Vulnerable clients allegedly being overcharged by the Office of the Public Trustee
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Disclaimer: *Some names in this article have been changed for privacy purposes.
The Office of the Public Trustee in Queensland has been accused of overcharging some of its most vulnerable clients, according to a bombshell report.
The agency has been accused of pushing people into poverty with unreasonable fees, and a separate review commissioned by the Public Trustee suggested charging an even higher annual fee.
Two years ago, Sue* feared that she was at risk of gambling away a disability payout worth $20,000. This comes after a particularly difficult manic episode that was triggered by a mental health disorder.
She visited her GP, who then advised her to give the Queensland Public Trustee temporary control of her finances. The Queensland Public Trustee is a government agency that manages money for people who cannot do so themselves.
Sue* mentioned that she’d heard of them before, but ‘didn’t know much about them’. She asked her doctor if she could dismiss the Public Trustee once she was better. Her GP said that as soon as she could manage her own affairs, all she had to do was get a medical report to confirm that she was better.
Despite her recovery, the government agency kept control of her money – a situation that Sue* described as a ‘living nightmare’.
Sue* is supposed to receive a Centrelink allowance of $750. She shared that she uses the money to buy food, personal hygiene stuff, cleaning products, and fuel for her car.
However, she said that she only receives $200 a week from the Public Trustee.
‘I’m in debt. I’m borrowing money from family and friends to live on.’
Sue* also shared that she’s not aware of the fees she’s supposedly paying because the government agency only emails a link to her statements – a link that expires within 14 days upon receipt. There are no hard copies of her accounts.
The Public Trustee previously said that it ‘takes information privacy and security matters seriously’. The government agent explained that customers can contact a Trust officer if they ever need assistance.
Luckily, Sue* is now back in control of her finances and is taking regular medication, according to her GP and psychiatrist.
However, reports from Queensland’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) claim that the Public Trustee must ‘remain her financial administrator’.
Around 50,000 Australians are under the control of trustees and guardians.
Gag laws across the country make it difficult for people to speak up about their experiences to the media – this is a crime punishable by jail or hefty fines.
In 2021, a bombshell report diving into the government agency was released by the Public Advocate, Queensland’s disability watchdog.
The report found that many clients were charged unreasonable fees for little-to-no service.
The Public Advocate also alleged that the Public Trustee was earning fees by investing people’s money in its funds and taking a cut out of the earnings – which is something that the Public Trustee has deemed permissible under Queensland’s laws.
Last week, the Queensland government responded to the report by releasing a separate review commissioned by the Public Trustee.
In the review, it was recommended that the Public Trustee ‘charge clients even higher fees, increase its hourly rates, and use a time-billing method for more accurate charges’.
It was also recommended that the government agency raise its annual fees for the majority of its clients – that’s over 10,00 people who have lost capacity because of brain injuries, intellectual disabilities, or dementia.
Matilda Alexander, the Chief Executive of Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion, said that the report prioritised the ‘financial stability for the Public Trustee’ instead of the care needed by their vulnerable clients.
‘They don’t have the basics to live a dignified life, despite having that money in the bank,’ she said.
The Office of the Public Trustee is facing additional scrutiny after a Four Corners report revealed that their cognitively impaired clients were unaware of the fees taken out of their accounts. These fees were reported to be tens of thousands of dollars.
Following the Four Corners report, the Public Advocate recommended that the gag laws surrounding the QCAT be repealed, this would then reveal the identities of the clients under the Public Trustees’ care. However, authorities opposed the proposal.
Well, members, what can you say about this report? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The Office of the Public Trustee in Queensland has been accused of overcharging some of its most vulnerable clients, according to a bombshell report.
The agency has been accused of pushing people into poverty with unreasonable fees, and a separate review commissioned by the Public Trustee suggested charging an even higher annual fee.
Two years ago, Sue* feared that she was at risk of gambling away a disability payout worth $20,000. This comes after a particularly difficult manic episode that was triggered by a mental health disorder.
She visited her GP, who then advised her to give the Queensland Public Trustee temporary control of her finances. The Queensland Public Trustee is a government agency that manages money for people who cannot do so themselves.
Sue* mentioned that she’d heard of them before, but ‘didn’t know much about them’. She asked her doctor if she could dismiss the Public Trustee once she was better. Her GP said that as soon as she could manage her own affairs, all she had to do was get a medical report to confirm that she was better.
Sue* said that she didn’t know much about the Public Trustee. Credit: Alex Green in Pexels
Despite her recovery, the government agency kept control of her money – a situation that Sue* described as a ‘living nightmare’.
Sue* is supposed to receive a Centrelink allowance of $750. She shared that she uses the money to buy food, personal hygiene stuff, cleaning products, and fuel for her car.
However, she said that she only receives $200 a week from the Public Trustee.
‘I’m in debt. I’m borrowing money from family and friends to live on.’
Sue* also shared that she’s not aware of the fees she’s supposedly paying because the government agency only emails a link to her statements – a link that expires within 14 days upon receipt. There are no hard copies of her accounts.
The Public Trustee previously said that it ‘takes information privacy and security matters seriously’. The government agent explained that customers can contact a Trust officer if they ever need assistance.
Luckily, Sue* is now back in control of her finances and is taking regular medication, according to her GP and psychiatrist.
However, reports from Queensland’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) claim that the Public Trustee must ‘remain her financial administrator’.
Around 50,000 Australians are under the control of trustees and guardians.
‘I don’t know how they sleep at night, to be honest with you,’ Sue shared in an interview. Credit: Alex Green in Pexels
Gag laws across the country make it difficult for people to speak up about their experiences to the media – this is a crime punishable by jail or hefty fines.
In 2021, a bombshell report diving into the government agency was released by the Public Advocate, Queensland’s disability watchdog.
The report found that many clients were charged unreasonable fees for little-to-no service.
The Public Advocate also alleged that the Public Trustee was earning fees by investing people’s money in its funds and taking a cut out of the earnings – which is something that the Public Trustee has deemed permissible under Queensland’s laws.
Last week, the Queensland government responded to the report by releasing a separate review commissioned by the Public Trustee.
In the review, it was recommended that the Public Trustee ‘charge clients even higher fees, increase its hourly rates, and use a time-billing method for more accurate charges’.
It was also recommended that the government agency raise its annual fees for the majority of its clients – that’s over 10,00 people who have lost capacity because of brain injuries, intellectual disabilities, or dementia.
The majority of the Public Trustee's clients are people who have lost capacity due to dementia or other brain injuries. Credit: Pixabay in Pexels
Matilda Alexander, the Chief Executive of Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion, said that the report prioritised the ‘financial stability for the Public Trustee’ instead of the care needed by their vulnerable clients.
‘They don’t have the basics to live a dignified life, despite having that money in the bank,’ she said.
The Office of the Public Trustee is facing additional scrutiny after a Four Corners report revealed that their cognitively impaired clients were unaware of the fees taken out of their accounts. These fees were reported to be tens of thousands of dollars.
Following the Four Corners report, the Public Advocate recommended that the gag laws surrounding the QCAT be repealed, this would then reveal the identities of the clients under the Public Trustees’ care. However, authorities opposed the proposal.
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