Paul Kevan Tilbury, from Person Centred Training Pty Ltd, allegedly defrauded $500k from the NDIS in two years, SA court told

This man says he’s “one of the best” at helping manage people with disabilities – but prosecutors claim he defrauded hundreds of thousands of dollars in just two years.

Paul Kevan Tilbury has been charged with fraud offences after being placed on the NDIS banned list. Picture: Supplied

A disability consultant who describes himself online as “respectable” and “one of the best” siphoned almost $500,000 from the NDIS in two years through false claims, a court has heard.

Paul Kevan Tilbury – who has already been banned for life from accessing the insurance scheme – faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday.

He has yet to plead to 19 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception, which were laid by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and SA Police.

Prosecutors allege Mr Tilbury, 57, of Woodforde, and another man, defrauded more than $465,000 from the NDIS by submitting false claims for services they did not deliver.

Those offences, they alleged, occurred between April 2017 and April 2019.

The pair’s arrests was revealed by NDIS minister Bill Shorten in an exclusive interview with The Advertiser last month.

Mr Tilbury is the proprietor of Person Centred Training Pty Ltd, which offers human resources, compliance, auditing and aged care services from its Pirie St office.

On its website, the company says it develops “positive workplace cultures” and “robust procedures, systems, training, accreditation and compliance practices”.

It also says it can “assist in all areas of compliance” in the aged care and disability sectors.

In April, Mr Tilbury was banned for life from accessing the NDIS, with the NDIA alleging he had failed “to act with integrity, honesty and transparency”.

At the time, it further alleged he falsified claims and created inappropriate claims for payment to the NDIS on behalf of a registered NDIS provider.

The NDIA has also issued banning orders against Person Centred Training, prohibiting it from engaging in any activities related to the management of NDIS plan funds.

There are 52,501 active NDIS participants in SA and 610,502 nationally.

Currently, the NDIA is investigating allegations that fake and dodgy providers have fleeced half a billion dollars in total from the scheme.

On Thursday, counsel for Mr Tilbury asked his bail be varied to grant him permission to travel to Victoria between December 15 and December 20.

They said their client was prepared to lodge a $2000 cash surety with the court before his departure, report to Victorian Police upon arrival, and again to SA Police upon his return.

Prosecutors said they did not oppose that variation, so long as the cash was lodged and the reporting obligations were adhered to.

The state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary Louise Hribal, agreed and remanded Mr Tilbury on his changed bail conditions to face court again in November.