Sex worker who shared a guide to help those with ‘invisible illnesses’ access NDIS funding scores huge government grant

A sex worker who claims to receive around $60,000 in NDIS funding was also given $130,000 by a local council to build an organization to help others in the industry.

Estelle Lucas, 33, from Melbourne, who uses their pronouns, receives funding from the National Disability Program for a range of mental health conditions including depression, ADHD, autism and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Lucas shared a series of YouTube videos in December and January this year, giving other people with ‘disability or neurodivergence’ tips on what to say to successfully apply for NDIS funding.

In June last year, the 33-year-old founded an organization called Bigger Sister Channel, which received a $130,000 grant as part of the City of Melbourne Council’s Social Investment Partnerships 2023-25 ​​program.

Lucas’ organization gives sex workers basic tools on how to manage their finances and realize their labor rights in the industry.

Bigger Sister Channel also offers workshops and advice on a range of topics relevant to sex workers.

Before launching the organization, Lucas was awarded the 2022 Kenneth Myer Innovation Fellowship, with recipients receiving up to $180,000 each.

The fellowship is offered by the philanthropic foundation Sidney Meyer Fund and The Myer Foundation.

Recipients of the grant will receive up to $180,000 “to focus on approaches that have the potential to achieve positive outcomes for society.”

“A maximum of $180,000 is available to each Fellow for their twelve-month Fellowship, consisting of a $140,000 stipend and up to $40,000 for approved project costs,” the foundation’s website explains.

‘Project costs are those directly related to the Fellowship from its inception, such as renting a separate work space (if required), travel and hiring external expertise, and available on a fee-for-service basis.

‘During the 12 months, Fellows have access to a range of support, including a panel of experts, meeting quarterly, a mentor and the network of former Fellows.’

Lucas said they were able to launch Bigger Sister Channel with the financial support of the fellowship.

Their organization has now also secured a $130,000 grant from the City of Melbourne Council.

The money will go toward a “tailored financial literacy program” to “economically empower sex workers.”

“This includes developing materials (online videos, workshops, podcasts, multimedia content) and delivering weekly skills sharing sessions,” according to a council document seen by Daily Mail Australia.

‘In addition, BSC will work with financial organizations and relevant government agencies to make their services accessible to sex workers.

“By solving financial pain points, providing real solutions, building capacity and challenging stigma through collaboration, this project will create lasting positive change for the City of Melbourne (CoM) and beyond.”

All grant applications are thoroughly assessed against eligibility requirements and recipients are required to provide regular updates to the council.

The Myer Foundation was contacted for comment.

Lucas has frequently spoken out about their struggles with mental health and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder causes severe irritability, depression, or anxiety in women in the week or two before their period.

They shared a three-part video series on the Bigger Sister Channel YouTube account, explaining what people with similar disabilities, including other sex workers, needed to do to successfully apply for NDIS funding.

“For a psychosocial disability like me, that’s $60,000 that you don’t have to work for to survive because that’s what I used to pay for, like help around the house and just being a functioning human being,” they said.

Just months after posting the video, Lucas claimed they could make up to $10,000 a week through sex work. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting they earn that amount every week.

The NDIS is not means tested and does not take your income or assets (such as your home or investments) into account when determining your eligibility.

Lucas recently said they do not condone or support fraudulent behavior around the NDIS, and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting otherwise.

“It is not easy to fake an invisible illness and the level of evidence required often means that many people with invisible illnesses have more difficulty, not less, in accessing the NDIS,” they wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday post.

‘I made the video because I know that there are many disabled people who engage in sex work because they are not aware of the support options available for disabled people and because being disabled is expensive.

‘This video was not intended to instruct fraud and I am confident that even if someone wanted to, my insights simply could not be used to fraudulently access the NDIS. That just wouldn’t be possible.’

In their videos, Lucas explained that it took them fifteen years to discover they were disabled, as they had had mental health issues since they were teenagers.

She explained which ‘buzzwords’ people should use to access financing if they have a psychosocial disability.

The NDIS said it can fund people with psychosocial disabilities by improving their functional capacity to carry out daily tasks, increasing independence and helping them participate in social, work and study life.

Psychosocial disabilities refer to disabilities resulting from psychological problems.

In their videos, Lucas took potential applicants through a series of questions they had to answer to prove that their lives had been significantly affected.

‘The purpose of this video is to inform you about what the NDIS is, to help you perhaps clear out some of the internalized ableist rhetoric that makes you feel unworthy of access to this service, or that you do not. deserve it and also to demystify the process a bit.’

Lucas said they receive about $100 a week for travel expenses because sometimes they can’t drive or use public transportation.

They said they had also used some of their NDIS funding to pay their brother to do some garden work around their home.

Lucas gave tips about the type of information the information requesters would be questioned about and what they should say about it.

This included the need to meet criteria on topics such as self-care, mobility, learning, socializing and communication.

Those applying for NDIS funding who have psychosocial disabilities must provide statements from doctors stating that there are no treatment options.

Lucas said they wrote their own letter of support with the “right buzzwords” for their doctors to review and sign “because I know my own history.”

The 33-year-old said their daily lives were affected by their own ‘invisible illnesses’ and there were often days when they could not get out of bed.

They said people often associated disability with something physical you could see, but added that there were many “invisible diseases” that were “just as devastatingly difficult to live with as, for example, not being able to move your legs”.

Lucas has had access to NDIS funding since 2022.

‘I didn’t see myself as disabled. I refused to be sick, but that also came at the expense of my health,” they said in a video.

“When I go behind closed doors I fall apart, and it hurts too much and I’ve hurt myself in so many ways. It took me more than fifteen years to accept that I was disabled.’

Lucas explained that they did not immediately seek support from NDIS because they ‘didn’t feel worthy’ and did not want to ‘steal’ from others who needed it.

They said they were making good money and didn’t think this was an option for them.

“You don’t have to prove that you’re poor, you don’t have to prove that you’re worthy of this, you just have to prove that you’re disabled and it’s affecting your daily life,” Lucas said.

‘I didn’t want to steal from people who deserved it more because they couldn’t work, unlike me who could and made a lot of money.

‘What really sold me on NDIS was the fact that I thought, what if I don’t want to work in this industry anymore and I would be forced to have sex with men even if I didn’t want to, and that made me feel very uncomfortable.

‘And then I realized that I deserve help.

‘These are not handouts like I am fully eligible for this and I know there are many (sex) workers who are fully eligible for the NDIS and just don’t know how to start the process.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lucas for further comment.