Australian government spent $52m more on welfare calculator after finding a more effective alternative

Services Australia paid $191m over four years to multinational Infosys for a calculator that processed only 784 aged care claims. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The federal government spent $52m on a failing welfare calculator even after being told there was a more accurate, simple and reliable option available.

In all, Services Australia paid $191m over four years to the multinational company Infosys for a calculator that processed only 784 aged care claims before being written off as a failure in late July.