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ABC News
ABC News
National

Government lawyers were told Robodebt's income-averaging method couldn't be used to calculate welfare debts, royal commission hears

Rhys Cauzzo died after being contacted more than two dozen times by Centrelink and debt collectors. (Supplied: Jenny Miller)

An email warning Robodebt's income averaging method could not be used to calculate welfare debts was circulated among top-level government lawyers in late January 2017, a royal commission has heard.

The communication was revealed shortly before the commission heard from a mother whose son took his own life the same month after being targeted in dozens of phone calls, text messages from Centrelink and debt collectors chasing an alleged Robodebt.

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