A wife who lost her husband and her eldest son in the Christchurch terror attack on March 15 is chasing the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for claims relating to the tragedy.
A report by Stuff detailed the case of Ambreen Naeem, who is now trying to organise her life and prepare for the future. Naeem is looking to find out how much compensation she is eligible for and told the publication she had struggled to get answers from the ACC, and as of this writing, was still unsure.
The publication reported that Naeem and her two surviving sons had been living with a relative since the attacks. They have no plans of returning to their home believing a “new environment would be better for them.” Until she is updated regarding her claims, Naeem is unable to look for a new house to rent, because she doesn’t know how much she will be able to afford.
Naeem now has nothing, because her eldest son’s income combined with her husband’s earnings as a business teacher was all the family had. She reportedly said she is willing to return to work, but has just become a single parent to her five-year-old son.
“Going back to work would be neglectful for him,” she said. “We don’t want to be on benefits – for our self-esteem, it’s hurting. It’s not good for us.”
As of March 26, ACC said it had received fatal claims for all 50 deceased victims and a total of 94 injury claims, 53 of which involved gunshot wounds. It had also received 28 weekly compensation claims. Of those, 20 were completed, two were ineligible because they were receiving a benefit, and more information was being sought from six.
