Two Labor MPs have slammed the Turnbull Government over the Centrelink debt saga, and have repeated calls for the government’s cash claw-back to be put on hold until the matter has been cleared up.
The federal welfare agency has sent debt notices to thousands of people across Australia in recent months in an attempt to reclaim overpayments – some dating back several years.
But many people have claimed they have been mistakenly issued debt notices demanding thousands of dollars, with the Department of Human Services saying they have to begin paying back their debts while their appeal is reviewed.
“Particularly for a person on a low income, any sign that the government might be coming after them to recover a substantial amount of money is enough to make your stomach turn,” Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon said.