Category Archives: Centrelink

Robodebt could target pensioners and ‘sensitive’ groups, leaked documents show

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Exclusive: Coalition needs to include over 65s and other disadvantaged welfare recipients to hit $600m budget plan

The Morrison government could target thousands of pensioners and other “sensitive” welfare recipients under a proposed expansion of the controversial robodebt scheme needed to achieve a promised $2.1bn in budget savings, according to confidential documents seen by Guardian Australia.

The documents, stamped “PROTECTED CABINET”, show the scheme would fall $600m short of its required budget savings unless it is expanded to hit “sensitive” groups originally quarantined from data matching.

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‘Really upset’: welfare changes forced woman to volunteer as husband was dying

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Amid debate around the low rate of Newstart, for those nearing pension age, a collision of policy adjustments is taking its toll

Marie Jentner’s husband was dying when Centrelink gave her some more bad news: she was now a jobseeker.

At 62, she had quit her job of 27 years to care for Siegfried, who had testicular cancer and couldn’t walk or look after himself. When he was moved into palliative care the following year, Jentner’s carer’s payment was cancelled and she was put on the lower Newstart allowance.

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Homeless woman says Centrelink took entire $3,500 tax return for disputed robodebt

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Couch surfing 50-year-old says welfare agency told her she wasn’t in financial hardship

A Melbourne woman battling homelessness says her entire $3,500 tax return was swiped by Centrelink last month, despite the fact she disputes the alleged robodebt.

But when Sue Prgic, 50, complained to the agency that the money had been taken without her knowledge, she said staff had asked to know what she would do with the cash if it were returned.

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New rules for job seekers prompt warning about another ‘robodebt debacle’

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Mutual obligation overhaul welcomed but government urged not to rely on ‘automated compliance’

The government’s proposed changes to how job seekers are made to look for work while receiving welfare have been mostly welcomed by stakeholders – although it’s also been warned against creating another “robodebt” scenario through an overreliance on automation.

Kelly O’Dwyer announced the biggest overhaul in mutual obligation requirements for 20 years on Wednesday, with the government to free job seekers from having to apply for 20 positions a month, as well as allowing job hunters to look for work online.

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‘Right intention’: Kelly O’Dwyer rules out changes to ParentsNext before election

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Minister says errant providers of the welfare program will be penalised, but critics say this is ‘too little, too late’

Kelly O’Dwyer has ruled out making changes to the contentious ParentsNext welfare program before the election, despite urgent calls from the employment services sector, social service and women’s groups, and Australia’s human rights watchdog.

Defending the $350m program as having the “right intention”, the jobs minister said the government would instead consider penalising providers that breached the rules.

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