Forget establishing that an actual debt exists – this is 2018 and come hell or high water the Turnbull Government wants to use Centrelink to prop up its financial bottom line in time for the May 2018 budget papers.
To that end Centrelink management has increased the number of alleged debts referred to contracted private debt collectors working on commission.
On 12 April 2017 The Guardian reported that: Centrelink has used private debt collectors to pursue 43% of the debts raised by its controversial “robo-debt” system, a rate vastly higher than normal.
By the end of the 2016-17 financial year Services Australia/Centrelink had raised 2,384,91 welfare recipient debts with a calculated worth of $2.8 billion, of which $1.64 billion is said to have been recovered - an est. $126,100,000 to $126,280,000 by private debt collectors.
BACKGROUND
The Canberra Times, 9 June 2017:
Centrelink's controversial robo-debt program has been blamed for a huge surge in legal challenges by people facing the welfare agency's demands for money.
Centrelink debt cases at the federal appeals tribunal have soared by more than 50 per cent since mid-2016 and The Greens have laid the blame for the surge, which might take years to work its way through the system, squarely at the feet of robo-debt.
My office has worked tirelessly to assist scores of people who received incorrect Centrelink debt notices. In one case someone received a notice demanding $12,377.93 before we challenged the debt on their behalf & Centrelink conceded that they didn’t owe a single cent (1/2)— Peter Khalil MP (@PeterKhalilMP) February 20, 2018
My daughter got a debt FBT debt, she had no idea about until ATO took it out of her tax— DameJenntheAmazing Research Fellow of Smartarsery (@Jenn1964Hussey) February 21, 2018
She contacted her local MP for help
She got her money back plus an extra 1k due to same errors #robodebt @AustralianLabor please reinstate Social Security where we help not hinder vunerable
After a surprise call from @Centrelink alleging 10k of decade old debt and requesting bank statements dating back to 2008, @Centrelink have the gall to say I’m asking for “too much information” to see written proof of said debt. #notmydebt @not_my_debt Sorry WHAT?!— cam (@cam06056055) April 19, 2018
Update for 10yr old 10k robodebt. Have received NOTHING in writing @Centrelink. Got multiple calls requesting bank info from 10 yrs ago that ANZ can’t provide. 2day I was threatened with final call asking for these unattainable docs before the “algorithm” is applied @not_my_debt— cam (@cam06056055) April 20, 2018
For more examples go to
https://twitter.com/not_my_debt
or
https://www.notmydebt.com.au/stories/notmydebt-stories
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