‘Disgusting’: Paralympic swimmer blows up over NDIS fight
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A Paralympic swimmer says it’s “disgusting” that a dispute she had with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) wasn’t resolved until she took her fight to the media.
Esther Overton has also blasted the “incompetence” of the NDIA over her bungled situation and called for the government body to give her financial compensation for the hellish experience she endured.
Esther Overton. Supplied
A new NDIS plan finalised in January gave Overton $60,000 worth of replacement equipment, including a new electric wheelchair, which the 36-year-old said was a like-for-like replacement and therefore shouldn’t have justified a funding cut.
Despite that, the NDIA slashed her funding by $60,000.
She subsequently couldn’t afford her usual level of care and the impact was horrific. For four excruciating months, she had to go up to 15 hours without using the bathroom, and had to survive off only two meals a day six days a week.
Having repeatedly tried and failed to have the problem resolved, the Adelaide local called upon the assistance of South Australian media and members of parliament.
It wasn’t until an exposé was published in a newspaper that the NDIA made amends.
During Overton’s months-long battle to get the funding she deserved, she requested to see her NDIS documents.
She was shocked upon discovering her disabilities were incorrectly listed.
Her amputation was listed as her primary disability, rather than arthrogryposis – a condition characterised by congenital joint contractures – and it was incorrectly noted that she had a neurological disorder.
“I think it’s very disgusting that someone has to go to that level to get a mistake corrected that they made in the first place,” Overton told nine.com.au.
“I had been dealing with them since September last year about getting the new equipment. I finally received the new plan with the money for the equipment just after Christmas, but then my funding was cut.
“Since then, it was a constant battle trying to get things sorted because my disability was listed incorrectly as well, which was the problem.
“I had no free time. Every spare minute, I was contacting people. I went to all the MPs to try and get things moving, but that didn’t work. I was literally at my wit’s end, so I contacted all the media outlets.”
What were the typical replies she received?
“‘This isn’t an urgent matter’, ‘We’ll get to you when we get to you’, ‘Just continue to use your funding in the meantime’,” Overton recalled.
“I was trying to explain that I didn’t have enough funding ... I had no choice but to cut my supports to the bare essentials, and I was still having to cover things out of pocket on a disability pension because I couldn’t go without the support.
“They finally did a review and rejected it because my disability was still listed incorrectly. This was after the 60 days were up. The NDIS guidelines state that everything should be resolved within 60 days once you put in for a review.”
Esther Overton. Supplied
Given the circumstances, she found it almost impossible to maintain her elite-level swimming training.
She’s competing at the Australian swimming trials in Sydney this week, with her sights set on making the team for the Para Pan Pacific Championships.
“I was really struggling physically and mentally, but I couldn’t stop fighting,” Overton said.
“I had to try and push that aside and just keep going because I had no choice.”
It’s “extremely concerning” that her disabilities were documented incorrectly, Overton said.
“And it shows incompetence. Money is getting wasted because of their incompetence,” she added.
Asked if she believed she deserved financial compensation for what she faced, Overton said: “I think that would be great, and definitely the least that I deserve, but I know that’s never going to happen.”
She also said she hadn’t received a formal apology from the NDIA.
“The planner that called me to discuss my new plan said that she was sorry for what I’ve been going through, but there was no official apology from the NDIA,” she said.
In a statement provided to nine.com.au, the NDIA said: “The NDIA’s top priority is ensuring every participant has access to the disability-related support they need.
“It’s normal for NDIS plans to go up and down over time, especially if modifications or assistive technology were funded in previous plans.
“Funding decisions are made on the basis of the evidence submitted and in line with the NDIS Act.
“Participants may request a review of Agency decisions, including to the Administrative Review Tribunal if they are unhappy with the outcome of an internal review.”
The NDIA said it would not comment on individual matters.