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Each day, Jacob Hamlin measures his life in four-hour windows - the amount of time he can manage before his brain "stops working".
It has been this way since the 40-year-old father slipped on an icy path five years ago, hitting his head on the corner of a square post and suffering a concussion.
Chronic fatigue, brain fog and balance problems eventually cost him his job as a systems engineer for an aircraft software company, but despite experiencing ongoing symptoms, ACC stopped his weekly compensation in January.
"I received a letter saying they think I should be better by now, ending support, and that there must be a pre-existing condition causing my issues."
ACC says a neurologist reviewed his case and concluded his ongoing symptoms were due to his pre-existing conditions rather than his covered injury.
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Those conditions included ADHD, migraines and a potential sleep disorder, but Hamlin says these things had never stopped him from holding down a demanding job before his concussion, and losing weekly compensation has plunged his young family into hardship.
At the moment, he can only manage four "productive hours" a day, he says.
"When I do too much my brain stops working. I lose my balance. I get really confused. If I do something physical like mow the lawns, I can do an hour, then have to take an hour break."
After ACC cut him off, Hamlin got a second opinion that found his symptoms were from his concussion. An independent review overturned ACC's decision two months ago, but he was - until RNZ made enquiries - still waiting for his payments to resume.
"We've spent all our savings⦠we're just holding on until they pay us."
The new neuropsychological assessment suggested his symptoms might also be permanent, and he worried about his future in an ACC system he believed had become "more adversarial than rehabilitative".
"I feel like they're just denying everyone and seeing what sticks."
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Hamlin's story i
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