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The Latest Breaking News from Services Australia

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’

The Guardian - AU

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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.

AAP

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

The Guardian - AU

‘Financial abuse’: how a debit scheme to help vulnerable Australians led to exploitation instead

A Guardian investigation has revealed that Centrepay is exposing scores of welfare recipients to financial harm. Advocates say the government must act now

The Guardian - AU

Morning Mail: pressure mounts over Gaza, agency warned about Centrepay, Taylor Auerbach to return to stand

World Central Kitchen urges Albanese government to join call for inquiry into attack; Asic gave repeated heads-up to Services Australia about problems

The Guardian - AU

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Government ignored warnings more than 100 companies may be misusing Centrepay scheme, Asic says

Services Australia’s failure to act ‘inexcusable’ and urgent action needed to help people struggling to get by, senators say

The Guardian - AU

AGL was warned it was wrongly taking welfare payments from former customers but failed to act, court hears

Exclusive: Documents suggest energy company and Services Australia knew of significant risk of incorrect deductions via Centrepay system

The Guardian - AU

Second energy firm wrongly received money from welfare payments under Centrepay scheme

Services Australia is working with Ergon to return overpayments, prompting fears the issue first identified at AGL could be widespread

The Guardian - AU

‘I just kept paying’: Indigenous people are being exploited by businesses using Centrepay debit scheme

Many of those who sign up are from regional or remote communities, speak English as a second or third language and have limited access to clothing, household goods and services

The Guardian - AU

‘I had no access’: ex-residents of controversial rehab centre say welfare payments were taken against their wishes

Guardian Australia investigation reveals role of Centrepay in controlling income of residents at WA religious centre Esther House

The Guardian - AU

Energy giant wrongly received thousands from welfare payments of former customers under Centrelink scheme

Exclusive: Calls to overhaul controversial Centrepay debit system that diverted $700,000 to AGL and helped prop up Perth-based gay conversion centre

The Guardian - AU

Disability pension claims blew out to more than 80 days on average at the end of last year, data reveals

Department of Social Services figures show some areas had average wait times of more than 200 days between September and December

The Guardian - AU

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The Guardian - AU

Brain tumour patient had Centrelink payments suspended while in hospital recovering from surgery

Australian Council of Social Service says ‘unconscionable’ case shows why mutual obligations system must be ‘replaced with a fair system’ for jobseekers

The Guardian - AU

Services Australia apologises over Centrelink call centre performance as age pension claims hit by huge delays

New data reveals backlog of 1.1m claims across all payments while around half of all calls to Centrelink went unanswered in six-month period

AAP

More than 1m claims outstanding at Services Australia

The head of Services Australia has vowed to reduce the claims backlog at the department, with more than one million yet to be resolved.

The Guardian - AU

Jobseeker endured 11 weeks without Centrelink payments but was still forced to attend job agency appointments

Advocates say government failing to meet ‘basic obligation’ to process claims quickly after Tim McCabe spent weeks with ‘no income’

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The Guardian - AU

Top Australian debt collector still operating in Victoria despite blacklisting

Exclusive: Consumer Affairs Victoria investigating Panthera, which was fined $500,000 in 2020 after pursuing debts from people who were not liable

The Guardian - AU

‘You are deceased’: Services Australia bungle results in woman losing bank accounts and pension

A 74-year-old carer was mistakenly declared dead by Centrelink two times in a case advocates describe as illustrating the ‘devastating consequences of automation’

The Guardian - AU

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

Services Australia paid Infosys almost $200m over four years before technology was written off as a failure

The Guardian - AU

Two people were jailed for welfare debts that Centrelink may have calculated unlawfully

The cases are probably wrongful convictions and prosecutors should facilitate appeals, a legal expert says

The Guardian - AU

Centrelink should consider waiving 100,000 debts that may be unlawful, ombudsman report finds

Watchdog says Services Australia and the Department of Social Services ‘did not act promptly’ to address the issue and calls on agencies to apologise

AAP

Welfare recipients made to sweat on miscalculated debts

Public servants responsible for welfare payments have been told to hurry up and rectify the situation for those who were slugged with unlawful Centrelink debt.

The Conversation

For domestic violence victim-survivors, a data or privacy breach can be extraordinarily dangerous

A suite of recent cybersecurity data breaches highlight an urgent need to overhaul how companies and government agencies handle our data. But these incidents pose particular risks to victim-survivors of domestic violence.

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