Here’s some facts for you after the Government was forced to settle the biggest class action in history.

$1.2 Billion dollars to compensate 430,000 welfare recipients.

The Minister claims it has been a “long standing practice... going back as far as Hawke/Keating”

Many Government’s HAVE used data matching BUT Robert’s Govt removed safeguards, automated systems, reversed the onus of proof and relied on a flawed income averaging tool.

On Ombudsman report from 2017 confirms the start of the problematic Robo Debt scheme was under the coalition.

It’s detailed as a 2015/16 budget measure and was part of the 2016 election campaign platform.

Before the system was automated under the Coalition Government only about 20,000 interventions/reviews were made in a YEAR.

Under the Robo Debt system that increased to 20,000 per WEEK.

Many reports warned of the problems:

Ombudsman reports
Senate Committee
Two Federal Court cases
Five AAT decisions

Instead in 2017 it made is possible for debts to be raised for payments going back more than 7 years.

Recipients were told “keep evidence of your earnings” indefinitely.

RoboDebts were mistakenly issued. The strike rate was 1 in 5.