Ross
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‘Always about cost cutting.’
Ross, late 50s, has cerebral palsy and double-scoliosis. He is mobile and independent, lives in a semidetached house next to a family member, drives his own car and self-manages his NDIS fund. He’s had a diverse and successful career in IT, health and rehabilitation.
Ross told the Royal Commission he applied to the NDIS a couple of years ago because of his declining health.
He said it took seven months for his application to be approved, and since then he has been through three separate review processes. In six months, he’s had four plans. He has found the process highly bureaucratic, opaque and lacking any accountability.
‘I've dealt with bureaucracy before, but this is taking it to the next level.’
During the application and review process, Ross has had to provide large amounts of personal information to anonymous people, and wait arbitrary amounts of time only for someone suddenly to tell him the information is inadequate and he needs to provide more. When he asks what information they need, they tell him he needs to determine this. ‘The goalposts keep moving,’ he said.
Ross has had to personally pay for two advocates, upgrade his computer on three occasions and maintain overly meticulous records to navigate ‘the most bureaucratic system’ he says he’s ever encountered. He has had to save more than 400 emails because the NDIA often deny stating something until he sends them proof of what they said.
Recently Ross requested a therapeutic chair. A staff member telephoned him to ask if she could look at his plan. He said ‘yes’ and she ended the call.
A week later Ross received a new plan. The plan was for three years instead of 12 months, but cut his funding by $43,000.
‘When you get the email, you don't get a new 1800 contact number. You don't get the email receipt. You only get the first name. You don't get a surname. So, then you ring up this 1800 number and say, "Look, this happened. Why has it happened?" And the answer always is, “If you have any issues with your plan, you have to go to an internal review.”’
Ross requested a plan review. The NDIA sent a single page letter which was identical to the original decision. ‘It was purely a cut and paste,’ Ross said. They did not answer his questions or address his issues.
Ross believes the NDIA is either incompetent or purposely amended his plan to save money.
Ross is also concerned about the cost of NDIS approved services. His regular physiotherapist charges $60 per hour whereas an NDIS physiotherapist charges $200 per hour. Occupational therapy (OT) reports, generally cost around $2000, and in his educated opinion are poor quality. Often NDIS OTs are not qualified in many areas of disability. He has been with two OTs who have had to search cerebral palsy online for a basic understanding.
Ross’s next step is to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review, but he is concerned the NDIA might make further cuts to his plan.
‘People who are making these decisions have zero accountability, none. They make life-changing decisions and there's no accountability for it.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.