National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants receiving support through the world-leading reform are now better protected thanks to further $110.4 million investment from the Albanese Government in the Crack Down on Fraud program, announced today.
The funding boost follows an initial $83.9 million investment made earlier this year, designed to uplift the National Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) ability to better detect and prevent the exploitation of participants and the NDIS.
The Crack Down on Fraud system enhancements have also exponentially improved the effectiveness of other work within the Agency and in the Fraud Fusion Taskforce. During the last 6 months the NDIA has partnered with other FFT agencies, including the NDIS Commission and the AFP, to execute search warrants on multiple residential and commercial premises.
Minister for the NDIS, the Hon. Bill Shorten MP, said the further investment in the program would ensure the Agency maintained its momentum in detecting and preventing fraud.
"The Crack Down on Fraud program is already delivering on this Government's investment and pledge to ensure every dollar allocated to NDIS participants reaches them," Minister Shorten said.
"This program is progressively delivering a range of system uplifts that make it easier for participants and providers to get it right and much harder for them to get it wrong."
Since commencing in February 2024, the Crack Down on Fraud program has delivered six key milestones. It improved the integrity of identity information for participants whilst providing a familiar, consistent, and secure experience for participants and nominees accessing NDIS digital platforms. It also delivered system enhancements to improve the integrity of claims and established the foundation for an improved data capability.
For example, the system enhancements delivered by the Crack Down on Fraud program enabled the NDIA to identify over 2100 providers with problematic claiming behaviours.
Previously, these providers had been able to make claims and be automatically paid. Now that they have been detected, none of these providers can be paid unless they undertake a Manual Payment Review for every claim. Many of these providers are now being subjected to further historic audits or criminal prosecutions.
These warrants targeted dozens of businesses and providers that have been identified via the enhanced capabilities being delivered by the Crack down on Fraud system uplifts. These interventions have already prevented over $400m being diverted away from genuine participants by dodgy providers whilst also delivering over $200m in savings to the Scheme."
This additional $110.4 million investment in the Crackdown on Fraud program will enable the NDIA to build further system enhancements during 2025.
"I want to ensure that criminals aren't able to exploit the NDIS, rip off taxpayers and, most importantly, attempt to skim money off the hundreds of thousands of Australians who rely on the life-changing Scheme. So we will continue to invest in measures that will safeguard the Scheme to ensure it's around for generations," Minister Shorten said.
"I look forward to following the progress of this program as the Government and Agency continue to strengthen the NDIS and, in the process, ensure better outcomes for Australians living with disability."
