Illawarra men and women are among the 90 former police officers still waiting for news on whether they will receive their insurance payouts – and some say they are about to give up. ‘‘I’ve heard nothing from them for months, so my case can’t even be close to being settled, they do it just to break us,’’ a Wollongong former officer said this week. ‘‘They want us to just throw in the towel. I probably will, so they win. I’ve been followed, been made to feel like a criminal for years and ironically there’s nothing they can get on those surveillance shots to show whether or not I’m coping mentally. I’ve had it, I don’t care any more.’’ MetLife has come under fire for its aggressive, relentless surveillance methods when dealing with mentally ill former police officers waiting for determinations of their total and permanent disability claims. Hundreds of injured police, including many from the Illawarra, had claims with the global insurer when it lost its government contract in 2012. Some have waited up to four years to have their claims determined. A spokeswoman for NSW Police Minister Troy Grant told the Mercury this week the government had negotiated with MetLife and the First State Superannuation Trustee Corporation to expedite the processing of claims. ‘‘This has resulted in the number of outstanding claims steadily reducing from around 260 in June 2014 to 90 in March 2015,’’ the spokeswoman said. ‘‘The NSW government shares the concerns about injured officers and the reported delay with their claims. This government is working hard with the NSW Police Force to support officers, to avoid both psychological and physical injury.’’ But the news has done little to appease The Forgotten 300, a support group for ex-police hurt on duty and their families. ‘‘First State Super and MetLife are still in the courts, arguing over who is going to pay who, it’s a joke,’’ administrator Berrick Boland said. ‘‘I hear all the horror stories of current and former cops every day on this site, they are horrendous and sickening,’’ he said. ‘‘I have at least on four occasions, emailed Mr Grant for a meeting to inform and discuss the mental health nightmares our former police and members of The Forgotten 300 are experiencing with the private insurance scheme. ‘‘They are continually being surveyed and claims stalled at every opportunity.’’ Mr Boland said that in some cases ‘‘the continued abuse of the private insurers is pushing people to the brink of suicide’’. ‘‘Our membership of over 38,000 would expect the minister, a former NSW police inspector who himself has been hurt on duty, would be more mindful and sympathetic to the inadequacies of health care.’’ Mr Grant said the government had committed $17.1 million over four years to expand support for NSW Police by investing in the Police Force Wellbeing program. This was on top of funds the NSW Police Force already committed to work, health and safety programs, the minister’s spokeswoman said. “The Workforce Improvement Program is now a comprehensive program offering health services, education programs and strategy initiatives. ‘‘It has a balanced focus on both psychological and physiological wellbeing, and the cross over between the two. ‘‘This new funding will enhance successful services, including mobile nursing health checks, in-house intensive physiotherapy services and extra injury and case management staff.’’ Mr Boland said the minister’s resources and attention should be directed to current injured serving and former police and ‘‘not some future potential propaganda scheme’’. ‘‘The damage is happening now and has been since the inception of the NSW Police,’’ he said. ‘‘That template response you and I received from Grant’s office ... it’s a standard format they are supplying to all media or anyone who asks.’’ Earlier this year Greens MP David Shoebridge called for a parliamentary inquiry to review the treatment of psychologically injured police officers. The Greens police spokesman said there was a ‘‘clear need’’ for a fully resourced and multi-party inquiry to scrutinise the treatment of injured police and reform legal, medical and internal policing arrangements. I’m one of the 90! It’s a joke! It’s been nearly five years. They stalked me whilst I was eight months pregnant - which is not a good thing for a person suffering anxiety, PTSD & heavily pregnant. Their tactics are disgraceful! Five years since leaving the job, constant surveillance, following my husband and daughter, continually being told that your case is in the next management meeting and yet no contact from MetLife. They are disgusting. Disgrace ... help our Police live the life they deserve, they are not criminal, they are ill. Their injuries are caused whilst serving the community of NSW... help them NOW ... Don’t make them sicker!! Yeah right, down to 90 outstanding claims! I’ll bet they’re declining a bunch of them, that’s how MetLife are getting the numbers of claims down. When they announce the numbers are zero, there will be a bunch of claims still proceeding through and being determined by the Supreme Court. The [Police] Association has a lot to answer for by not stepping in on behalf of claimants. My TPD claim has been going for over four years now. They just keep coming up with excuses to delay an outcome. I feel as if I’ve done something wrong and I’m the criminal here. My claim is still outstanding and I can’t see it being resolved any time soon.
Illawarra men and women are among the 90 former police officers still waiting for news on whether they will receive their insurance payouts – and some say they are about to give up.
‘‘I’ve heard nothing from them for months, so my case can’t even be close to being settled, they do it just to break us,’’ a Wollongong former officer said this week.
‘‘They want us to just throw in the towel. I probably will, so they win. I’ve been followed, been made to feel like a criminal for years and ironically there’s nothing they can get on those surveillance shots to show whether or not I’m coping mentally. I’ve had it, I don’t care any more.’’
MetLife has come under fire for its aggressive, relentless surveillance methods when dealing with mentally ill former police officers waiting for determinations of their total and permanent disability claims.
Hundreds of injured police, including many from the Illawarra, had claims with the global insurer when it lost its government contract in 2012. Some have waited up to four years to have their claims determined.
A spokeswoman for NSW Police Minister Troy Grant told the Mercury this week the government had negotiated with MetLife and the First State Superannuation Trustee Corporation to expedite the processing of claims.
‘‘This has resulted in the number of outstanding claims steadily reducing from around 260 in June 2014 to 90 in March 2015,’’ the spokeswoman said.
‘‘The NSW government shares the concerns about injured officers and the reported delay with their claims. This government is working hard with the NSW Police Force to support officers, to avoid both psychological and physical injury.’’
But the news has done little to appease The Forgotten 300, a support group for ex-police hurt on duty and their families.
‘‘First State Super and MetLife are still in the courts, arguing over who is going to pay who, it’s a joke,’’ administrator Berrick Boland said.
‘‘I hear all the horror stories of current and former cops every day on this site, they are horrendous and sickening,’’ he said.
‘‘I have at least on four occasions, emailed Mr Grant for a meeting to inform and discuss the mental health nightmares our former police and members of The Forgotten 300 are experiencing with the private insurance scheme.
‘‘They are continually being surveyed and claims stalled at every opportunity.’’
Mr Boland said that in some cases ‘‘the continued abuse of the private insurers is pushing people to the brink of suicide’’.
‘‘Our membership of over 38,000 would expect the minister, a former NSW police inspector who himself has been hurt on duty, would be more mindful and sympathetic to the inadequacies of health care.’’
Mr Grant said the government had committed $17.1 million over four years to expand support for NSW Police by investing in the Police Force Wellbeing program.
This was on top of funds the NSW Police Force already committed to work, health and safety programs, the minister’s spokeswoman said.
“The Workforce Improvement Program is now a comprehensive program offering health services, education programs and strategy initiatives.
‘‘It has a balanced focus on both psychological and physiological wellbeing, and the cross over between the two.
‘‘This new funding will enhance successful services, including mobile nursing health checks, in-house intensive physiotherapy services and extra injury and case management staff.’’
Mr Boland said the minister’s resources and attention should be directed to current injured serving and former police and ‘‘not some future potential propaganda scheme’’.
‘‘The damage is happening now and has been since the inception of the NSW Police,’’ he said.
‘‘That template response you and I received from Grant’s office ... it’s a standard format they are supplying to all media or anyone who asks.’’
Earlier this year Greens MP David Shoebridge called for a parliamentary inquiry to review the treatment of psychologically injured police officers.
The Greens police spokesman said there was a ‘‘clear need’’ for a fully resourced and multi-party inquiry to scrutinise the treatment of injured police and reform legal, medical and internal policing arrangements.
I’m one of the 90! It’s a joke! It’s been nearly five years. They stalked me whilst I was eight months pregnant - which is not a good thing for a person suffering anxiety, PTSD & heavily pregnant. Their tactics are disgraceful!
Five years since leaving the job, constant surveillance, following my husband and daughter, continually being told that your case is in the next management meeting and yet no contact from MetLife. They are disgusting.
Disgrace ... help our Police live the life they deserve, they are not criminal, they are ill. Their injuries are caused whilst serving the community of NSW... help them NOW ... Don’t make them sicker!!
Yeah right, down to 90 outstanding claims! I’ll bet they’re declining a bunch of them, that’s how MetLife are getting the numbers of claims down. When they announce the numbers are zero, there will be a bunch of claims still proceeding through and being determined by the Supreme Court. The [Police] Association has a lot to answer for by not stepping in on behalf of claimants.
My TPD claim has been going for over four years now. They just keep coming up with excuses to delay an outcome. I feel as if I’ve done something wrong and I’m the criminal here.
My claim is still outstanding and I can’t see it being resolved any time soon.
