Anglicare Australia has welcomed the news that some 200,000 outstanding Robodebt cases will be scrapped. In supporting the Government’s move, Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers said:
“This move is a show of compassion to those remaining people still caught up in the previous Government’s Robodebt debacle.
“These debts should never have been raised in the first place. By dropping the reviews, the Government is showing that it will not attempt to raise money from people on the lowest incomes.
“This is also an important step to clearing the final remnants of the Robodebt system, which harmed so many people and saddled them with fake debts.
“From the start, this system had no human oversight. The community sector, financial counsellors, and most importantly, the people affected by the system were ignored over and over again when they told their stories.
“Lawyers, judges, and members of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal were brushed off when they warned that the system was illegal.
“The wrongs and personal pain caused by Robodebt could have been avoided if decision-makers had listened to those who know. Now, we are seeing the new Minister listen and act.
“Our hope is that she will continue working with those who have experienced the system to make it the best it can be – the best systems are always designed with those who use them. “We now look forward to learning the lessons from the Government’s Robodebt Royal Commission, and working with them to create a better system,” Ms Chambers said.