Government must stop “unfair” disability funding for “luxury holidays” at the expense of basic support services, according to a North Geelong woman with unfunded autistic grandchildren.
Retired special education teacher ‘Paula’ last month accused Geelong National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers of funding carers and participants to go on “cruises“ or to “Disneyland”.
“Good luck to them if they get it but who are the losers in all of this?” she said to the Indy yesterday.
“There are other people struggling to get the (basic) funding they need at home.
“It’s nice for these participants to go on holiday but the funding is a bit over-the-top, given the NDIS hasn’t been rolled out in all of Australia.”
Paula declined to be identified, fearing the impact on support for relatives with disabilities.
Two mildly intellectually disabled stepsons who lived with her received $30,000 a year, she said
But five autistic grandchildren in Werribee received “nothing”.
“It’s totally unequal,” she said.
“My son hasn’t had a holiday for five years because he has four children with autism spectrum disorder.”
Her son and daughter, who also has a child with autism, had “to claw and fight” for money because NDIS had yet to roll out at Werribee, Paula said.
Two-thirds of each stepson’s $30,000 was “essential”, she said.
“Maybe some of this non-essential funding should have been pegged back until all areas in Australia are rolled out.”
Paula said she regularly met disabled people she taught during 20 years at Melbourne schools.
Several had reported going on cruises or to Disneyland with money from either NDIS or a provider, she said.
Some Geelong NDIS providers advertise holidays on their web pages as part of their services.
“Providers seem to cotton onto this idea that they can take any clients that (receive) this non-essential funding and go on holidays,” Paula said.
East Geelong disability advocate Lynne Foreman said she had heard rumours similar to Paula’s allegations.
But she said in some cases people could be “comparing oranges to apples.”
While the NDIS had many flaws, the scheme was “much fairer” the previous disability support system and a work in progress, she said.
Ms Foreman urged people experiencing problems to lobby Canberra, or Corangamite MP and Assistant Disability Minister Sarah Henderson.
She welcomed people to contact her group Every Australian Counts, which has successfully lobbied Canberra for NDIS funding commitments.
“If they’ve got no other avenue to go down we’re here to help.”
An NDIS spokesperson told the Indy last month the scheme did not fund “personal holidays“.
But individuals could use their funding to “source disability-related supports” on holiday, the spokesperson said.
The Indy contacted the offices of Ms Henderson and Corio MP Richard Marles but they did not respond before deadline.
