The parents of a young woman suffering from bipolar disorder claim being hounded for a National Disability Insurance Scheme debt triggered the depression that caused their daughter to take her life.
Hannah Friebel, 27 told her mother in April that she was ‘going for a drive’ but never came home, having ‘plummeted’ into deep depression and making two previous attempts on her life.
Her father John claimed that constant demands by the National Disability Insurance Agency (which runs the NDIS scheme) for Hannah to pay back $27,963.98 sent his daughter into depths of despair.
‘From our perspective, pursuing that debt was what triggered her depression which ultimately led to her death,’ Mr Friebel told A Current Affair.
‘For the first time ever after receiving the notification, Hannah became depressed.
‘We’d never seen it, the notification came in September and by October she was on anti-depressants.’
The NDIS notifications from the itemised 266 retrospectively rejected claims Hannah, who was a creative dancer and adjunct professor at Melbourne’s Monash University, had made on a self-managed plan back to April 2022.
Amounts ranged from as little to $4 up to $5991 for counselling services and included buying a ‘therapy dog’ as well as $3700 spent on food, which Hannah’s mother Jennie said her daughter ordered when unable to cook.
Hannah Friebel, 27, took her own life in April after being chased for a $28,000 debt by the NDIS
John Friebel said that the demands plunged his daughter Hannah (left) into a deep depression
The letter stated the amounts had to be returned because ‘you’re unlikely to need the supports as a result of your disability support needs’.
Hannah was diagnosed type 1 bipolar disorder four years before enrolling for the NDIS, where initially she was on what the agency calls ‘plan-managed’ support.
However, Hannah went on a ‘self-managed plan and that is where the trouble began, according to Ms Friebel
She said that it was fine when Hannah was well.
‘But when she’s not well, one of the symptoms of mania is grandiosity, big ideas, and excessive spending. And I’m thinking, ‘how’s this going to work out for her?’.’
Ms Friebel said after Hannah lost a hospital job, she ‘had no means’ to pay the debt back and the NDIA kept pursuing her even after she moved back into her parents’ home.
‘About every week they’d (the NDIS) give me a call asking what sort of payment plan was in place for repaying this money’ Ms Friebel said.
Despite her mental health struggles, Hannah still had a joyous presence.
‘You’d notice her as soon as she walked into the room, she’d have a big smile on her face,’ Ms Friebel recalled.
Hannah enjoyed a happy childhood in bayside Melbourne before a more challenging side emerged to her personality as she matured.
‘She started walking around the streets with a stick, telling us we had to do certain things,’ Ms Friebel said.
‘She was admitted to hospital with psychosis and mania.’
A fortnight ago before Hannah took her life, the NDIA contacted Ms Friebel to say they would stop pursuing the debt at ‘this time’.
But the promising news did nothing to improve Hannah’s outlook.
Ms Friebel will never forget going to answer a knock at the door and found a police officer ‘flushed and red in the face’.
Hannah Friebel’s parents John and Jennie Friebel (pictured centre and right) say the NDIA was remorseless in demanding Hannah to repay the debt
Hannah Friebel was a talented dancer before her life derailed
‘And they said we’re OK, are you OK?’ Ms Friebel said.
‘I said ‘I’m OK’ I just want to see my daughter, and they said ‘she’s dead’.’
The Friebels don’t hold the NDIA responsible for Hannah’s death but believe an overhaul to the agency’s processes could prevent a similar tragedy from reoccurring.
‘Rather than managing their spend through audit many many months and years later, I think they should be reviewing and approving transactions at the time they’re submitted, so that there is no risk of ever being in debt,’ Mr Friebel said.
A former unnamed NDIS staffer told the program that the number of people of self-managed plans ‘has gotten out of hand’.
Mental health advocacy group SANE called on the NDIS to provide better support to clients on self-managing plans.
‘Choice and control is fundamental. So anyone accessing a scheme should have the right to self-manage,’ SANE Australia chief executive Rachel Green said.
‘What the NDIS should have done, and urgently needs to do, is provide the kind of support to people like Hannah, to educate them, coach them, and give them the ability to manage their plans successfully.
‘It shouldn’t be that complicated to understand whether you’re going to be covered for something.’
The NDIA extended its deepest condolences to Hannah’s family and acknowledges the incredibly difficult time they have faced’.
‘The agency continues to meet and work with Hannah’s family to support how we can strengthen the way we support participants, such as improvements recently put in place and proposed legislative changes in the Getting the NDIS Back on Track Bill,’ a statement read.
‘The NDIA is aware of the challenges associated with the claiming process and has already implemented changes to improve this.’
‘Since January 2024, the NDIA has been implementing significant improvements to ‘make it easier for people to get it right’ and thus minimise risk of misuse or risks of debt.’
Hannah’s family don’t blame the NDIA for their daughter’s death but hopes their processes will be improved to prevent a similar tragedy from reoccurring
NDIS minister Bill Shorten described Hannah’s death as a terrible loss and agreed that the previous payment system shouldn’t have allowed this to happen.
‘It is important to acknowledge the agency was not pursuing Hannah’s debt before her death, and I’m advised they had informed her and her family of this fact beforehand,’ he said.
‘I know the agency is speaking directly with John and Jenny about reforming the NDIS payment systems, and many of the changes contained in the law that we hope to pass in the next day will strengthen the payments system to avoid accrual of claims,’ he said.
For confidential 24-hour support call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
