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21.01.2022 Spin like this the Minister must be very very dizzy I stood in and stopped it

20.01.2022 Since the robodebt refunds were announced, we've been asking how people now stuck on disempowering Cashless Debit Card and Basics Cards will be refunded. We've had multiple reports now via organisers against the Card of refunds going onto these cards instead of into real bank accounts If this happens to you, please contact No Cashless Welfare Debit Card Australia or us, so we can work together to figure out the scale of the problem and end it.

18.01.2022 Journalist Royce Kurmelovs has a great new book out on debt in Australia that covers robodebt really well. It’s called Just Money: Misadventures In The Great Australian Debt Trap. He’ll be talking to freelance journalist and digital rights activist Asher Wolf about it next Wednesday, the 16th of September if you want to know more.

17.01.2022 Darren O’Donovan is a Senior Lecturer in Administrative Law, and a long-time ally. In this tweet, he’s talking about how those with power reject the legitimacy of the term robodebt as a form of gatekeeping: it’s a way to control who gets to speak and be heard when they speak. They are doing this because they are *scared*.... They don’t have control of the conversation any more: people can get together and come up with a hashtag, build a website, create a movement. And when people get together, share their stories, compare notes, and give things their own names it’s not magic, it takes time and work, but it’s POWERFUL. You’ve all been so strong. Hang in there. You’re not alone. . [text reads:] The term robodebt is a marker for who gets to speak in public debate. It was created to generate a community and promote access to justice. It cut through all the whataboutism and spin. I tabled a justification of the term at the inquiry. Change starts with listening.

12.01.2022 The Senate’s Robodebt inquiry continues today 2:30PM - 5:30PM AEST. If you want to listen live, go to https://aph.gov.au/news_and_events/watch_parliament and scroll down to: Senate, Community Affairs References Committee (Centrelink’s compliance program)

10.01.2022 The architects of Robodebt don’t know... what Robodebt is. Royal Commission now.

09.01.2022 The latest Senate inquiry into robodebt has made A CALL FOR FURTHER SUBMISSIONS. Due date September 17th. The Senators want to know how well Services Australia (AKA the Department Formerly Known As The Department Of Human Services) are going with "implementing the changes announced in November 2019".... This community is very qualified to provide information on this subject. "On 19 November 2019, Services Australia announced that it would no longer raise compliance debts based on averaged income data, and that it would suspend its debt recovery process while it reviewed debts based on averaged income data." If this hasn't been your experience, tell the Senate inquiry! They need to know! Senate inquiries are one of the ways enough truth was brought out into the light to bring us this far, so it's worth your time. It might sounds a bit alien or formal, but really it's a lot like writing a letter. We have a step-by-step guide on our website to help you get started, including a Word template for a confidential submission. If you have any questions or want more support, send us a DM please put INQUIRY in caps in the first line so we can assign it to the right volunteer.

08.01.2022 Why hasn’t any Minister resigned over Robodebt? Here’s why

08.01.2022 Did anyone watch yesterday's Senate inquiry hearing? Here are a few points that stood out for us: Robodebt repayments do seem to be trickling out, but they're not providing exact figures:... the Department initially estimated estimated 378K people would get robodebt refunds so far 338K people's eligibility has been assessed so far 49K ‘debts’ have been zeroed rather than paid (because no money had been given to Centrelink yet for the 'debt') Value of zeroed debts taken on notice. Value of debts paid to date taken on notice. Senator Murray Watt asked about bank statements as "proof points" there is some suggestion that Services Aust. has legal advice it's not permissible to raise debts using bank statements alone, because of the near-impossibility of accurately reconstructing gross from net income. He asked if past debts raised relying on bank statements as the only proof point will be waived, and if the Dept will continue to raise robodebts using bank statements. The Major General sneered because the Senator mentioned reading about it in The Guardian; and her underling indicated that the Dept did plan to continue the use of bank statements. A big fuss was made of Single Touch Payroll as the solution to Centrelink's disastrous reporting system, but we're not convinced. How many employers stuffed up the JobKeeper claims process? How many employers engage in wage theft? How many precariously employed and vulnerable people work for employers who won't be using this technology?

06.01.2022 Us, in the Guardian, on everyone the class action settlement leaves behind and the continuing need for justice and accountability.

06.01.2022 Back in June, journalist Royce Kurmelovs interviewed Senior Lecturer in Administrative Law Darren O’Donovan about the need for a Royal Commission into robodebt. As those responsible for the scheme evade responsibility yet again, this feels like a good time to reshare it.

05.01.2022 We know everyone is anxious to find out if they're getting their robodebt refunded and when! That's totally understandable. All we can tell you is to expect The Department to drag this out for as long as they can, and not get too anxious if it's not quick. They've said this first batch is to "test the system", and that many won't get sorted out until November.... So if you haven't had a letter it's not necessarily a bad sign. In the meantime, if you call the Compliance line and ask about your refund the workers are supposed to tell you to wait for your letter. We know some people are getting an answer if they call, but it may not be an accurate answer. This isn't just Centrelink being mean, it's because they have to go through every case one by one to assess eligibility, and the Compliance line workers aren't qualified to sign off on that. The people who will be making those decisions, though well, they're only human. And lots of them will be new to the job, and probably working under the same labour conditions as the debt raising, pressured to find what The Department wants to see. If you want to trust a system like that to get it right and not check for yourself well, that's okay. And we do understand that not everyone has the resources. But we would recommend it.

05.01.2022 Second interim robodebt report from the Senate Committee is out what that means is they are still collecting evidence, but wanted to be able to fulfil the function of the inquiry which is to give advice on what should be done. That advice is that robodebt should be shut down for good and properly investigated. The dissenting report (that's from Liberal Party Senators, and it's pretty much what the name implies) argues in section 1.22/1.23 that there was never any automation... at all, anywhere, at any point This is the famous "sprinkling of human throughout the process" that they've served us is earlier Estimates, we suspect. Ghouls. There's also this fun bit (see pic), which leans on the contribution economics has made to pop-psychology in order to label robodebt victims "ostriches". We have feelings about this, not happy ones. You can read the full interim report and dissenting report here: https://www.aph.gov.au//Centrelinkco/Second_Interim_Report

04.01.2022 These 76 decisions exist because of you. Because ordinary Australians challenged their robodebt. Because they got a review by an Authorised Review Officer; and when they weren’t satisfied it was fair they didn’t give up, they went to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.... Regular people got sucked into the bureaucratic meat grinder of robodebt, and they found the resources and the will to fight back. That matters. We have immense respect for everyone who is going through this, and your personal struggle is significant. It matters. Hang in there.

01.01.2022 Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert: "The government is not geared to do refunds, it doesn't have a system for it." us: tax returns