Disability community says NDIS 'fighting the wrong battles' over funding plans

Jaydan Rufus and Chantel Moody are both having their NDIS plans reviewed at a tribunal. (ABC News: Sarah Richards) The agency responsible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme spent $60 million on external lawyers to fight participants at a tribunal in the last financial year. Data shows the majority of decisions led to the agency's decision being overturned. The National Disability Insurance Agency says it has invested in new dispute resolution approaches to provide earlier, quicker, and fairer outcomes. Link copiedShareShare articleChantel Moody spends her day carefully planning her movements, down to when and how much water she consumes. The 28-year-old said her National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding plan limits her to around seven hours a day with a support worker. The administrative assistant has spinal muscular atrophy, which becomes progressively worse over time, and it affects all her muscles. "I am highly disabled," Ms Moody, who uses a power wheelchair, said. Ms Moody says it has been an ongoing battle with the NDIS. (ABC News: Sarah Richards) "I've got no movement in my arm … I can barely scratch my nose. I need assistance with everything." She said she had asked for more support worker hours in her plan, but that was rejected. It has left her without assistance for hours. "[So], I'm not going to drink this much water now because I don't want to have to go to the toilet," Ms Moody said. "Or I'm going to eat this now so at least it can take me through till later". She has begun appealing her NDIS plan, received in August, at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART). Her first case conference was at the tribunal last month. "It has been an ongoing battle with NDIS," she said. Ms Moody and Mr Rufus wanted their NDIS plans to include more support so they can live more independently. (ABC News: Sarah Richards) The tribunal reviews a raft of federal government agency decisions, including those of Centrelink, child support, taxation, and work compensation. The chief executive of Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI), Matilda Alexander, said data showed the NDIS component of the ART had "a lot higher success rate for applicants" compared to other areas. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the agency that implements the NDIS, spent $60 million in external lawyers to fight participants at the tribunal in the last financial year. Data from the eight months the ART was active in 2024–25 shows about 73 per cent of those cases resulted in the NDIA's decision being overturned. More recent data shows a modest drop in the overturned rate to 65 per cent. "They're fighting the wrong battles," Ms Alexander said. "What they should be doing is putting that money into making the right decisions in the first place". Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion’s Matilda Alexander says the government should be putting money into making the right decisions. (ABC News: Chris Gillette) Ms Alexander said the main reason participants were going to the tribunal was to access more support for day-to-day life. "Things like showering, things like getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, all the things that we should all be taking for granted," she said. QAI offers support to participants going through the tribunal process. "Our books were full, and we opened them up for three hours and filled three months in advance," Ms Alexander said. NDIS Minister Mark Butler announced changes to the scheme at the National Press Club in April. (ABC News: Matt Roberts) Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced in April that there would be major changes to the NDIS to reduce spending on the scheme, which costs more than $50 billion a year. Those changes included cuts to the number of participants on the scheme and decreasing funds for social and community activities. Ms Alexander said it was a confusing, devastating and frustrating time for the disability community. "There will be desperate times where people are looking for any appeals mechanism," she said. Ms Moody's partner, Jaydan Rufus, is also undergoing the ART process over the NDIS plan he received last year. "I did express to them that I'm not happy with this plan and I will be escalating it," Mr Rufus said. Mr Rufus says he told the NDIS he wasn't happy with his NDIS plan. (ABC News: Sarah Richards) The 28-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, had hoped his new plan would include more funding for a support worker to help facilitate him and his fiance on holidays. "If I was a normal able-bodied person, I wouldn't have to pay for an extra person or two people to accompany me on a holiday," he said. On a recent cruise, Mr Rufus, who works two jobs, paid more than $3,000 for a support worker to help him and his fiance. "That is essentially a disability tax," he said. Ms Rufus says parts of his wheelchair are broken. (ABC News: Sarah Richards) He hoped that through the tribunal process he could request a new wheelchair. Mr

Disability community says NDIS 'fighting the wrong battles' over funding plans

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