A 57-year-old New South Wales woman has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after being convicted over a $2.2 million fraud against the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

The sentence was handed down at the Downing Centre in Sydney on Friday, with the case described as one of the most serious NDIS fraud matters prosecuted since a national taskforce was established to target criminal misuse of the scheme.

The woman was convicted of five counts of dishonesty and one count involving dealing with proceeds of crime valued at more than $1 million. She had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to dishonestly obtain a financial gain from the Commonwealth.

Investigators found that the offending involved more than 1,000 false claims submitted against the disability support program. The fraudulent activity allowed significant amounts of public money to be obtained through claims that did not represent legitimate services or expenses.

The court imposed a total sentence of seven and a half years, with a non-parole period of four years. The severity of the penalty reflects the scale of the alleged fraud and the large amount of money involved.

The case forms part of broader efforts to protect NDIS funding from organised fraud. A specialist national taskforce was established in late 2022 to investigate complex and systematic fraud affecting government programs, including cases involving false invoices, misuse of identities and networks of people working together to obtain payments improperly.

Since the taskforce began operating, dozens of people have been convicted in cases involving significant losses to the scheme. Authorities have increasingly focused on identifying organised groups and individuals who exploit the NDIS payment system for personal financial gain.

The case also highlights the challenge faced by authorities in protecting a rapidly expanding public program. The NDIS provides support funding to eligible Australians with disability, meaning fraudulent claims can potentially reduce resources available for people who legitimately depend on the scheme.

Authorities have stressed that enforcement activity will continue against people who attempt to exploit the system. Investigators are using financial records, payment information and cooperation between government agencies to identify suspicious activity and trace money obtained through alleged fraud.

The prosecution also sends a warning to businesses and individuals involved in providing services through government-funded programs. Professionals and service providers who deliberately submit false information can face serious criminal consequences when fraudulent conduct is uncovered.

The woman’s sentence is currently regarded as the toughest prison term handed down in an NDIS fraud case. Her conviction demonstrates the significant penalties courts can impose when large-scale dishonesty causes substantial financial losses to government programs.

Authorities are continuing to investigate other suspected cases of NDIS fraud across Australia. Further prosecutions are expected as investigators work through complex financial networks and identify people allegedly involved in fraudulent claims.

The case reinforces the importance of protecting public funding and ensuring that money allocated for disability support reaches the people and services for which it was intended.