 of more than $300,000, the Caller can reveal.){kind=link}
By HARRY CLARKE
A NEW ZEALAND national living in rural Queensland has been charged with defrauding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) of more than $300,000, the Caller can reveal.
Police allege that the 47-year-old woman, who resides in the tiny town of Brigalow on Queensland’s Western Downs, routinely claimed payments from the Federal Government’s disability support service despite not providing care to patients.
It’s understood police believe the woman fraudulently claimed payments for well over 20 patients, raking in upwards of $300,000 over the offending period.
Police allege that in some cases she provided genuine disability care but ‘over claimed’ in payments from the NDIS.
The patients reside in widespread locations between Far North Queensland and Victoria.
She was charged in Dalby today following a protracted investigation by the Queensland Police Service and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
She is due to appear in court next month. Investigations are continuing.
The woman operated from a shop front on the Warrego Highway in Chinchilla (pictured above), which was emblazoned with a sticker saying “I love NDIS”.
The premises is now occupied by another tenant.
She also took to Chinchilla’s community Facebook page last year to spruik an “initiative to keep some of our disabled people in a job with their NDIS funding”.
The NDIS is expected to release a statement about the charges today containing comments from NDIS Minister Bill Shorten.
