Psychics and crystal healing: NDIS claims revealed

A range of ‘alternative therapies’ are being offered to those on the NDIS contributing to the huge blow out of the $36bn annual bill.

A News Corp investigation has found multiple businesses – some of which have been officially registered on the NDIS and audited – are providing a whole range of alternative therapies, funded by the taxpayer.

Psychic healing, tarot cards, sound baths and crystal wand making are being offered to people on the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The treatments range in cost but contribute to the annual $35.8 billion NDIS bill.

A News Corp investigation has found multiple businesses – some of which have been officially registered on the NDIS and audited – are providing a whole range of alternative therapies, funded by the taxpayer.

Many of these treatments are provided under the category of Innovative Community Participation, which has no price limits on what people can charge.

The NDIS guidelines state services provided have to be “reasonable and necessary”, related to someone’s disability, represent value for money and must be likely to be effective and work for the participant.

But there’s no definitive list of which therapies are allowed and which ones are not, leaving it open to interpretation.

One sector insider, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s basically a pub test and no-one is checking”.

NDIS annual bill cost $$35.8 billion.

A psychic medium, who offers NDIS clients “a new pathway to wellness through a variety of spiritual care services” said she has done everything by the book.

She paid $3000 through a third party to help her register as an NDIS provider and passed an audit, which cost her a further $850.

And, she has employed a company to do all her NDIS admin, because she doesn’t want to “get anything wrong”.

She said as a qualified holistic counsellor she uses a combination of psychic healing, tarot cards, crystals, runes, chakra, meditation and role play to help her NDIS clients, at a charge of $95 an hour.

She said someone made a complaint about her in December after seeing one of her business leaflets and the NDIS watchdog made checks and she was told she could carry on.

On Friday, the woman said she was informed on another complaint against her and had “made my flyer clearer – holistic counselling and meditation can only be claimed under the NDIS”.

News Corp found many other businesses offering similar services on the NDIS, including sound baths, which is a meditative experience where participants are “bathed” in sound waves.

Minister for National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten told News Corp he has asked the National Disability Insurance Agency to “scrutinise” the invoices provided by the psychic healer to make sure they comply. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Another business offers a $295 “NDIS supported workshop” making crystal wands.

The course host said crystals are “conductors and emitters of energy so they make you feel good”.

The woman behind the established business said the crystal wand workshop was a form of art therapy and a group social event. Also included in the session was equine meditation.

She said they have helped hundreds of people on the NDIS, as well as private clients, and people from schools and government agencies.

After News Corp pressed the NDIS watchdog and Minister Bill Shorten’s office several times for clarification on whether services like psychic healing are accepted on the scheme, a spokeswoman for the NDIS Quality and Safety Commission said “services such as psychic readings, intuitive readings and psychic healings are not considered reasonable and necessary”.

Mr Shorten has repeatedly vowed to clear up the mess left by the previous Liberal governments and make sure vulnerable clients get faster, fairer access to the disability supports they need.

He told News Corp he has asked the National Disability Insurance Agency to “scrutinise” the invoices provided by the psychic healer to make sure they comply and “I thank the media for bringing this to my attention”.

Originally published as Psychics and crystal healing: NDIS claims revealed