The government is set to allocate $48.3 million in next month’s federal budget for anti-fraud measures around the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), including new IT systems.
The minister for NDIS and for government services, Bill Shorten, said in a statement Thursday that the allocation would fund 200 extra staff, as well as “the development of a business case for ICT systems to detect, prevent and reduce non-compliant payments”.
Shorten said the funding “was critical to ensure every dollar of the scheme was going to support people with a disability.”
“We have found evidence of egregious fraud that involves complex criminal networks ripping off NDIS participants and Australian taxpayers,” Shorten said.
“This funding will ensure the agency has the capability to address fraud and non-compliance.”
The budget is to be delivered by the federal government on May 9.