NDIA Accountability Project

Difficulty obtaining refunds for unforeseen expenses under NDIS plan reviews

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Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme

PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600

SUBMISSION:

I am the mother of a 22 year old daughter, who received her first NDIS plan in December 2018. Since then I have had to have TWO reviews in February 2019. The third plan was within a week of the second plan as the second didn’t do what I wanted it to do.

There needs to be an easier way to deal with ‘one offs’ or unforeseen matters not having been allowed for in an existing plan, and also a way to use non-registered NDIA suppliers when the Plan is NDIA managed.

A review of a Plan to allow for something not included in the original Plan (ie a ‘one o ff’) SHOULD NOT result in a whole new plan - this is farcical.

I don’t believe there should be three options of management of a plan, ie NDIA Managed, Plan Managed, or Self Managed. I don’t believe Self Managed should even exist as this results in fraudulent activity. Plan Management only means more cost to the system.

I understood one aspect of the NDIS was to cut out all the ‘middle men’ and waste of money. Prior to NDIS, for me, there was a Government Funding Body, my Case Manager and a Service Provider.

Now, with the NDIS, I have the NDIA (Head), my local NDIA office (Berwick), my Local Area Co- Ordinator (Latrobe Community Health in Narre Warren), my Support Co-Ordinator (Windermere) than my Service Provider. There are just too many MORE agencies now and too much wasted money. Pre NDIS, there was a smaller system that was just underfunded. All that needed to be done then was fund it! So much money has been wasted on setting up this new ‘system’ that could have been put into just funding people with a disability direct.

There is SO MUCH money wasted with this current system.

The Commission needs to change the way ‘Reviews’ take place so that a whole new Plan is not created which causes all existing service agreements to be cancelled.

The Commission should allow for ‘one o ff’ items using non-ndia registered providers, even if the Plan is NDIA managed. Not all suppliers in every circumstance will be NDIA registered, ie in my case I needed a $230 refund as the power supply to my daughter’s intercom needed replacing and the service technician of course was not NDIS registered (this was an unforeseen expense when setting up original plan) . This NEEDS TO BE ALLOWED. The system should not be that difficult and e so much headache as to cancel a whole plan, and several service agreements (7 in my case) to be cancelled, just for a mere $230 refund. This is ridiculous.

If self managing is to remain

If self managing is to remain, it should be easier to have access to self management without setting aside certain amounts for it, or it be one or the other. Eg having $5,000 allocated to consumables, it should be this can either be NDIA managed or self managed, without setting aside an amount for each.

So, in the case of my needing a $230 refund, I should be able to do that even if I am NDIA managed WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A REVIEW. Also, as an example, if I find that K-Mart sold a particular waterproof bedding product which I like more (and is even cheaper!), I should be able to purchase this even if I am NDIA managed and get a refund. I shouldn’t have to guess what products or unforeseen things I might need for during a plan period and know how much money I need to allocate to self management.

I shouldn’t have to waste my time self managing my daughter’s affairs, but I also shouldn’t have the headache of only using NDIA registered providers if I choose to be NDIA managed.

I am aware there is the other option of being plan managed, but again I think this is a total waste of funding for the NDIA to have to allocate funding for a plan manager as well, and another headache for me having to deal with yet another agency!

Transport is another matter that is severely underfunded. My daughter has to use a taxi for transport and the current level of funding for transport doesn’t even cover half of that cost. I should also be able to use my core funding for transport if the current level of transport funding is inadequate.

The NDIA requiring assessments from providers is also a waste of resources. has been seeing an orthotist most of her life. She currently needs new foot orthotics. Th as mentioned to my Planner, but was not specifically allocated for in Plan. This resulted in NDIA demanding an assessment, which they then had to fun is cost the NDIA more money than necessary as the details were already provided at the Planning meeting.

I can appreciate the need for assessment to cover fraudulent people, but I am sick of systems being made difficult for the majority of us doing the right thing.

So I would like the Commission to consider the following:

  • ALL PLANS are NDIA managed, with the flexibility to allow for using non-registered service providers if it is necessary.

  • Self managing certain aspects of a plan should be allowed without the need to set aside specific amounts. That is; I can be NDIA managed but be allowed to get refunded unforeseen or ‘one off’ payments if I have to use unregistered service providers, or purchase products from shops.

  • A review of a plan should not result in a whole new plan, but just the review item added to the existing plan.

  • Unforeseen items or ’one o ff’s should be allowed for in a plan without creating the need for a review (as in the current practice of reviews that creates a whole new plan and cancels everything already in place with existing service providers and service agreements).

I thank you for your consideration.