ACC's 'offensive' email

Louise Johansen and her late husband Kurt Johansen. Photo / Supplied

An ACC staff member has been censured for what the corporation calls an "utterly unacceptable" and "deeply offensive" email to a grieving widow.

The ACC case manager sent a tetchy email to Louise Johansen - barely a week after her husband had died - which said: "Just so you know ... I am not God and therefore I do not determine when people live or die."

The email followed a bitter dispute between ACC and the couple over her husband Kurt's entitlements - a dispute that Louise Mrs Johansen says killed her husband.

The government minister responsible for ACC, Nick Smith, has ordered a report into the case.

Kurt Johansen, 63, a former fire service worker, died of a heart attack on November 23 after getting off the phone with ACC discussing his case manager, complaining of bungles that were causing him stress.

A letter from Johansen's doctor, Peter Cunningham, linked his stress over ACC with the heart attack: "With the subsequent cashflow problems, he was under considerable stress financially. This may have been an influential factor in the development of myocardial infarction."

A week after his death, the case manager emailed Louise Johansen, in response to a query over her dead husband's entitlements. The case manager said: "I am not God, and therefore I do not determine when people live or die." She went on: "I am sorry for your loss."

Internal ACC file notes show an ACC manager describing the email as utterly unacceptable and deeply offensive. The notes say Mrs Johansen had been very offended and distraught. The manager said ACC had apologised profusely about the email.

ACC spokesman Laurie Edwards said the staff member had been censured but not dismissed over her conduct.

Mr Smith said he was unfamiliar with the case but noted: "In a death of this sort it's very difficult to connect cause and effect."

Nevertheless, Smith said the email was inappropriate and he would be seeking answers when he returned to work. Louise Johansen is demanding justice for her husband: "I want to see his wrongful death righted."

Kurt Johansen had been wheelchair-bound since a car accident in 1965 that killed both other occupants.

He worked for the fire service on the North Shore for 20 years, manning the communication centre and maintaining fire crew breathing apparatus. In his spare time he designed the Hy-Way elevating wheelchair.

He suffered an injury at work in 1989 and was forced to leave his job in 1991. He subsequently received earnings-related payments from ACC.

Louise Johansen said the appointment of a new case manager in August had resulted in missed payments and a cut in support hours. She said these ACC errors had led to banking penalties and distress.

On the day of his death, Kurt Johansen called ACC complaining about the errors. "I heard him say 'I can't take the stress any more - how many times do I have to say that?"'

According to his wife, he complained of distress after hanging up the phone and said: "I'm so wound up, feel my pulse. It's happening again, every time I talk to them." He went into cardiac arrest within minutes, she said.

"His hands went up, he went back in his chair, he leaned to one side, his eyes rolled back in his head and he started gasping."

Efforts to revive Johansen by neighbours and ambulance staff were unsuccessful.

ACC spokesman Laurie Edwards acknowledged failures, but denied any responsibly for the death.

"I don't think we've helped the broader situation, and I understand Louise is upset, but I'm not sure that it'd be fair to say that ACC caused her husband's death."

The Labour Party and the Greens say a culture of meanness has taken over at ACC.

"The timing of Kurt's problem coincides with the Government's decision to make it tougher for people to get ACC," said Labour leader Phil Goff.

"The minster and ACC both owe an explanation and an apology for the difficulties Louise and her late husband suffered."

Smith said ACC's significant losses were being managed by increasing levies and reducing entitlements.

But Edwards said there's absolutely no razor gang. "What we are doing is making sure people get what they're entitled to - and only what they're entitled to."

Louise Johansen, who had been married to Kurt for 42 years, is selling her Warkworth home because she cannot meet mortgage payments on the widow's benefit.

"I'm not eating, I buy enough so the dog gets fed - I've lost a stone since Kurt died."

She wanted accountability: "It's not about making money from my husband's death."

Edwards said ACC was sorry: "Our sympathies are with Louise, and this is a difficult time she's going through. We apologise for the part we played in making these difficulties worse."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY