Exploitation happens, and it is not okay. You deserve respectful, lawful support. If a provider or worker is making life harder, whether deliberately or by accident, something needs to change. This guide names the behaviours, spells out provider responsibilities, and offers practical steps to reduce risk and protect your NDIS budget.
What exploitation can look like
Money and billing
- Charging for time not delivered, padding travel or kilometres, double billing between clients, or adding cancellation fees that do not match what you agreed
- Pressuring you to pay cash, buy gifts, lend money, or approve extra hours you did not receive
- Steering you into more expensive services you do not need, or splitting one task across multiple billable items
- Boundaries and respect
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Ignoring your instructions or support plan, entering rooms without consent, turning up early or late without agreement, bringing others to your home, or crossing personal or sexual boundaries
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Friending you on social media, sharing photos or information without consent, or using your devices or logins
Safety and quality
- Unsafe manual handling, medication errors, leaving you without essential support, sleeping on shift, or using restrictive practices without proper authority
Control and retaliation
Threatening to withdraw supports if you raise concerns, gatekeeping your information or providers, or refusing to work with your chosen team
Transport and between clients
Claiming travel that exceeds what was agreed, charging home to first client or home from last client, or not fairly apportioning travel when workers see multiple participants
What this means for you: you do not deserve this treatment. Write down what is happening and move to the steps below.
What providers are responsible for
Good providers exist to serve, uplift, support, protect, assist, empower and facilitate, which helps make an ordinary life possible. That means:
- Respecting your choices, culture and privacy, and working to your goals
- Keeping clear boundaries and gaining informed consent for changes
- Sending trained, supervised staff with the right checks and replacing workers when needed
- Being transparent and accurate with rosters, invoices, travel and cancellations
- Fixing mistakes, apologising when they happen, and acting on feedback quickly
- Declaring any conflict of interest and avoiding pressure or retaliation
What this means for you: if a provider is not meeting these basics, it is reasonable to ask for changes or to change providers.
Step 1: Reduce immediate risk
If unsafe behaviours occur, you can end the session, ask for a different worker, and contact someone you trust. In an emergency, call 000.
What this means for you: your rights and wellbeing come first.
Step 2: Note what happened
Write the date and time, who was present, what was said or done, and keep texts, emails and invoices. Screenshots are fine.
What this means for you: short notes now make it easier to resolve later.
Step 3: Check your service agreement
Look for how to complain, notice periods, cancellation rules, travel terms, and how to end services.
What this means for you: the agreement is your reference point for challenging charges and setting boundaries.
Step 4: Tell the provider, not the worker
Ask for a team leader or manager. Explain what happened, the change you want, for example a different worker, a refund, or corrected travel, and when you expect an update. Keep it in writing if you can.
Quick template: “Hi [Manager], I am concerned about [what and when]. I would like [remedy]. Please confirm next steps in your complaints process. Thanks, [Name].”
Step 5: Handling invoices and money
- Keep an eye on your portal or statements. If you see charges you do not recognise, write to the provider asking for an itemised invoice and a correction or credit
- If you are self managed, do not pay until it is clarified. If you are NDIA managed, tell the provider you dispute the claim
- If you have given a provider consent to speak to the NDIA or act on your behalf, and the relationship breaks down or you are concerned about what they may be saying or doing for you, call the NDIA and ask to pause or remove that consent immediately
What this means for you: deal directly with the provider about billing, keep consent under your control, and keep copies of all messages.
Step 6: If your worker is an independent support worker
Independent arrangements can be great, but there is no internal escalation ladder.
- Put expectations in writing, including hours, rates, travel, cancellations and boundaries
- If issues continue, give short, clear notice and end services
- Consider whether a larger provider suits you better, for example backup staff, training and supervision, or continue with independents who meet your standards
What this means for you: choose the setup that best balances fit, cost and safeguards.
Step 7: When to escalate outside the provider
If you are not getting traction, or you believe there is risk of harm, serious misconduct or systemic overcharging, you can complain to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. If you suspect fraud, for example billing for services not delivered or misuse of funds, report it to the NDIA fraud team. You can also tell the NDIA when a provider is doing the wrong thing so there is a note on your record.
What this means for you: you have avenues beyond the provider if the problem is not fixed, and you can make sure the NDIA has your concern on file.
It goes both ways, and why providers still carry the bigger duty
Sometimes participants take advantage of providers too, for example no shows without notice, asking for non agreed tasks, or pushing boundaries. The relationship still has a built in power imbalance. Providers hold specialist knowledge, staffing, and access to your home and information. It is the provider’s responsibility to keep standards high, manage boundaries, and prevent exploitation in any direction.
If you need support
If you have a support coordinator, they are your first safe haven when in conflict with the NDIA. They may attempt to temper your expectations, and if they're a good coordinator, we recommend listening carefully and understanding what they're saying and why. Sometimes however, being a cog in the system means that perspective gets skewed. You can reach out to a disability advocate in your area for help to write complaints, understand your rights or come with you to meetings.
Quick self check before you approve invoices
- Do the hours, travel and cancellations match what actually happened and what you agreed
- Has the provider explained any week to week variations, such as a different worker, route or apportionment between clients
- Are your requested changes being put in place promptly
Key takeaways
- Exploitation happens, it is not your fault, and it is not acceptable
- Providers are there to serve, safeguard and empower. If they are making life worse, ask for change or change providers
- Put things in writing, keep records, manage consent with the NDIA, and escalate if needed. You have options and rights
This article is general information, not legal advice. If you would like to talk it through in plain English, we are happy to have a phone chat about the conflict you find yourself in.