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The Latest Breaking News from Services Australia

Welfare call times drop, claims processing faster

New performance data from Services Australia will show call wait times and the processing of claims have improved, with people getting help faster.

AAP

Australia’s child support system can put single mothers at risk of poverty and financial abuse

Australia’s child support system can not only increase women’s poverty, but can actually facilitate financial abuse, according to our recent research.

The Conversation

Services Australia data breaches surge as scammers try to hack customer accounts using stolen details

Exclusive: Breaches linked to ‘social engineering’ rise by more than 440% after nine reported last year

The Guardian - AU

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AGL overcharged customers after services were stopped

A Federal Court judge has ruled against energy provider AGL, finding it contravened national rules by overcharging customers.

AAP

Centrepay report that found major failings ‘ignored’ by successive Coalition governments, author says

Anna Buduls says her 2013 report, which found major failings with controversial debit system, was mostly forgotten about

The Guardian - AU

Media exposure has forced the government’s hand on Centrepay. The contrast with robodebt could not be more stark

The Centrepay revelations should shock Australians – but not the government, after years of complaints about financial exploitation

The Guardian - AU

Consumer watchdog urges crackdown on businesses using Centrepay to cause financial harm

It is alleged energy companies deducted money from welfare payments of people, including Indigenous Australians, who were no longer customers

The Guardian - AU

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Scammers are targeting myGov accounts during tax time. How can users protect their ATO refunds?

Criminals change phone and email details to prevent users from receiving myGov notifications – before altering tax returns and bank account details

The Guardian - AU

Corporate regulator urges crackdown on Centrepay after more than 40% of businesses found to be non-compliant

Asic alarmed at commonwealth finding that almost half of companies investigated failed to follow standards

The Guardian - AU

The robodebt six: why it’s time we were told who was referred to the corruption commission

The royal commission’s ‘sealed chapter’ was designed to let other agencies investigate, not protect the reputation of those implicated

The Guardian - AU

Advocate given second chance in robodebt document fight

Human rights activist Justin Warren has won an appeal in a long-running legal battle to access documents behind the botched robodebt scheme.

AAP

AGL thought it was doing welfare recipients a ‘favour’ when refunding money it wrongly collected, court hears

Overpayments – many from welfare recipients – were held as credit to pay a future bill that AGL ‘knew was never coming’, federal court told

The Guardian - AU

Bill Shorten’s Speech Writer Was Paid $300K A Year & Oi Bill I’ll Do It For Half That

Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten has come under fire after the salary of his speechwriter was revealed in Senate estimates.

Pedestrian.tv

Bill Shorten’s speechwriter paid $300,000 a year by Services Australia, Senate estimates told

Julianne Stewart has secured two-year contract despite agency employing 200 media and communication staff

The Guardian - AU

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The Guardian - AU

Origin Energy wrongly took $2.5m from nearly 3,000 ex-customers via Centrepay

Figures revealed in Senate hearing as Services Australia says the money, taken from welfare payments under the debit scheme, is being returned

The Canberra Times

New Services Australia boss to face big test at estimates

David Hazlehurst began in the agency on January 8.

The Guardian - AU

Centrepay scandal: energy firm Origin wrongly received funds from welfare payments of former customers

Exclusive: Company is the third supplier known to have been given payments from vulnerable Australians in cases exposed by Guardian Australia

The Guardian - AU

Child support used as ‘tool of violence’ for economic abuse of women in Australia, report finds

Women’s Legal Services Australia says fathers take ‘extraordinary measures’ to reduce taxable income and support payments

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The Guardian - AU

Financial rights advocates ‘seriously concerned’ about how Youpla support scheme will be spent

‘Disappointment’ comes after documents reveal only two-thirds of $96m will go to Indigenous victims of predatory funeral fund

AAP

Services Australia receives $314 million security boost

Aggression towards Services Australia staff has prompted a $314 million safety boost including extra security guards and live monitoring of CCTV.

The Guardian - AU

About a third of $96m ACBF-Youpla victim support scheme to be spent on administration

National Indigenous Australians Agency and Services Australia will receive about $30m to run program for Aboriginal victims of predatory funeral fund

The Guardian - AU

AGL’s use of Centrepay not audited for two years despite allegations it wrongly took $700,000 from vulnerable Australians

Exclusive: Services Australia says it is also working to retrieve overpayments from Queensland’s Ergon Energy

The Guardian - AU

Urban Rampage banned from using Centrepay to sign up mostly Indigenous customers to credit arrangements

Asic finds arrangements posed ‘significant risk’ of financial hardship but clothing store says it will appeal ‘racist and paternalistic decision’

AAP

Centrelink claims backlog slashed after hiring blitz

More than 500,000 claims made to Services Australia have been removed from the backlog in just 10 weeks.

The Guardian - AU

Landlords charging Centrepay transaction fees to vulnerable tenants against scheme policy

Administration fees for debit system should be covered by business but renters – including a disability pensioner – have still been made to pay

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