EQC report: Incompetence, dysfunction and arrogance - people's experiences laid bare

Thursday, 9 April 2020

Submissions to the public inquiry into the Earthquake Commission (EQC) have painted a picture of an insurer beset by incompetence, dysfunction and arrogance.

Independent inquiry chair Dame Silvia Cartwright's report on her findings, tabled in Parliament on Thursday, was accompanied by a summary of the hundreds of submissions by homeowners and former EQC staff.

'I found it humbling that people were willing to speak so candidly, to pour their hearts out to me, sometimes in tears or struggling to get the words out, and sometimes still angry,' Cartwright's report said.

She noted that while submitters formed a small proportion of EQC claimants and most comments were negative, 'clear and consistent themes' had emerged.

'… I believe the feedback as a whole carries sufficient weight that it cannot be ignored' she said. 'It is impossible not to be moved by some of the stories I have heard and read.'

**READ MORE:

* EQC inquiry into handling of Christchurch earthquake claims wraps up

* Public submissions on EQC's performance critical of 'difficult' agency

* A chance to make sure things are better next time

* EQC inquiry hears calls for more empathy, transparency and expertise**

The inquiry received almost 1000 written submissions from both individuals and groups, and heard feedback face-to-face at 18 public forums.

TOLL ON HEALTH

Some homeowners described the toll their EQC experience took on their mental and physical health.

'The earthquake didn't break me. EQC almost did,' one homeowner told the inquiry.

Many reported suffering high stress levels, with effects including coming close to mental breakdown', feeling suicidal, and developing post-traumatic stress disorder.

'I was angry and emotionally exhausted with the EQC battle which meant I just couldn't deal with my own children at times …' one said.

* Did you share your EQC experience with the inquiry? Get in touch with michael.hayward@stuff.co.nz

Others listed the physical effects of living in quake-damaged homes such as developing asthma for the first time, a child with croup in a leaky damp home, and serious injury from twice tripping on cracked floor slabs.

Some submitters listed by EQC as vulnerable claimants to be prioritised told the inquiry they were happy with their claim process.

But others were not, including one family who said they were removed from the vulnerable list despite having two asthmatic children in a flooding and damp home.

A law firm's submission said EQC's processes for dealing with vulnerable customers were 'dysfunctional and not fit for purpose'.

'It appeared that, if EQC had a system to prioritise and/or fast track these urgent cases, the system had failed totally,' the law firm said.

HOMEOWNERS PAY THE PRICE 

Financial effects from delayed settlements and poorly repaired homes included retirement savings drained to fund repairs and lawyers, or having to extend mortgages.

Several reported settling for tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands less than they should have after feeling worn out by battling the organisation.

'We have spent tens of thousands on repairs ourselves when we paid an EQC levy, we are an honest hard-working family left disappointed with the system,' one homeowner said.

'A terrible prospect of little money in retirement,' said another.

One said they 'did not have the energy to fight for a fair settlement and (we) know we were taken advantage of.'

A number of people spoke of feeling 'powerless', 'hopeless'  and not in control of their situations. A few people said their experience affected their ability to start a family or make other life choices.

'I can never be compensated for what EQC put me through, hundreds of hours on the phone, writing emails, sleepless nights, anxiety to the point of complete hopelessness, they stole a huge part of my life,' a homeowner told the inquiry.

INSIDE EQC: STAFF, ASSESSORS WITHOUT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE

A former EQC staff member said the insurer's original plan was 'effectively thrown out in favour of quick muddled inspections.'

One said they were 'constantly astonished' that there were few or no plans, and others gave examples of an inefficient claims management processes.

'There were no SOPs (standard operating procedures), no manuals and the training was piffling – grossly inadequate to say the least,' said one former staffer.

Homeowners told the inquiry that EQC seemed ill-prepared and its leadership was inadequate to gear up for the Canterbury quake claims.

One submission noted EQC 'grew quickly, didn't invest in training, and sent people with limited skills to assess houses, which in some cases were not even liveable.'

Submitters said staff recruited after the quakes should have had technical knowledge and good communication skills. Assessors had included council officials, salesmen, former police officers, a retired accountant and a minister of religion.

Former EQC employees said they did not have the information they needed to help customers, and were left to repeatedly provide 'very vague information' . They said call centre staff with 'little or no claims or EQC knowledge' were dealing with claimants. 

QUANTITY OVER QUALITY 

Former staff of both EQC and its repair partner Fletcher said the assessment emphasis was on quantity, not quality, and assessors were sometimes required to complete five jobs per day.

A former staff said EQC should not have tried to 'save money by doing things poorly and cheaply' and 'there needed to be a culture of 'do it once and do it right'.'

A Member of Parliament who made a submission recognised that assessors and claims handlers they dealt with while helping constituents were 'working very hard in an under-resourced environment'.

'However it is accurate to say that in some cases they were condescending and obstructive,' the MP told the inquiry.

Some homeowners thought claims should have been assessed and triaged, with the worst cases tackled first. Many commented on how badly their information was stored and handled, how poor the communication process was, and that they should have been able to learn what stage their claim was at.

A number of people expressed surprise EQC did not foresee and plan for some of the issues that arose following the Canterbury earthquakes, or run test cases in the courts as soon as issues became apparent.

HOMEOWNERS PASSED AROUND STAFF

On their experience dealing with EQC staff, homeowners said they became frustrated dealing with different staff. 'Each time I would have to explain the same stuff again which was time consuming, stressful and frustrating', said one.

'The call centre people would not give their surname or a direct phone number with the ability for me to contact or talk with them again – I was only looking for some consistency.'

Several submissions expressed concern about claimants being 'red flagged' as difficult, which changed their dealings with EQC.

A minority of submitters to the inquiry said in all their dealings EQC staff had been polite, professional and helpful.

Cartwright's report from her inquiry contains a list of recommendations which the Government will consider.

As of the start of February, EQC had 1750 open claims from the Canterbury earthquakes, of which 12 per cent are subject to dispute. Claims for homes needing re-repairs are still being received.

 Another 420 open claims are awaiting settlement under the Government support package for on-sold over-cap properties.