Ombudsman to investigate Centrelink debt recovery
9 January 2017
AAP, SBS News
The Commonwealth Ombudsman is set to investigate Centrelink's debt recovery system.
Ombudsman
Centrelink's 'diabolical' debt recovery scheme under investigation, Commonwealth Ombudsman says
9 January 2017
ABC News
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the Centrelink debt recovery scheme, which was been described as a "diabolical" failure by industry experts.
Australians On "Brink Of Suicide" Over Centrelink Fiasco, Says Wilkie
4 January 2017
BuzzFeed
Centrelink’s debt recovery letters cast Australians as guilty before they can prove they are innocent, and have driven some to the brink of suicide, says independent MP Andrew Wilkie.
Centrelink wipes surprise $7800 debt after Indigenous woman seeks answers
4 January 2017
SBS
An Indigenous elder claims Centrelink cleared her of nearly $8000 debt after she said she would take her case to the Ombudsman’s Office.
Centrelink debt recovery system is terrifying people: Wilkie
4 January 2017
SBS
The ombudsman has been asked to investigate faults with Centrelink's new automated debt recovery system.
Flawed Centrelink debt recovery system 'bringing some to the brink of suicide': Andrew Wilkie
4 January 2017
The Age
Centrelink's contentious debt recovery system is making some of the targeted people feel suicidal, independent MP Andrew Wilkie has claimed, as the furore over the clawback persists despite the government's insistence it is working exceptionally well.
The Tasmanian MP said the Commonwealth Ombudsman had agreed to his request to look into the matter.
VIDEO
Calls for Centrelink debt bungle probe: claims welfare recipients are being wrongly hounded
4 January 2017
Daily Telegraph
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has been asked to investigate faults with Centrelink’s new automated data matching system that has resulted in welfare recipients being wrongly hounded to pay debts.
“I’ve had four people now approach me ... who I would describe as presenting as suicidal,” [Independent MP Andrew Wilkie] told reporters in Hobart.
Australian independent calls on Ombudsman to weigh in on Centrelink debacle
4 January 2017
ZD Net
Independent Member for Denison Andrew Wilkie has written to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, asking for an investigation into the Centrelink automated debt recovery system that has seen some letters demanding money repayment sent in error to welfare recipients.
Centrelink debt is terrifying people: MP
4 January 2017
9News
Centrelink debt notices are pushing some welfare recipients to the brink of suicide, an independent MP has warned.
Ombudsman asked to investigate Centrelink
4 January 2017
The West Australian
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has asked the Commonwealth Ombudsman to investigate faults with Centrelink's new automated data matching system after receiving more than 100 complaints to his electoral office about problems with the debt recovery process.
"The government has terrified countless people, ruined the Christmases of many and even driven some people to contemplate taking their own lives," Mr Wilkie said in a statement. [...] "You don't have to be a genius to tell that taking someone's yearly income and dividing by 26 is not always going to produce accurate results if only because people's circumstances change," he said.
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