provider writing up invoices for services not made to a fund

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Hi,

I'm really concerned about my wellbeing and how I feel physically. I know alot of this arises because of my reaction to my environment and the people in it.

I was sent a financial report showing remaining balance from a disability funding I was granted for my daughter to learn 'Social Skills' from a woman who I kind of know because of the autism spectrum and our now adult children. January this year I had a balance of $410 and I calculated it to 8 further sessions before end of financial year 2017. We got to complete 4 sessions at $50 each so thats $200. So the funding balance is empty, and I said to social skill woman, I was not particularly motivated anymore because of all the driving I was doing and primarily my daughter has barely improved socially, so the course was doing very little benefit.

So I really want to know where $135 has been spent,(I'm yet to bring this up)

She said she would take one session and use that for petrol expense and she only drove my daughter home 2 of the 4 sessions and we dont live miles from town $15 would have been ample to take her home 2 times.

Part of me says, if you bring this up, it might ruin my daughters only social outing, pizza and board games one Saturday night per month ( Social Skills woman runs this night) and my daughter enjoys this.

Do I let this one go and just be wary and continue with the social Saturday once a month.

We were approved for the NDIS plan and now I know what to look for. It wouldnt surprise me how many providers would write invoices for services not made, especially if there was a funding grant.

What do I do, what would you do? Please advise me. I'm feeling ill over this. Its quiete dispicable really.

Now she is texting me to talk with her, so she can explain it away and talk me out of what I believe to be true and factual

Any advice would be appreciated, thoughts. Many thanks

This would upset me too.

I have a pragmatic question, though. Is this grant only to be used for services with this woman, or is it transferable, so that you could use it on something else, if you wanted?

I would probably send her a professional (but pleasant) letter asking for an accounting of all funds (I would not say just the $135 dollars that you are upset about--I would say that you need a written accounting of all of it "for your records" so it does not look like the criticism it is, at first.

If I could not use the money elsewhere, I probably would try to control myself from making a production out of it and look at it as a sunk cost so I could do the pizza --- board game thing without issue. Why? Well, if I would have to use the money with her and the sessions were useless and just a pain to drive to, I would be probably getting negative returns on the money at that point anyway.

If I could use the money for something else, then my response would be dependent on her answer to the accounting question.

Wanted to say thankyou @ASDMommyASDKid for replying. The funding was exclusively for my daughter to learn social skills and the initial report said 'first consult was $75 and 20 session each at $45. This new year she put her sessions at $50 but it still does not count for a missing service of $135 and invoices were written for this. The kitty was empty.

If my interacton with her gets heated my daughter I feel will be discriminated at the pizza/board games night, I dont leave her there as she is very poor with her boundaries and the ratio of gender is 90%male 10% female.

I asked the woman to please send me a list of written invoices for this year and numbers were not adding up and the balance was now nil. Her response was to talk, I am too annoyed to talk to her right now and want to cool off first, I know she just wants to talk it away. I also have been granted a new scheme for our states (its brand new) for disability insurance scheme and providers are keenly aware now this is rolling out right now. This woman probably has karma coming her way, as I dont want her with 100miles of this grant. Its disgusting people can do this, this money is for therapy to help my child have the life she wants.

But if I'm not cool about this, my daughter would I feel be discriminated on the pizza/game night.

There are not a lot of opportunities for my daughter, at this time.

Was this grant a government grant? If so, I would be reporting this individual to the appropriate authorities.

If it was from a private foundation, report this person to that foundation. If they're of no help, report it to the government ombudsman where you are located, who should direct you to the correct government entity for investigation and possible prosecution.

So this program is new?

OK - here's an alternate thought. Mostly just adding this to provide a different prospective. It might prove irrelevant.

In the past, did she send her invoices straight to the state and get reimbursed that way? If so, the practice of including every little activity as a new service would be pretty standard. For example, if she considered driving your daughter to and fro as a new service, this is just down right normal, when you are billing the state.

It's a game where the practitioners try to get as much from the state as possible. Kind of like most people and their taxes - we look very closely at every possible clause and loophole to see how we can pay as little as possible. Except in this game, practitioners look to see how much they can charge the state.

Putting that money directly in your hands really changes that game. It makes it much more personal. And yes, you are able to keep track of what's going where much more easily. There might be an element of this where she needs to adjust how she is charging to adapt to the fact that the consumers are directly in charge of the funds. It's not that she's "dirty" or illegal, but simply lagging behind in her ability to adapt to change. (Wait. What does that sound like?)

I really think you need to think about this thing where you asked someone to come provide personalized taxi service for your daughter and you don't think you should pay for that at all. It's a lot more than gas money here. First off, that's personal attention time. Secondly, she is taking a risk putting your daughter in her car. A lot of people wouldn't be willing to do that at all because of the liability risk. So, she really did you a solid those two times she drove your daughter to the events. So, remember that when you talk to her.

The solution is as said above - ask for an invoice. Without the drama and the accusations. Just check it out. If it doesn't balance with your state fund account, you also need to make sure that it wasn't a STATE problem before you blow your fuse at her. (What!! ! The state make an error? NO! )