The revelations – which include providers taking participants to ATMs to withdraw cash for drugs – add to a complex debate about limiting growth of the $45 billion scheme.
Dodgy providers have used the National Disability Insurance Scheme to take participants to ATMs to withdraw cash for illicit drugs, including heroin, cocaine and ice.
In a fiery late-night hearing, the head of fraud and integrity at the NDIS, John Dardo, said at least 5 per cent of the scheme – more than $2 billion – was being spent in error. But Dardo came under fire from Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John, who pushed him for concrete numbers around what proportion of NDIS funding was being spent in the inappropriate ways he had outlined. Dardo did not give specific figures.
“It is of service to the narrative of the government to imply that disabled people are using our NDIS funds for holidays, drinks and alcohol. Then your minister gets to go around and brief members of parliament, and use those examples as scare tactics to get them to support his cooked legislation.” Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic said there was a challenge in ensuring participants with genuine needs were having their needs met, while at the same time addressing exploitation in the system. She asked Dardo whether the agency was aware if illicit drugs had recently been sourced or sold through the scheme.“Absolutely,” he said.
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