My friend is an autistic participant under the NDIS. Her funding was originally expected to last until October this year, but we recently discovered that her funding has already been exhausted.
We believe this happened because her support worker significantly overclaimed hours. For example, the worker may have only provided around 2 hours of support in a week but claimed up to 20 hours. As a result, my friend now has no remaining funding available.
The support worker has also said they have found another job and will no longer be providing support. They told my friend that her funding is too low and that it created a lot of pressure for them. This has left my friend feeling very upset and blaming herself.
I would like to ask for advice on the following:
- Is it acceptable for a support worker to use up a participant’s funding prematurely and then leave?
- What should we do if we suspect false or inflated claims of support hours?
- Is it appropriate for a support worker to complain directly to a vulnerable participant about funding issues and place that pressure on them?
If this situation is inappropriate or potentially misconduct, where can we report it or seek help?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.