The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is set to receive $83.9 million in “new funding” to build or bolster IT systems used for fraud case management, claims assessment and identity proofing.
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Bill Shorten said yesterday that the funding would back systems to detect fraud and improve the sustainability of the scheme – ensuring “every dollar is going to participants who need it.”
“The new funding will go towards the ‘Crack Down on Fraud’ program and will boost fraud-detecting IT systems to better protect monies allocated to Australians living with disability who are on the NDIS,” Shorten said.
Among the new technology projects unveiled is the build of a “new fraud case management system that will interact with other enforcement agencies; and new IT systems to connect with other agencies, providers and banks so that transactions can be actioned faster with reduced errors.”
Enhancements are also set to be made to the “systems that assess, process and pay over 400,000 NDIS claims per day; identity proofing systems to increase safety and privacy”; and to the NDIS mobile app and “online interfaces”.
The new and enhanced IT environment is set to build on the work of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce, addressing “areas of vulnerability” the taskforce located via “intelligence and analytics” it obtained since November 2022.
“The ‘Crack Down on Fraud’ program includes a number of ICT improvements that will be implemented progressively and are designed to make it easier to get it right, and harder to get it wrong for everyone engaging with the scheme,” Shorten said.
“We have already started consulting with the disability community and will continue to do so, to ensure that participants are fully supported in transitioning to the improved systems.”
Shorten said the IT changes were also a “step in the right direction” after an independent review into the NDIS called for additional investment into the digital systems underpinning the scheme.