Charity linked to former Labour advocate under government investigation

Friday, 17 April 2026

Christchurch woman Chelsea Taylor wants an advocate to “stop taking advantage of vulnerable people” after she contacted the NZ Disability Advisory Trust for help navigating WINZ benefits, but was later charged $2,616 for services over 13 days.

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A Christchurch woman says she wants a disability advocate to “stop taking advantage of vulnerable people”.

Chelsea Taylor spoke out last year about her experience with the NZ Disability Advisory Trust (NZDAT), a charity she turned to for help to navigate Work and Income benefits.

Taylor, who has autism, ADHD, and reactive attachment disorder, said she trusted the organisation to help her, but was later charged $2616 for services over 13 days.

She had signed a Letter of Engagement outlining the trust’s fees, but because of her intellectual disability, said she did not fully understand she would be charged.

Chelsea Taylor said she trusted Nick Stoneman to help her navigate Work and Income benefits but was charged $2616 for his services over 13 days.

The NZ Disability Advisory Trust is a registered charity co-founded by former Labour Party Kirk Disability Sector chairperson Nick Stoneman.

The Department of Internal Affairs has now opened an investigation into the charity, Stuff can reveal.

Stoneman, chairman of the trust at the time, made headlines last year after Taylor claimed he had “mistreated” her. She had befriended him on Facebook two years earlier, knowing of him as an advocate for autistic and neurodiverse people.

Taylor also lived with Stoneman for a short period of time.

Stoneman said all his clients were aware of the trust’s fees and he was still awaiting payment. He denied being Taylor’s disability navigator and said the duties were carried out by other trust staff.

Stoneman, who is also on the spectrum, went on to call Taylor a “narcissistic autistic”.

Following Stuff’s coverage, MSD opened an investigation.

According to a provisional Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) decision seen by Stuff, MSD considered whether an offence had occurred under section 292 of the Social Security Act.

Nick Stoneman, chairman of the trust at the time, made headlines last year when Christchurch woman Chelsea Taylor alleged he had mistreated her.

That law makes it illegal to demand or accept payment for help to obtain a benefit. MSD decided not to lay charges, however, it has confirmed it has since removed Stoneman and the trust from acting for clients.

In a statement, George van Ooyen, MSD group general manager client service support, said: “We have discretion to remove someone to act as an agent if we have concerns. We have done that in the case of Mr Stoneman and the New Zealand Disability Advisory Trust.”

During Stuff’s reporting into Taylor’s allegations last year, the DIA was also approached for comment in April, querying the invoices issued to her.

In response, the DIA said that it “investigates concerns of serious wrongdoing and significant breaches of the Charities Act”, directing complaints through its formal channel.

Stuff sent another email in June referencing an HDC decision which named the trust and found failures in its handling of vulnerable clients.

Asked whether it was investigating the trust in light of the report, DIA said it reviewed the report and determined the Commissioner was the appropriate authority to act on the matters outlined.

Taylor said her experience with Stoneman had left her feeling, “terrible and upset”.

Two weeks later, Taylor made a complaint to the DIA.

In the complaint sent on June 17, Taylor said Stoneman was “charging huge amounts of money for very basic support”, going on to list Stuff’s coverage.

In a recent statement, a DIA spokesperson said it is aware of concerns raised by members of the public regarding the trust.

“We are investigating the matter in line with our usual processes. We are unable to provide further comment while this work is ongoing,” the spokesperson said.

Speaking to Stuff on Monday, Taylor said it was “best for the interests of other people” that action was taken. She said the charity should be “shut down”.

She said her experience had left her feeling “terrible” and “upset”.

The trust is still listed as a registered charity, but appears as temporarily closed on Google.

In the provisional HDC decision, Stoneman said: “‘Because of Ms Taylor's lies we have been subjected to the most threatening behaviour… we don't have client arm and she is actively trying to destroy our trust.”

Stoneman was approached for comment but did not respond.

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