[Brad Lockyer]

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced there will be a royal commission into the previous government’s controversial automated debt system, dubbed ‘robodebt’.

The scheme used an automated program to match tax and Centrelink data for people in order to raise any debts they may have had with Centrelink.

Unfortunately, the system issued many debt notices for money the customer didn’t owe, causing widespread distress.

It was ruled unlawful by the federal court in 2019.

“The royal commission will examine the establishment of the scheme, who was responsible for it and why it was necessary,” Mr Albanese said.

“How concerns were handled, how the scheme affected individuals and the financial costs to government, and measures to prevent this ever happening again.

A royal commission into robodebt was a major election commitment by the Albanese government.

Did you receive any debt notices under the robodebt scheme?

[Gerry]

Wonder who the Social Security Minister was when the scheme was introduced ? 

[RnR]

In April 2015, measures to create budgetary savings by increasing the pursuit of outstanding debts and investigation of cases of fraud in the Australian welfare system were first flagged by the Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison and the Minister for Human Services Marise Payne, and formally announced by the Abbott Government in the 2015 Australian federal budget.

In December 2016, Minister for Social Services Christian Porter publicly announced the implementation of this new automated debt recovery scheme, which was given the colloquial name ‘Robodebt’ by the media, was estimated to be capable of issuing debt notices at a rate of 20,000 a week.

On 29 May 2020, Stuart Robert, Minister for Government Services announced that the ‘Robodebt’ debt recovery scheme was to be scrapped by the Government, with 470,000 wrongly-issued debts to be repaid in full. The total sum of the repayments is estimated to be A$721 million.

On 31 May 2020, Attorney-General Christian Porter, who was Minister for Social Services when the Robodebt system was first implemented and who had previously defended the scheme, conceded that the use of averaged income data to calculate welfare overpayments was unlawful, stating that there was “no lawful basis for it”.

More.

[Horace Cope]

It is hoped that the Royal Commission’s remit includes that Labor set up the data matching scheme that morphed into RoboDebt to recover overpayments by Centrelink. The scheme was considered legal until the ATO advised the government on 19th November 2019 that it was in fact illegal. The relevant minister cancelled RoboDebt on the same day. The formal announcement was made the following year even though RoboDebt had stopped in November 2019.

[Poppa Bear]

What is the current PM trying to rake up? This scheme was withdrawn as soon as the courts had determined it was illegal, and the wrongly-issued debts were to be repaid in full. As long as that did in fact happen (???) what extra can be gained by the expense of a Royal Commission?

Put the money into education and hospitals!

[Sue Ridge]

Maybe it’s to cover up the broken promises made before the election. The reduction in electricity costs by $250, registered nurses in aged care homes 24/7 and reducing the cost of living are some that will not be met. Maybe it’s to cover the much vaunted “plan” to fix everything that has become a Summit to get ideas. Albanese and Turnbull are similar in that they wanted to become PM but once in the big chair had no idea what to do once there. Please Labor, do the job you were elected to do, run the country.

[Pacahawi]

Robodebt refunds were only made to certain categories of people.

My friend received Pensioner Educational Supplement while attending TAFE classes – totally legit!

He has folders of paperwork and TAFE records of passing or failing courses, but because he often forgot to write his name on the piece of paper at the door of the classroom, Centrelink powers-that-be claimed he did not attend.

He is deaf, disabled and has since been accepted as an NDIS client.

This is totally wrong, but I will try to change things for him with this RC being proposed.

[KSS]

Even if your friend is deaf and disabled, clearly they were able enough to complete a TAFE course and therefore able enough to sign in at the start of each classroom attendance. Adults are generally entrusted with signing their own names on a register rather than the teacher reading out names and ticking them off. I just don’t buy that this friendx of yours could not sort out his own mistake with Centrelink. And if it is true, then perhaps the standards at TAFE need another Royal Commission investigation.

[Author]

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