Dignity Not Debt: End Centrelink Debt Debacle

The Turnbull government is using a faulty data matching system to issue FALSE Centrelink debts, to hundreds of thousands of citizens. Anyone who has ever received money from the government through a welfare payment is affected. This includes Newstart Allowance, Student Allowance, Disability Pension, Age Pension, Family Tax Benefit and all other pensions and payments. Come along to our snap rally on Tuesday, the 31st of January, at 12.30pm, Parliament House, Adelaide to show your disgust at this horrific policy that is ruining thousands of lives. This rally is held in solidarity with the Melbourne “Dignity, Not Debt” rally.

Stand up and be counted! Don’t let the government bully the citizens of Australia with false debt demands! This is extortion on a mass scale!

Make sure to snap a picture for the virtual rally as well:
https://www.facebook.com/events/100492787135167/

Speakers:
-Liz Temple – CPSU (Union for Centrelink Workers)
-Lyndsey – #NotMyDebt Representative
-Nijole Naujokas – Anti-Poverty Network SA (APN-SA) / Women in Poverty (WIP)

and more to be announced!

Demands

1. Abolish Debt Recovery Scheme:

Since the Coalition (supported by Labor) introduced the Debt Recovery System in July 2016, Centrelink have sent 20,000 debt notices per week to social security recipients. At least 20% of these notices are wrong. As a result of the Government’s broken system, tens of thousands of vulnerable Australians are being harassed by Centrelink and private debt collectors for debts they do not even owe. This is a disgrace.

2. Dignity for Social Security Recipients:

The Coalition has gone out of its way to make dealing with Centrelink a humiliating and difficult experience for millions of low income Australians. Despite the well documented problems with Centrelink’s phone system, online portal, application process, and front line offices to name only a few, the Coalition has continually refused to address these problems let alone acknowledge them. Australia’s social security recipients deserve better.

3. Restore Adequate Funding to Centrelink:

Over the last 5 years, more than 5,000 Centrelink staff have been sacked. Consequently, Centrelink have been unable to keep up with the rising demand for its services. Last year alone 36 million calls to Centrelink went unanswered. Due to Australia’s rising population, it is estimated that each year the number of calls to Centrelink increase by 3 million.

4. Lift Payments Above the Poverty Line:

Australia’s expenditure on social security payments is one of the lowest in the OECD. As a result, every social security payment sits well below the Henderson poverty line.

Please feel free to invite all your friends!

If you would like to help paint banners, please join us here on Sunday: https://www.facebook.com/events/1197336910373968/

Sources:
20% of debt notices are wrong: https://thewest.com.au/business/finance/centrelinks-automated-debt-system-flops-bc-5276376154001

230,000 debt notices have been sent: http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/centrelinks-debt-230000-have-now-been-hit-20170110-gtp8zt.html

36 Million Calls went unanswered: http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/public-sector-union-calling-on-federal-government-to-suspend-centrelinks-debt-recovery-system/news-story/fd5f74c6c0d88db5bd05acd09a98daeb

Centrelink staff cuts: https://newmatilda.com/2015/05/21/cut-staff-and-services-suffer-union-links-centrelink-waits-job-losses/