Crackdown on welfare fraud capital of Australia in Melbourne’s west

FRAUD investigators will descend on Melbourne’s west in a wide-scale crackdown after it was discovered one of the suburbs is the welfare cheating capital of Australia. This is where they will be stationed.

A NEW crackdown will be launched on dole bludgers rorting the taxpayer in Melbourne’s western suburbs after it was discovered Werribee is the welfare cheating capital of Australia.

Officers and fraud investigators from the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Human Services will descend on the area this week to catch out welfare cheats.

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From today, they will be stationed at the Werribee and Sunshine Centrelinks as well as the Pacific Werribee shopping centre, while other officers will conduct snap audits on known welfare rorters.

The wide-scale crackdown, centred on Werribee, is part of Operation Integrity, which has been running as a joint task force between the AFP and DHS for three years.

Officers and fraud investigators from the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Human Services will be stationed at Werribee Centrelink. Picture: Mark Wilson

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan says the new crackdown will target people who deliberately set out to commit welfare fraud. Picture: Valeriu Campan

An investigation in Werribee in 2015 recovered almost $11 million from welfare cheats — more than a quarter of the total raised throughout the country.

This included a person who had lied about their employment history and was prosecuted after they were found to have fraudulently obtained more than $95,000 in income support payments over several years.

In another case, a person fraudulently claimed to be a carer in order to access more than $45,000 in carer payments.

Human Services Minister Michael Keenan said the new crackdown, which will be the task force’s 19th operation, would target people who deliberately set out to commit welfare fraud and not those who made genuine errors.

Mr Keenan said residents in the area were also being urged to tell authorities about welfare cheats.

“Tip-offs are an important source of information for investigators and it is not uncommon for people to be dobbed in by their own families or neighbours,” Mr Keenan said.

“Where there is evidence of criminal behaviour, matters are referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for potential prosecution and big fines or jail terms can apply.”

“While in Werribee this week, taskforce members will also be reminding people about their obligations to keep Centrelink informed of any changes to their personal circumstances that could affect their eligibility.”

The previous operation in Werribee recovered $10.8 million from 2632 welfare rorters.

The unemployment rate in the area is 10.1 per cent compared to 6.9 per cent nationally. Almost a half of working-age people in Werribee are receiving some form of income support, compared to less than a third nationally.

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