employers manage claims either with their own injury management team or through a third-party administrator, often a specialist provider. Third-party providers are allowed, provided the employer stays directly involved in its claims. Either way, the employer remains responsible for decisions and for meeting ACC's standards.

An in-house team gives the employer direct control and close links with managers and workers. A third-party administrator, by contrast, brings specialist staff, systems and scale, which suits employers without a large injury management function.

Systems matter in both models. Claims must be recorded from notification, decisions documented, entitlements paid and reconciled, and rehabilitation tracked. ClaimsGateway (claimsgateway.com) builds cloud claims software for insurers, TPAs and self-insured organisations, handling injury and workers' compensation claims among others. The ClaimsGateway self-insured and mutuals page describes its approach.

ClaimsGateway suits employers and administrators that want injury claims in one configurable platform. A small employer with occasional claims is unlikely to need claims software, and may not suit the programme at all.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ACC Accredited Employers Programme?

The ACC Accredited Employers Programme lets approved New Zealand employers manage their own employees' work injury claims instead of ACC, in return for a lower ACC levy. Accredited employers assess cover, manage rehabilitation and pay entitlements for an agreed period, and must meet ACC's audit standards for claims, injury management and health and safety.

Who can become an accredited employer?

Employers that can show strong injury prevention, claims management and rehabilitation practices, sufficient financial strength, and the ability to meet ACC's audit standards can apply. In practice, the programme suits larger employers with enough staff and claims to justify managing them. ACC assesses each applicant before accreditation.

Do accredited employers manage their own claims?

Yes. Accredited employers take on ACC's role for their employees' work injury claims during the claim management period, deciding cover, arranging rehabilitation and paying entitlements. They can use a third-party administrator to do the work, but they remain responsible for the decisions and must stay directly involved.

Can a TPA manage ACC claims?

Yes. Accredited employers can use a third-party administrator or specialist provider to manage their work injury claims, provided the employer stays directly involved and the claims meet ACC's standards. The employer remains accountable to ACC for how claims are handled, so it needs clear reporting from the provider.

How is the programme audited?

ACC audits accredited employers against its audit standards for claims and injury management and for health and safety. From April 2025, ACC introduced an updated health and safety audit process, a certification option and a new performance monitoring model, with action against employers that keep underperforming.

About the author

ClaimsGateway builds cloud claims management software for insurers, underwriting agencies, brokers, TPAs and self-insured organisations in Australia and New Zealand. Every regulator figure in this article links to its source, and every vendor fact was checked on the vendor's own site on the date shown.