The parents of a young woman with bipolar disorder say harassment over a debt to the National Disability Insurance System triggered the depression that led their daughter to take her own life.
Hannah Friebel, 27, told her mother in April that she had gone “for a walk” but never returned home because she had “nosedived” into a deep depression and had attempted suicide twice previously.
Her father, John, said repeated demands from the National Disability Insurance Agency (which administers the NDIS scheme) for Hannah to repay $27,963.98 had driven his daughter into deep despair.
“From our perspective, chasing that debt was what triggered her depression that ultimately led to her death,” Friebel said. A current issue.
‘For the first time after receiving the notification, Hannah became depressed.
‘We had never seen him before, the notification came in September and in October he was already taking antidepressants.’
The NDIS notifications for the 266 detailed claims retrospectively rejected claims that Hannah, who was a creative dancer and adjunct professor at Melbourne’s Monash University, had made on a self-managed plan since April 2022.
The amounts ranged from as little as $4 to as much as $5,991 for counseling services and included the purchase of a “therapy dog,” as well as $3,700 spent on food, which Hannah’s mother, Jennie, said her daughter asked for when she couldn’t cook.
Hannah Friebel, 27, took her own life in April after being pursued by the NDIS over a $28,000 debt.
John Friebel said the lawsuits plunged his daughter Hannah (left) into a deep depression.
The letter said the amounts should be repaid because “you are unlikely to need the supports as a result of your disability support needs.”
Hannah was diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder four years before she enrolled in the NDIS, where she initially received what the agency calls “plan-managed” support.
However, Hannah followed a “self-managed plan” and that’s where the problems began, according to Ms. Friebel.
She said she was okay when Hannah was okay.
“But when it’s not right, one of the symptoms of mania is grandiosity, big ideas and overspending. And I wonder, ‘How is this going to go for her?'”
Ms Friebel said that after Hannah lost her job at the hospital she had “no means” to pay the debt and the NDIA continued to pursue her even after she moved back into her parents’ home.
“About every week I was getting a call from (the NDIS) asking what kind of payment plan I had set up to pay this money back,” Friebel said.
Despite her mental health issues, Hannah still had a cheerful presence.
“You could tell she was there as soon as she walked into the room; she had a big smile on her face,” Friebel recalled.
Hannah enjoyed a happy childhood in Bayside. Melbourne before a more defiant side to his personality emerged as he matured.
“She started walking the streets with a cane, telling us we had to do certain things,” Friebel said.
‘She was admitted to hospital with psychosis and mania.’
A fortnight ago, before Hannah took her own 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 prospects..
Ms. Friebel will never forget the moment she went to open the door and found a police officer “flushed and red-faced.”
Hannah Friebel’s parents, John and Jennie Friebel (pictured, centre right), say the NDIA was relentless in demanding Hannah repay the debt.
Hannah Friebel was a talented dancer before her life went off the rails.
“And they said we were okay. And you’re okay?” Ms. Friebel asked.
“I said ‘I’m fine’, I just want to see my daughter, and they told me ‘she’s dead’.”
The Friebels do not hold the NDIA responsible for Hannah’s death, but believe a review of the agency’s processes could prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
“Rather than managing their spending through audits many months and years later, I think they should review and approve transactions at the time they are submitted so that there is no risk of ever going into debt,” Friebel said.
An anonymous former NDIS staff member told the program that the number of people in Self-managed plans “have gotten out of control.”
Mental health advocacy group SANE has called on the NDIS to better support clients with self-management plans.
“Choice and control are key, so anyone who accesses a plan should have the right to self-manage,” said SANE Australia CEO Rachel Green.
‘What the NDIS should have done, and urgently needs to do, is provide the kind of support to people like Hannah, to educate them, empower them and give them the capacity to successfully manage their plans.
“It shouldn’t be that complicated to understand if you’ll be covered for something.”
The NDIA expressed its deepest condolences to Hannah’s family and acknowledged 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 the recently implemented improvements and legislative changes proposed in the Getting the NDIS Back on Track Bill,” the statement said.
‘The NDIA is aware of the challenges associated with the claims process and has already implemented changes to improve it.’
‘Since January 2024, the NDIA has been implementing significant improvements to ‘make it easier for people to do the right thing’ and thus minimise the risk of misuse or indebtedness risks.’
Hannah’s family does not blame the NDIA for their daughter’s death, but hopes its processes will be improved to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten described Hannah’s death as a terrible loss and agreed the previous payment system should not have allowed this to happen.
“It’s important to acknowledge that the agency was not pursuing Hannah’s debt prior to her death, and I was told that she and her family had been informed of this fact beforehand,” he said.
“I know the agency is talking directly with John and Jenny about reforming the NDIS payment systems, and many of the changes contained in the bill we hope to pass next day will strengthen the payment system to prevent claims backlog,” she said.
For 24-hour confidential support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
