NDIS still ‘one big, hot mess’ as Bill Shorten takes up new job

Bill Shorten says the NDIS is no longer the ‘problem child of the government’, as he prepares to move on. I think participants, their parents and providers might disagree.

Opinion: As Bill Shorten says goodbye to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, there won’t be many sorry to see him go.

And, I’m not talking about the few shivs and shonks rorting the system who have been caught and locked away during his tenure, but the thousands of parents, participants and providers who claim they have been gaslit by the agency.

Annette Andersen says she’s been driven to the brink of suicide over her autistic son Axel’s funding.

His complex needs, plus a painful health condition, sometimes turns her “beautiful and loving boy” into a monster. She’s been beaten, punched, kicked, and throttled by Axel, 20 and 190cm tall, and who has the developmental age of a toddler.

Despite this, and evidence from even the agency’s own medical expert, Axel has seen significant reductions and restrictions to his core funding, putting her and her daughter more at risk.

Bill Shorten MP is moving on from the NDIS. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It’s her own fault apparently. If only she had put in better behavioural and sleep strategies this might not be happening, agency staff have suggested.

“The government is blaming me for being a victim of domestic violence,” she told me this week. And I can tell you how that makes you feel, having just gone through it. It makes you feel suicidal.”

Meanwhile, decent, good providers are saying they’re being squeezed to the point of collapse by the agency, due to clients being underfunded. As a last resort they say they’re being forced to relinquish NDIS participants into the care of hospitals.

Axel Andersen, 20, has severe autism and an intellectual disability, as well as a painful condition known as "Man on Fire Syndrome". His Mum Annette Andersen is struggling to care for him, who has the developmental age of a toddler. Camera footage of one of Axel's episodes, provided by the family. Picture: Supplied

This happened to Ken Hird’s son, who has Huntington disease. Within 24 hours of being carted off to hospital the funding was magically approved. So, all that turmoil and stress was for nothing.

Ray Kiefel is another parent worried this will happen to his son.

He says if his son Wesley, 24, was standing on the edge of the road and saw something he wanted on the other side, he would just run to get it. He needs lots of support, but his funding does not cover it.

Many accommodation providers won’t accept him because it’s not safe to do so with the funds he has available.

His current provider, Forsight, is paying the gap, more than $200,000 a year, but says it cannot continue to do so.

The National Disability Service’s most recent report found half of all disability providers made a deficit in the last financial year, a 16 per cent increase on the previous year.

So what about poor Wesley? Where will he go? To the nearest hospital?

In the run up to his departure, Shorten boasted that the NDIS is “no longer the major problem child” of government. Sorry Bill, but you’re wrong. The NDIS is still one big, hot mess.

Originally published as NDIS still ‘one big, hot mess’ as Bill Shorten takes up new job