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**TRIGGER WARNING** Centrelink’s debt collection ‘pushed him over the edge’
18 February 2017
The Saturday Paper
TRIGGER WARNING:
This article contains an extended discussion of the circumstances around a suicide.
As Centrelink continues its campaign of flawed and inscrutable debt collection, a young man commits suicide.
Centrelink debt system: government knew of error risks 'for decades'
17 February 2017
Guardian
The man who led the first audit of Centrelink data-matching in 1999 says the government has known for decades that the process was prone to error without human oversight.
John Mayger, a retired auditor with the Department of Social Services, said his audit showed that detecting overpayments through data-matching was problematic without a high degree of staff vetting to provide an effective balance.
Centrelink no longer requires immediate payment from those sent robo-debt letters
15 February 2017
Guardian
Government softens debt recovery system after backlash over recipients being required to pay back money even if they are disputing the debt
Have your say: Senate Inquiry into Centrelink automated debt recovery
14 February 2017
ACT Council of Social Services Inc
The Federal Parliament has established a Senate Inquiry into the Centrelink automated debt recovery program (widely known as 'robo debt').
Your personal information does not have to be made public; you can choose to suppress your personal information, or make your submission confidential.
Submissions to the Inquiry are due Wednesday 22 March 2017.
Centrelink debacle: Wilkie introduces bill for fairer debt recovery
13 February 2017
Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Member for Denison
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, this morning introduced a Private Member’s Bill that would ensure Centrelink cannot make automatic deductions from a person’s payment to settle a debt while the person is appealing that debt.
Centrelink debt recovery program: Department rejects FOI requests relating to plagued scheme
10 February 2017
ABC News
The Department of Human Services is refusing Freedom of Information requests on its new automatic debt recovery program.
In at least eight cases, the department has attempted to refuse or delay the release of documents because it claims it is "not clear" which program the request refers to, could not find relevant documents, or found too many documents.
Government launches bid to stop Centrelink staff strike
10 February 2017
The Guardian
Industrial action by Department of Human Services staff designed to ramp up pressure over debt clawback system and not legitimate enterprise bargaining, claims government.
Centrelink: Debt-recovery 'monumental mess' to be investigated by Senate committee
8 February 2017
ABC News
Centrelink's controversial debt-recovery program will be investigated by a Senate committee to determine why thousands of Australians were incorrectly told they needed to repay money.
Centrelink staff will use debt system inquiry to expose dysfunction, says union
8 February 2017
The Guardian
Centrelink staff are planning to use a Senate inquiry into the automated debt recovery system to highlight the level of dysfunction within the Department of Human Services, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.
A motion referring the controversial system to the Senate’s community affairs references committee passed on Wednesday afternoon, as expected, with the support of Labor, the Greens and the crossbench.
Centrelink robo-debt scheme an 'absolute atrocity' but class action not on cards
8 February 2017
SMH
The odds of a joint action against the federal government's Centrelink debt recovery program have narrowed, with lawyers saying it's considered highly unlikely such an action would succeed.
However, Slater and Gordon – and perhaps some of Australia's other leading class action law firms – are investigating Centrelink's handling of the scheme, and have not ruled out challenging the legality of its conduct under Commonwealth laws.