The Govt Just Axed Its Fucked Robodebt Scheme & Is Now Refunding A Casual $721 Million
by By Lavender BajThe Federal Government has just announced a plan to clear all debt raised through the dreaded robodebt scheme and return the staggering $721 million in funds raised.
“Robodebt” is the term given to the controversial averaging process used by the Australian Government in which data from the ATO was matched with Centrelink income reports from welfare recipients. The system was scrapped in November last year after a class action found that the system used flawed methods to calculate alleged Centrelink overpayments.
In a statement today, Services Australia announced that a whopping 470,000 debts will be waived as a result, which is a huge win for Aussies who have been impacted by the controversial scheme.
“It is important to note all other income compliance debts will continue to be subject to recovery, ensuring the integrity of Australia’s welfare system,” Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert said.
According to the ABC, a total of $721 million, including fees and interest, is expected to be refunded from July.
You don’t need to do anything right now if you think you could be entitled to a refund from the robodebt scheme. More information will be available on the Services Australia website shortly.
More to come.