This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Official Information request 'ACC Claim validation framework: guide'.

 
23 July 2024 
 
 
Anon 
[FYI request #26965 email]  
 
 
 
Kia ora  
 
 
Your Official Information Act request, reference: GOV-032605 
Thank you for your emails of 24 May 2024, asking for the following information under the Official 
Information Act 1982 (the Act): 
 
1.  This is a request for a copy of each" Claim validation framework: guide" which were in effect from 
July 2021 to present.  I note that the guide available on your website (OIA response  GOV-029160 
(14 December 2023) included the guide that was archived in July 2021, and the current guide was 
not included in the response.
 
 
2.  Please also include with this request: 
•  Criteria for a cover decision to be considered made in error 
•  Criteria for determining that evidence is new 
•  Reasons a cover decision cannot be revoked 
•  ACC850 Decision rationale form 
•  Knowledge for Cover Assessors documents 
•  GUIDELINES Supporting the Diverse Needs of our Clients 
•  Clinical questions guide 
 
Our response  
I refer to ACC’s letter to you dated 21 June 2024 asking for your full name, confirmation of your identity 
and the reasons for your request. To date, we have not received a response to our letter.  
For the reasons set out below, ACC is declining your request: 
•  ACC has recently received a large number of closely related official information requests that also 
appear to be made by or on behalf of the same person. At least 20 requests were made from your 
account on FYI.org.nz to ACC in a short timeframe (between May and July 2024). Many of these 
were about the same topics. Other requests written in the same way, about the same topics as 
your requests, and sent around the same time, have been made from other anonymous FYI 
accounts. In total, there were at least 40 requests made to ACC in a short timeframe.  
 
•  These information requests require considerable expense and effort for ACC to respond to. ACC 
estimates that it is currently allocating more than the equivalent of one full time employee to 
respond to each of these requests separately, despite the fact that they seem closely related. It 
would likely require further effort to produce all of the information sought in each of these 
requests.  
 
•  This request seems to be one of these 40 related requests. Because you have not provided ACC 
with information asked for to confirm whether your request is one of many related requests, ACC 
has decided that your request is probably one of these many related requests. 
 
 
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•  The way that you, or people acting for you, appear to have asked for a wide range of information in 
many separate requests rather than include all questions in one request, interferes with ACC’s 
ability to determine whether and how it might be able to apply various provisions of the Official 
information Act to deal with your request. Those provisions relate to whether the requests taken as 
a whole require substantial collation or research so as to:  
o  allow ACC to decline some or all of the requests under s18(f) of the Act;  
o  consider combining your request with any other requests made by you under s18A(2) of 
the Act;  
o  fully to consider fixing a charge for providing the documents concerned under s15 and 
s18A(1) of the Act.  
 
•  Because your request appears to be part of a wider course of conduct making numerous official 
information requests in a way that prevents ACC from applying the parts of the Official Information 
Act that protect agencies from being put to unreasonable effort and expense in responding to 
official information requests, ACC considers that your request is frivolous or vexatious in terms of 
s18(h) of the Act. 
 
•  Your entire request is therefore refused.  
 
If ACC is wrong and your request is not one among many related requests then please let me know 
urgently, or if you prefer, take the issue to the Ombudsman in the way set out at the end of this message. 
 
ACC sought the same information from each of the requestors in as many of the related requests as it has 
been able to identify and has not received information from any of them to allow it to work out how to 
consider and respond to the requests in the way required by the Act. 
 
If you are not happy with this response 
You can also contact the Ombudsman via [email address] or by phoning 0800 802 602. 
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. 
 
 
Ngā mihi 
 
 
 
Christopher Johnston 
Manager Official Information Act Services 
Government Engagement 
 
 
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