Fraud and non-compliance

Improving integrity and preventing fraud

We are working to improve integrity in the NDIS and make it easier to get it right and harder to get it wrong. We know that most people connected to the NDIS do the right thing.

But there are some people who try to take advantage of participants or commit fraud against the Scheme. Fraud hurts everyone connected to the Scheme, especially participants. That’s why the NDIA has zero tolerance for fraud against the NDIS.

We want to help participants to learn more about fraud, especially how to know it, spot it and report it. Understanding what fraud is will support participants to protect their plans. At the same time, the NDIA is working to improve how we detect, prevent and reduce fraud and non-compliance in the NDIS.

Control framework

We expect everyone who engages with the NDIA and NDIS to act with honesty and integrity. Participants, nominees and providers who use NDIS funds to pay for supports in line with an NDIS plan must comply with relevant Australian laws, rules and regulations.

NDIA staff, partners and contractors must also make sure that Commonwealth money is used in accordance with the law.

We regularly check the strength of our fraud and corruption control through:

  • risk assessments
  • regularly updating our Fraud and Corruption Control Plan.

Our Fraud and Corruption Control Plan outlines how we are meeting our responsibilities under the:

  • Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
  • Commonwealth Fraud Control Framework 2024.

Fraud and Corruption Control Plan

Download the Fraud and Corruption Control Plan:

Compliance and Enforcement Framework

Our approach to compliance and enforcement within the NDIS is outlined in our Compliance and Enforcement Framework.

Download the Compliance and Enforcement Framework:

Crack Down on Fraud

The Crack Down on Fraud program supports the work of the Fraud Fusion Taskforce and is focussed on strengthening our systems and improving our processes to detect, prevent and respond to fraud.

This will make it easier for participants to use and pay for NDIS supports in the right way, and for providers to claim for NDIS supports they deliver in the right way.

The Crack Down on Fraud program will improve:

  • our systems that assess, process and pay over 400,000 NDIS claims per day
  • systems that check identities to increase participant safety and privacy
  • the my NDIS app and NDIS portals.

The program will build:

  • New ICT systems to connect with other agencies, providers and banks so claims and payments can be done faster with less errors.
  • A new fraud investigation system that will connect with other enforcement agencies.

Improvements from the Crack Down on Fraud program are being developed in consultation with the disability community and sector.

Crack Down on Fraud improvements delivered include:

  • connecting NDIS portals and app with myGov
  • more information supporting claims – ABNs and evidence
  • new fraud tip-off form
  • improving how we identify accounts accessing our systems
  • manual reviews for plan manager payments
  • removed less secure sign in option.

Fraud Fusion Taskforce

The NDIA and the Australian Government are taking stronger measures to find and stop fraud and serious organised crime in the NDIS and other government programs. We have zero tolerance for any criminals exploiting the NDIS. Anyone doing the wrong thing will be found, removed from the NDIS and may be referred to law enforcement agencies for investigation.

The Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT) led by the NDIA and Services Australia, started in November 2022, as a partnership between government agencies working together to find and stop fraud in the NDIS and other government payment programs. Through the FFT, the NDIA is working closely with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, Services Australia, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Federal Police, Australian Tax Office and other Commonwealth partners.

New capabilities are now in place to protect participants’ safety, wellbeing and privacy. These aim to disrupt bad practice and fraudulent behaviours of providers, including prosecuting and shutting them down.

There are two focus areas of the FFT:

  • operations: detect, investigate and act against fraud cases in the NDIS and other government programs and payments. This includes intelligence sharing and working together through operations.
  • strategy: improving integrity in the Scheme, by strengthening systems, policies and processes making it harder for someone to do the wrong thing.

At a systemic level, the FFT has identified eight patterns of recurring deficiencies that have enabled high levels of fraud and abuse within government payment programs, all of which were relevant to the NDIS:

  1. Rushed deployment
  2. Lax entry standards
  3. Misaligned incentives and market design failures
  4. Complex design
  5. Unverified trust-based claims and approvals
  6. Under-resourced and reactive oversight
  7. Weak enforcement
  8. Poor Australian Public Service institutional memory and agility. 

The FFT also identified seven building blocks that should be embedded in every government payment program to improve integrity: 

  1. Identity is not optional: Embed verified identity, authentication, and authorisation into transactions, registrations, and payments to ensure individuals and entities can be consistently recognised and trusted across systems.
  2. Real-time suitability is needed: Suitability to provide supports should be continuously monitored by real-time information systems and coded to criteria consistently applied across government.
  3. Verify by default; trust by exception: Systems should verify claims made by providers and Agencies should make data available to support each other in developing these verification systems.
  4. Share data to close the loops: Government systems should talk to each other and aim to hardwire compliance with other Commonwealth and State/Territory obligations.
  5. Make supply chains transparent: Inputs for a supply should be visible to make it as difficult as possible to fabricate a claim.
  6. Deploy multiple layers of defence: The ability to detect and prevent must go hand-in-hand with the capability to investigate and respond.
  7. Vigilance is necessary to contain exposure: Fraud and error are inevitable. However, proactively identifying threats, their causes, and vulnerabilities in controls can help to contain the spread and reduce the potential for further harm. The pace, scale and complexity of the NDIS have meant that system delivery and legislative settings have evolved over time, and in some areas have not kept pace with the growth and maturity of the Scheme.

The 2026-27 Federal Budget was focussed on strengthening payment and tax system integrity, value for money from essential services and fraud prevention across government. Along with other integrity investments, the FFT has been extended to continue to address fraud and serious non-compliance in NDIS and other government payment programs.

The long-term investment and outcomes of the FFT will help make sure that NDIS funding goes directly to participants so they can access the disability-related supports and services they need.

Fraud Fusion Taskforce Ethics Guide

The Fraud Fusion Taskforce Ethics Guide outlines the approach, values, principles and core standards to guide all work of the Taskforce. It provides a foundation to promote ethical behaviour and making ethical decisions. This allows the Taskforce to operate with integrity, fairness and accountability.

Read the Fraud Fusion Taskforce Ethics Guide:

Let’s work together to combat fraud

We encourage NDIS participants and providers to continue to report any suspected fraud cases to the NDIA and the Taskforce to investigate. Learn more about recognising fraud and how to report it.

Useful contacts

Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)

Administrative Review Tribunal conducts independent reviews of administrative decisions made under Commonwealth laws. If you are unhappy after the internal review of an NDIS decision, you can apply for a Tribunal review.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in markets to benefit consumers, businesses, and the community. This includes helping people to comply with Australian competition, fair trading, and consumer protection laws.

Australian Human Rights Commission

The Australian Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory organisation that protects and promotes human rights in Australia and internationally.

Australian Tax Office

The Australian Tax Office (ATO) manages and shapes the tax and superannuation systems that support and fund services for Australia. The ATO provides a range of supports to people with disability to help them meet their tax obligations.

Commonwealth Ombudsman

The Commonwealth Ombudsman protects the Australian community by helping people who feel they have been treated unfairly or unreasonably by an Australian Government agency.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of a complaint against the NDIA, you can seek assistance from the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is an independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services. They have a range of responsibilities including:

  • responding to complaints
  • promoting choice and control
  • registering and regulating NDIS providers and overseeing the NDIS Code of Conduct and NDIS Practice Standards
  • working in collaboration with states and territories to design and implement nationally consistent NDIS worker screening.

Services Australia

Services Australia are responsible for the delivery of services and payments on behalf of the Australian Government. This includes Centrelink, Medicare and child support. If you have any problems with Medicare or Centrelink, Services Australia can help you.

Useful state and territory contacts

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

New South Wales (NSW)

Northern Territory (NT)

Queensland (QLD)

South Australia (SA)

Tasmania (TAS)

Victoria (VIC)

Western Australia (WA) and the Indian Ocean Territories

This page current as of
3 June 2026
Indicates required field
Was this page useful?*
Why?
Why not?