The Latest Breaking News from Department of Human Services

Ministerial staffers failed to consider damning Robodebt report, inquiry hears

Ministerial staffers failed to consider a report which found Robodebt was so "deeply flawed" it should have been "stopped", a royal commission into the illegal scheme hears.

ABC News · Feb 27, 2023

Robodebt inquiry: evidence contradicts witness’s claim he didn’t know unlawful method was being used

Former Department of Human Services official tells inquiry he can’t explain emails and other documents he saw referring to use of income averaging

The Guardian - AU · Feb 24, 2023

Public servants may have ‘colluded’ to launch robodebt despite knowing it was unlawful, inquiry hears

Former deputy secretary Serena Wilson denies ‘reconstructing events’ in her evidence to the royal commission to protect her own interests

The Guardian - AU · Feb 23, 2023

Email reveals top bureaucrat pressed ombudsman to delete comments questioning robodebt’s legality

Correspondence published by inquiry show then Human Services head told federal watchdog she was concerned about comments due to an ongoing court hearing and wanted them removed

The Guardian - AU · Feb 9, 2023

Taxpayer-funded review that found 'flaws' in Robodebt scheme was discontinued by Department of Human Services, royal commission told

In a deal worth almost $1 million, the Department of Human Services engaged a consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to review the budget savings program, but then declined to see the end result.

ABC News · Feb 3, 2023

Christian Porter tells inquiry ‘someone’ in department assured him robodebt was legal but ‘I can’t recall who’

Former social services minister and attorney general also says he accepts some responsibility for the scandal

The Guardian - AU · Feb 2, 2023

Former chief counsel did ‘nothing’ to address legal doubts over robodebt, royal commission hears

Annette Musolino told by commission she let the system run despite advice saying there was a fundamental problem with its legality

The Guardian - AU · Jan 31, 2023

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

Former top lawyer for the Department of Human Services said she relied on another department’s position that income averaging scheme was lawful

The Guardian - AU · Jan 30, 2023

Former government services minister Stuart Robert was warned Robodebt scheme could lead to civil action

Former government services minister Stuart Robert was warned continuing the illegal Robodebt scheme could lead to the civil action, the royal commission is told.

ABC News · Jan 30, 2023

Department of Social Services legal team was under 'definite pressure' from senior leadership, former in-house lawyer tells Robodebt inquiry

A former in-house legal officer tells the Robodebt royal commission that departmental cultural issues and leadership changes may have impacted the handling of the flawed scheme.

ABC News · Jan 27, 2023