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WorkSafe sent eight-cent cheques to spouse of dead worker

WorkSafe B.C.’s new $100 million computer system continues to have serious problems, labour minister Murray Coell said yesterday during debate of his ministry's budget.

“There were a number of issues that WorkSafe were not happy with the introduction of the new system,” said Coell, responding to a question from New Democratic Party labour critic Raj Chouhan, according to Hansard. “It has taken probably the better part of three months to get to where they are now and, I suspect, a couple more months before it's functioning at 100 percent.”

The system is used to process payments to health care providers and injured workers. The Vancouver Sun reported in July that the problems with the system created by WorkSafe staff and the Irish company Curam Software were leading to delays but that WorkSafe hoped to have the problems resolved by August.

Chouhan said he'd had the opportunity to meet with WorkSafe B.C. CEO David Anderson about the issue. “We found out that a couple of serious mistakes were made,” he said. “One service provider who had a bill for a few dollars was sent a cheque for $1 million.”

In another case, a man or woman whose spouse had died was supposed to get a lump sum payment but “instead got only an eight-cent cheque,” Chouhan said. “That was repeated several times.”

Coell said the new system replaced about 20 older systems. “It was an upgrade that was needed to be done,” he said. “It had a not smooth start.”

WorkSafe has been providing information to service providers about the problems through its website.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.


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