While news of NDIS rorts dominate headlines, the people who genuinely need help keep getting left behind. Tony, a Queenslander with progressive MS, is one of them.

I talked with him as floodwaters from ex-tropical cyclone Alfred trapped him inside his apartment. He’s struggling to move — because the NDIS has failed to get him the wheelchair he desperately needs.

Tony’s sister explained the grim reality of his condition: “He needs a specific wheelchair to get him into bed, to get himself into the shower, to go to the toilet, to even reach a bench. Without that wheelchair, he cannot function at all.”

Tony says he applied for a new chair over a year ago, but the NDIS rejected him — first because the occupational therapist didn’t include enough information, then because the chair was deemed too expensive. “The OTs do the specifics, they decide what chair is going to work for me,” Tony said. “And they’re saying I’m not eligible.”

After months of back and forth, the NDIS finally approved a rental wheelchair while he waited for a permanent one. But when it arrived, it was the wrong size — too big for him to use properly. “It’s been around four weeks, and I still haven’t got the right chair,” he said. Trapped by the floods, even getting to the shops is a challenge.

His sister is furious. “He’s in disability units, surrounded by drug addicts who get three times the funding he does, and they are fully functioning, able-bodied people. Why is NDIS funding them?”

Tony said he has had his funding cut by half in the last year, despite his condition worsening. “I’ve never had this problem until the last couple of years. It’s just getting harder and harder,” he said. He blames NDIS rorts for the funding shortfall. “There’s so many people ripping them off, and they’re just starting to knock everyone back. The people with real disabilities are the ones paying the price.”

Since speaking with Tony and his sister on Monday, I’ve directly contacted the NDIS to seek clarification. After several days of investigation, the NDIS claims that Tony’s funding model changed and had actually increased, not decreased, but his request for a wheelchair was denied because it was deemed unsafe. However, this contradicts a letter from MS Queensland last month, which explicitly states that the NDIS rejected the claim due to cost — a point reiterated in an internal review that concluded the chair wasn’t worth the expense.

Over the past few days, the NDIS media team has made a genuine effort to assist, you can read their full public statement on Tony’s case below. That said, some of their off-the-record comments to me raise questions, as they don’t fully align with the evidence.

On a positive note, following my inquiries, Tony has now received a rental wheelchair, and an urgent assessment was conducted to test a new permanent chair for purchase.

I’ll continue to provide updates on Tony’s progress with his chair, as well as his separate reasonable request — currently denied — to move from regular public housing into Specialist Disability Accommodation.

It’s frustrating to see the NDIS allocate resources to people without actual disabilities while Tony, whose needs are undeniable, faces these challenges. Taxpayer money is meant to help people like Tony — yet it’s being squandered while he’s left stranded. If the government won’t fix this, who will?

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