Centrelink scandal: union reports appeals against welfare debts at 'record' levels
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Version 0 of 1. Centrelink staff have reportedly told their union that the number of appeals against welfare debts are at “record” levels. The Community and Public Sector Union has continued to receive feedback from its members on the controversial compliance system and released a sample of comments from 18 Centrelink employees on Tuesday. One staff member spoke of the high numbers of appeals, contrary to previous comments by the human services minister, Alan Tudge, who said the number of disputes remained low. “Appeals in our office are at record numbers – and no one is doing them – no time!” the official wrote. The Department of Human Services was approached for comment on the claim but was unable to respond by deadline. It has consistently defended the system, saying some staff do not appear to understand how it operates, what their role is, or were resistant to technological change. “We will continue to work with staff to explain how the system operates and the role they play,” a department general manager Hank Jongen, said last week. Another worker said the department’s freedom of information team had fielded more than 200 requests for information related to the compliance system since December. A third called for senior management to be accountable for the problems with the debt recovery system. “There needs to be responsibility taken by senior management regarding the accuracy and integrity of the [data matching and online compliance intervention] systems,” the worker wrote. “Every customer who is requested to pay a debt that doesn’t exist, or who cannot be given an assured review outcome within a reasonable time (now over 50 days I believe) walks away with a negative image that adds to the impact of the system.” Rallies are being planned to protest against the automated system, including one organised by the Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union in Melbourne, at Victoria’s state library. The “Dignity, Not Debt” rally will take place on 31 January and will include a speech from Duncan Storrar, the man who questioned tax breaks for the rich on the ABC’s Q&A program. The union’s president, Owen Bennett, said the rally called on the government to abolish the debt recovery system, show welfare recipients dignity, properly fund and staff Centrelink, and lift social security payments above the poverty line. “We just want to make it clear that the government’s approach to social security recipients is completely unacceptable and put forth our demands for a humane social security system that respects the rights and dignity of welfare recipients,” Bennett said. “We feel that part of our society is just being beaten down, it’s out of sight, out of mind. “We feel this debt issue is such an important one, because it’s basically ushering in a double standard. It’s treating social security recipients as second-class citizens, they’re not given the same rights as other people with debts.” He said the rally would help keep the issue on the agenda. “We can’t rely on the Labor party and people in politics to keep on pushing this issue, it has to be people themselves affected, who are given a voice in Australian politics,” he said. “That’s one of the main roles of the rally.” |