NDIS funding: Nathan Slachter says man says NDIS hasn’t ‘moved an inch’ on appeal

With a baby expected within just weeks, a Toowoomba man says he could become a social admission in hospital if the NDIS doesn’t speed up his appeal over his support plan.

Highfields resident and NDIS participant Nathan Slachter is facing the prospect of having to spend time in hospital if he can't secure extra respite support when his wife Kerry-Anne gives birth to their child in three months.

A Toowoomba man who faces being separated from his wife and their unborn child if he cannot secure extra disability funding soon says the NDIS has not “moved an inch” on the pressing issue.

Highfields resident Nathan Slachter, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair at all times, and his wife Kerryanne are expecting to give birth within weeks.

But News Corp Australia revealed earlier this month the 31-year-old could be forced into either respite care outside of his home or even a social admission in the Toowoomba Hospital due to a shortfall in specific funding as part of his plan.

Mr Slachter has called for a temporary increase to his time with support worker from eight hours a day currently to 16 to allow his wife to care for a newborn.

This was denied following a plan review that was finalised last month, with the NDIA asking him to provide more evidence to substantiate the request and even submit a new functional capacity assessment (FCA).

The appeal process can often take six months or more to get a decision, time the couple doesn’t have.

Despite the public pressure, Mr Slachter said the NDIS had so far failed to guarantee it would grant the extra eight hours a day of individual support care before the baby arrived.

“In terms of the response I received, I had a phone conference between myself and another complaints officer and basically they just reiterated what I was told, which was for them to consider 16 hours, we need another functional capacity assessment,” he said.

“She said she had no idea how long that will take.

“We’ve not moved an inch, the NDIA hasn’t done anything and they can’t guarantee it will be looked at in time for the birth.”

A spokesman for the NDIA confirmed it had been in touch with the couple.

Mr Slachter also took aim at other stakeholders involved in the management of his plan, including those handling support co-ordination.

He said no one during the process had indicated a new FCA might be necessary, robbing him of precious time to secure the extra support.

“After we lodged for an internal review off the back of my plan in June, at that point we informed them as soon as we could we were pregnant — that’s why we did the internal review,” he said.

“Yet it was only when I got the phone call from the planner saying we were getting eight hours, not 16 that I was told they needed more evidence.

“That’s why we’re cranky, I told (someone else involved with our plan) that this is looking like six months (of waiting) and she told me ‘oh no, you’re fine’.”

The request for an FCA comes despite the fact it was Ms Slachter who would be facing a loss in her capacity to care for her husband due to the pregnancy and birth.

“My occupational therapist (who is completing the FCA) said he had to try and explain (in his assessment) that Kerryanne’s caring capacity has changed — it’s why we can’t understand why they want me to do a new one,” Mr Slachter said.

“I’m more cranky than anything, I just want to find a way of getting up the chain of command so they can just grant it or a guarantee they’ll get it done before the birth.”