New task force to get cash back from profit scammers

A new task force will be created to target fraudsters who have evaded more than $290 million from the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The Albanian government plans to spend $126.3 million to set up a group to recover cash taken as a result of fraud and serious crimes within NDIS.

The funds were revealed in the Labor Party’s federal budget on Tuesday.

It will roll out over the next four years and establish an interagency task force to address fraud and serious violations of the scheme.

The so-called Fraud Fusion Taskforce will replace the existing NDIS Taskforce and will consist of federal social service agencies, law enforcement agencies, regulatory agencies and intelligence agencies.

Funding for the existing NDIS Task Force has been extended through June 30, 2024 to support the transition.

The move is estimated to save the government $291.5 million by collecting debt from NDIS providers.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has warned of the new task force being set up after media reports revealed the scheme was riddled with criminal activity that took advantage of Australia’s most vulnerable people. I was.

Speaking on Tuesday before the budget was passed, Shorten said Labor was committed to fulfilling its promise to get the NDIS “back on track”.

“Labour’s announcement of the cross-ministerial Fraud Fusion Taskforce will help deliver on our pledge to defend this scheme against fraudsters and crack down on NDIS fraudsters,” he said.

Shorten promised a number of other reforms, including working with states and territories to reduce the amount of time NDIS participants spend in hospitals when they don’t need to.

The federal budget has allocated $437.4 million over three years to support NDIS participants and their families.

This includes $385 million in NDIA operational funding and $18.1 million over two years to review scheme design, operations and sustainability.

Labor has also set up a pilot program to try out new methods of dispute resolution for those who disagree with decisions made by the National Disability Insurance Agency’s system administrators.

Shorten said the pilot would help “clean up the liberal legacy of thousands of NDIS decisions that have been appealed in the Administrative Appeals Court (AAT).”

Tuesday’s budget included $21.2 million over three years for NDIS Appeals Providers to support people with disabilities and their families in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal’s (AAT) appeals process.

“The government is repairing the scheme with people with disabilities at the helm, removing arbitrary staff caps and ensuring the NDIA has the resources it needs to support its participants,” said Shorten. said.

Tuesday’s budget includes funds for resolving disputes arising from the NDIA’s decision, reducing the number of appeals to the AAT, and funding an expert review pathway to provide better and earlier results for NDIS participants. It included $12.4 million.

An additional 380 full-time government employees will be employed to support people with disabilities and their families.

Also, $5.8 million was pledged to provide legal assistance to NDIS participants.