The Turnbull Government must immediately suspend the Centrelink robo-debt debacle following more disturbing claims from a Centrelink whistleblower.
According to reports Centrelink assessors are being directed to ignore obvious errors in the calculation of debt, unless customers directly object.
A Senate inquiry into Alan Tudge’s bungled robo-debt system has today revealed that Probe Group, a major debt collection contractor for Centrelink, is paid a commission on every debt it collects.
The senate inquiry into Alan Tudge’s bungled robo-debt system will hear first hand from Tasmanians over the next week as hearings are held in Hobart today and Launceston on Thursday.
The inquiry is expected to hear that despite Mr Tudge’s claims that the system is working well, it has actually been a disaster for the most vulnerable Tasmanians.
External debt collectors hired by Centrelink as part of the government's controversial automated debt recovery program are being paid a commission for each debt they recover, a Senate inquiry has been told.
Hundreds of Central Coast households have been caught up in Centrelink’s “robo-debt” debacle which has left many of the region’s battling welfare recipients unfairly accused of cheating the system.
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“The government is stealing from people,” Opposition human services spokeswoman Linda Burney said.
Almost 85,000 welfare recipients were forced to repay Centrelink debts in the two months leading up to Christmas, new figures show.
Department of Human Services secretary Kathryn Campbell defended the need to call in debts over the Christmas period during a senate inquiry into the Centrelink “robo-debt” recovery scheme today.
Ms Campbell also blamed the level of media scrutiny on the scheme in January for escalating public concern and the amount of calls to Centrelink.
Department officials were also asked to address reports that a Centrelink recipient took their own life due to their concern about the debt they owed.
Scott Morrison's problem in delivering the budget is that people don't trust him.
He said Centrelink's new data matching software was going to deliver more "accurate and appropriate income testing". It would "cut red tape and ensure that mistakes are minimised".
A young doctor says a private debt collection agency chasing her Centrelink debt misleadingly claimed to be the Australian Government.
It's the latest allegation that debt collectors appointed by the Government are using aggressive tactics to get money from Australians targeted by robo-debts.
It starts with a barrage of text messages telling you to urgently call a number. Then the persistent phone calls, sometimes more than ten a day.
Then come the letters telling you to pay “immediately” or risk “further recovery action”, including taking the money directly from your wages or bank account, or seizing your assets.
These mysterious antagonists are the debt collection companies paid millions by Centrelink to wage campaigns of harassment against unsuspecting Australians.
It's been making headlines since summer, when thousands of Australians suddenly found out they owed money to Centrelink.
Critics call it "robodebt", but how does the controversial system actually work?
INCLUDES AUDIO
