Meindert Withoff faces losing up to 70 hours of administrative case support when NDIS starts in April

A WARRANDYTE man will lose about 70 hours of annual care when the National Disability Insurance Scheme starts in Manningham in April.

Warrandyte woman Jozica Kutin says the case management needs of her ex-husband Meindert Withoff, for whom she is an advocate/carer, will be drastically underfunded when the NDIS comes into affect in April. Picture: Janine Eastgate

A WARRANDYTE man will lose about 70 hours of annual care when the National Disability Insurance Scheme starts in Manningham in April.

Meindert Withoff has been wheelchair bound, legally blind and with severe cognitive impairment since suffering a stroke in 2008.

The 53-year-old father of three currently accesses 78 hours of support services through Manningham Council and Health Ability in Eltham.

But at a meeting in December, the former mechanical engineer and his ex-wife Jozica Kutin, who is now his advocate and carer, were told the devastating news the NDIS would only offer him seven hours of case management services a year.

The care needs currently being accessed through the council will also stop in April because Manningham will not be a service provider under the NDIS.

“The stroke wasn’t bad enough for a nursing home or supported accommodation — he is still able to live at home with our children but he needs help to do so,” Ms Kutin said.

Ms Kutin said the services provided by Health Ability took the burden off her.

“I could liaise with them and they could organise carers and so on. If I want to take the kids on a holiday, Meindert will need extra care and they book all that. If his wheelchair breaks they can organise to have it fixed,” she said.

“You want someone to take the burden off you, to make it easier but the NDIS planning meeting seemed to be all about cost cutting.”

Manningham mayor Andrew Conlon said the council was not considered a specialist disability service provider but was supporting clients with approved plans to transition to the NDIS.

“Council continues to provide support, including personal and respite care and support with general home cleaning, for people with a disability and their families who are not eligible for the NDIS,” he said.

An NDIS spokeswoman said the scheme tailored plans to each participant’s individual goals, circumstances and support needs.