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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Luke Henriques-Gomes Social affairs and inequality editor

Inaccuracy of robodebt scheme ‘known issue’ but was ‘only way’ to do more reviews, commission told

Annette Musolino gives evidence at the royal commission into robodebt
The former chief counsel at the Department of Human Services, Annette Musolino, says administrative decisions were ‘typically made on incomplete information’. Photograph: Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme

A former top lawyer at the Department of Human Services has told an inquiry it was a “known issue” robodebts were often wrong but the “income averaging” algorithm meant the government could target many more welfare recipients.

A royal commission investigating the unlawful Centrelink debt recovery scheme also heard new evidence the former government was warned about the prospect of a civil claim for misfeasance in public office if the scheme continued beyond November 2019.

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