8 Jul 2017

Call for investigation into overpaid EQC claims

8:00 am on 8 July 2017

The Earthquake Commission has overpaid some claimants, but says it will not be trying to get its money back.

Labour MP Megan Woods during caucas run April 2015.

Labour MP Megan Woods Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

The commission would not say how many claimants got more money than they were entitled to, but that the number was small.

It said the government had made it clear it had no appetite for the national insurer to try to get money back from people already badly affected by the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.

Wigram MP Megan Woods from the Labour Party said there should be an investigation into how the mistakes were made.

"We need to get to the bottom of why this happened. Does this coincide witht eh downsizing of staff in Christchurch which we always maintained was too early," she said.

"And was it at the point where EQC were frankly bullying people into cash settling, rather than getting their homes repaired through the managed repairs program.

"So I think there's some important questions that need to be delved into around this story."

Ms Woods called for a Royal Commission into the Earthquake Commission's performance.

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