Somebody needs to tell these idiots that big data is a guarantee of big problems...
Centrelink: Social Services Minister Christian Porter defends debt recovery system
By political reporter Stephanie Anderson
Updated
Updated
Social Services Minister Christian Porter has defended the Federal Government's new debt recovery system by Centrelink following claims some people have been mistakenly targeted.
Labor has cited incorrect findings in calling on the Government to suspend the system, which cross references employment data from the Australian Tax Office and Centrelink.
But Mr Porter said the system was working, citing a low complaint rate in response to the 169,000 letters sent out since July.
He told the ABC that the majority of people contacted have not been required to provide any supporting documentation, instead asked to go online and update information.
"These are not debt letters," he said. "They are polite letters, the initial letter that goes to the welfare recipient saying that an issue has arisen, that there may be a discrepancy and we require some further information."
Automated system gets 'enormous number of complaints' Some recipients are required to supply paperwork from up to five years ago, but Mr Porter said that applied to a "very small number" of people.
He added that the system had recovered $300 million since the start of the financial year. "What this system is doing is raising real debts around real overpayments based on real cross referencing of evidence," he said.
But Shadow Minister for Human Services Linda Burney said it should be suspended, citing "inherent problems right across the system".
Ms Burney told the ABC on Monday that she had written to the Minister over the matter, citing an "enormous number of complaints".
"It's an automated system that has clearly got enormous problems," she said. "Why should it be the recipients' responsibility to prove they're right when the Government is making the mistake?"
Ms Burney today tweeted that the system needed to "get it right before threatening people", referencing the #notmydebt social media campaign launched in response to Centrelink.
Last week, Liberal backbencher Eric Abetz said the system should be "ironed out" if there were issues with false findings, but did not go so far to call for its suspension.
"If people have been over-claiming, then indeed they should be paying back," he said.
"If there is a fault in the system in relation to the request for repayment, then in those circumstances, of course the situation ought to be revisited."
Late last month, the man in charge of the new system said that those feeling "lost in the system" should write to him directly.
Hank Jongen, the general manager of the Department of Human Services which runs Centrelink, told Triple J's Hack program that the system was not designed to accuse people of rorting.
How the debt recovery system works:
· The system sends you a letter advising you of a potential welfare debt and asks you to review its figures online. It also sends an SMS.
· When you log on you can update the information. You have 21 days from the date of the letter to go online and update.
· If you don't log on, Centrelink will make a default judgement its information is accurate. You will then be issued with a debt notice.
· If you do update the information, Centrelink may ask you to provide supporting documentation. This can include bank statements, letters from an employer, or payslips.
· If you think the decision is wrong you can ask for a review.
Dear Hank: Centrelink boss offers personal email as complaints over ‘fraud accusations’ soar
http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/centrelink-boss-offers-personal-email/8136138
Posted Tue 20 Dec 2016
by Sarah McVie
The man in charge of Centrelink’s new system, which is sending thousands of automated letters to welfare recipients asking them for money back, says those feeling “lost in the system” should write to him directly: hank@humanservices.gov.au
Last week, Hack spoke to students who say they have reported their income correctly to Centrelink but are now being accused of welfare fraud.
It's the result of a brand new system that matches the income you declared to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) with the income you declared to Centrelink. It's able to go as far back as 2010. When it detects a disparity, it automatically generates and dispatches a letter. For the Government, it's all about clawing back billions of dollars believed to have been incorrectly paid to welfare recipients.
The number of letters sent since the new system was implemented around six months ago has skyrocketed: from 20,000 claims per year to 20,000 claims per week.
Hank Jongen, the general manager of the Department of Human Services which runs Centrelink, says the system is not designed to accuse people of rorting.
These letters identify anomalies and they give the individual the opportunity to correct the record,” he told Hack.
But 25-year-old Sydney man Dave*, who received Centrelink while studying law at university, says he’s been asked to pay a debt he doesn’t owe.
“I am a lawyer. Being essentially accused of welfare fraud does not sit well with me,” he wrote in a letter sent to Hank Jongen and provided to Hack.
“When I was on Youth Allowance in 2013-14, I reported correctly every single time. Why am I being sent a request for payment of a debt? I do not owe a debt. Centrelink has not proven that I owe a debt. This is essentially an audit, except instead of asking me for information Centrelink has simply asked for money.There is no valid basis for this claim.
“Annual income, as reported by the ATO, is plainly not indicative of fortnightly income (which is what I was required to report). Most students work casually and their annual income is not paid regularly. This was the case for me. Some weeks I earned a lot, others I earned a little. I reported this accordingly!”
Dave* went on to say that Centrelink’s approach is unfair and creates a “great deal of stress for people, especially just before Christmas”. He says he will be complaining to the Commonwealth Ombudsman and has contacted his local MP.
Hank, listen. The onus is not on us to prove that we are not welfare frauds. Centrelink cannot claim that we owe a debt without having a valid basis for that claim. The mere fact that we earned a certain amount in a year is not enough.”
He says he’s frustrated that the website, which the letters encourage people to use to resolve their problems, has been giving him a “service unavailable” message. It’s an issue Hank Jongen acknowledged and apologised for, saying the problem has now been fixed.
“It is something we would factor in (when it comes to deadlines for information) if people have had difficulty putting in their circumstances,” he told Hack.
Dave* is one of hundreds of people who have shared their stories of trying to prove their innocence to a bureaucracy they say is difficult to navigate.
read more http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/centrelink-boss-offers-personal-email/8136138