NDIS workers can’t pay their mortgages after provider Cocoon SDA is banned

Hardworking Cocoon SDA staff such as Stephen Cooper are struggling to pay their home loans, with the father-of-three unable to pay childcare fees or send his kids to school.

Desperate disability support workers employed by a banned NDIS provider fear they will lose their homes because they have not been paid for more than two months.

Emails have revealed how Cocoon SDA strung along hard working support workers as the company’s finances were frozen under a fraud probe.

They even claimed to have paid staff but the money never landed in their account.

Stephen Cooper, who worked for Cocoon in Melbourne’s west, says he is struggling to pay his mortgage.

Stephen Cooper, who worked for Cocoon in Melbourne’s west, said he was struggling to pay his mortgage after being short-changed more than $13,000.

“I’ve got my home loan, my car loan and a personal loan and I can’t pay them,” Mr Cooper said.

“Two of my kids didn’t go to school today because they couldn’t afford the bus fare. My youngest is not going to childcare because we can’t pay the fees.”

Mr Cooper said he had been calling Cocoon SDA repeatedly to get paid for 304 hours of work, including superannuation.

Emails sent from Cocoon SDA’s People and Culture email address claimed that money had been paid to staff on May 3. Picture: Supplied

Another email, sent of April 24, acknowledged that “delays in pay have a very real and personal impact on your families.” Picture: Supplied

Emails sent from Cocoon SDA’s People and Culture email address claimed that money had been paid to staff on May 3.

“I can confirm that Payroll 1 has been released for you. Please check you (sic) account this usually takes a few hours.

“Thank you for your patience and support and we will be in touch next week.”

However, Mr Cooper said he never received the money and was forced to borrow money from friends to meet mortgage repayments.

Another email, sent of April 24, acknowledged that “delays in pay have a very real and personal impact on your families.”

Another Cocoon SDA staffer, who asked not to be named, said he was owed more than $15,000.

He continued to work even though he wasn’t paid because the NDIS client knew him and felt safe in his care.

The home was transferred to a new provider, who had promised to pay him, but he was still waiting for at least two weeks before money landed in his account.

“I’m building a house and I have to pay the progress payments, and my rent, I’ve got no money,” he said.

A third Cocoon SDA worker said he was owed more than $12,000 and had not been paid superannuation for months.

Cocoon SDA’s payments from the NDIS have been frozen while the company was temporarily banned from providing services.

An email sent by the company claimed that the payments were delayed but would be paid.

“To be clear: this has been a delay, not a withholding of pay. The root cause has been complex funding issues matters outside of the direct control of our payroll.”

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission has confirmed its investigation into Cocoon SDA’s finances is ongoing.

Originally published as NDIS workers can’t pay their mortgages after provider Cocoon SDA is banned