About 3m Australians affected by unlawful Centrelink debt calculation to be eligible for up to $600 compensation

Comments

• HalfEarthMedic@slrpnk.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  “Our social security system is designed to be there for Australians when they fall on hard times, which is why it’s important debt recovery processes must be fair and transparent,” Plibersek said.

  Anyone who has actually had to rely on centrelink knows this to be untrue. The intent may be to help those who need it but the structural design assumes everyone is a welfare cheat until proven otherwise. If you do manage to prove that you’re not a bludger you can get below poverty level amounts of money and if centrelink makes a mistake you’re on the hook.

  This is a small positive step but remember the context.

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  • null@piefed.au ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    the structural design assumes everyone is a welfare cheat until proven otherwise

    I disagree. I work in a related industry and sadly see a lot of people trying to interact with centrelink.

    Over the years I've developed a strongly held belief that their processes are designed to be invasive and difficult to follow in order to discourage claimants. Dealing with centrelink is your last, worst option, and that is by design.

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  • Spuddlesv2@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    The purpose of a system is what it does. Whatever they SAY it’s for is irrelevant in the face of the obvious reality.

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• DampSquid@feddit.uk ⁨22⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  I’ll happily forfeit my $600 if I can stab Scott Morrison with a knitting needle

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• GiovanniBruzzolini@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

  “We came to the settlement offer of $600 as studies have shown that to be an amount that poor people view to be a lot of money.”

  Something uttered by someone at Centrelink, probably

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• null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Too little too late, but better than nothing.

  Centrelink is a parody of how Australian Government Departments should not behave.

  Some Ministers, and Commissioners, ought to be held personally accountable for overseeing very obvious violations of the laws they are supposed to be upholding.

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