Near-homeless, Adelaide’s Kosteriadis family receives life-changing NDIS news

An Adelaide family has received astonishing news from the NDIS after almost a year fighting a decision that left them on the brink of homelessness and forced them to abandon their business.

An Adelaide family who were on the verge of homelessness after an NDIS decision to cut support funding from their intellectually-disabled daughter has received life-changing news.

Alex Kosteriadis and his wife Leah spent almost a year fighting the decision to reject increased support for their 19-year-old daughter Georgia.

They were forced to quit their business to care for their daughter full-time.

The agency’s decision, which was made in April 2024, went against professional medical advice that “highly recommended” two support staff, a male and a female, being required to care for Georgia.

Mr Kosteriadis and his wife applied for increased funding in October 2023 after Georgia – who suffered a stroke, severely damaging her frontal lobe as an infant – graduated from school and required home support.

Georgia Kosteriadis with her dad Alex Kosteriadis at their home in Seaton. Picture: Kelly Barnes

However, despite reports, their application was rejected due to it not being “value for money”, according to the NDIS.

Since, Mr Kosteriadis said the NDIS reviewed its decision and has decided to reinstated Georgia’s plan and provide two full-time support workers.

“We were over the moon,” Mr Kosteriadis told The Advertiser.

“We couldn’t really believe what we were hearing because we had gone through, since April 2024, a living nightmare for so long trying to get the best thing for our daughter and just getting roadblocks.”

Mr Kosteriadis said the decision has been “bittersweet”.

“We had to go through all those months of hell and all that loss and hurt for my daughter and putting her behind in her progress,” he said.

Eventually the NDIS decided to increase Georgia’s funding after her parents fought for almost a year. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Mr Kosteriadis spoke to NDIS Minister Bill Shorten directly on the FIVEAA radio show prior to the decision to increase Georgia’s funding.

The family were asked to provide details of Georgia’s medical history to a legal team, Mr Kosteriadis said were representing the NDIS.

“They asked for (a list) of 100 things … they asked for reports even back when she was seven-weeks-old when we took her into hospital for the first time to prove she actually did have that brain aneurysm and she did have a stroke,” Mr Kosteriadis said.

On December 19, the day before Georgia’s birthday, the family heard the news the NDIS was going to help them.

“It’s just remarkable, the turnaround,” Mr Kosteriadis said.

Originally published as Near-homeless, Adelaide’s Kosteriadis family receives life-changing NDIS news