Welfare crackdown
Robo-debt target says Morrison government sacked her after raising alarm
Renee Leon’s intervention means both she and her predecessor as head of the Human Services Department have rejected the public service watchdog’s findings.
- by Paul Sakkal
Latest
Centrelink knows if you’re hiding a relationship – but it’s complicated
The welfare agency is asking police to trawl through people’s metadata and in some cases crack their passwords to find out if they’re in a relationship.
- by Angus Thompson and Tim Biggs
Opinion
Robo-debt royal commission
Would robo-debt be a bigger scandal if its victims weren’t on welfare?
If we are honest, welfare and dole recipients are treated as outsiders and therefore, in the eyes of our political leaders, don’t really count.
- by Waleed Aly
Opinion
Robo-debt royal commission
A vintage display as Scomo the bulldozer digs himself deeper
What the former PM told the royal commission on Wednesday was not remarkable. But the rambling delivery style was a reminder of how out of touch he can be with his surroundings and why he flopped in the nation’s top job.
- by Michelle Grattan
Updated
Welfare
‘Robo-justice’: Royal commission set up to examine robo-debt scheme
A seven-month royal commission will examine who dreamed up the robo-debt scheme and how complaints and concerns were handled.
- by Katina Curtis
Exclusive
Welfare
Services Australia used ‘learner’ staff to process complex robodebt refunds
A report the government used to argue robodebt refunds were calculated properly revealed “learner” staff performed the complex task of assessing who was entitled to a refund.
- by Nick Bonyhady
New DFAT boss comes with robodebt baggage
Labor and the Greens are disappointed Kathryn Campbell is moving on from her role in the Department of Social Services without what they see as a full explanation of the robodebt saga.
- by Nick Bonyhady
Income support ‘not the only lever’: Labor’s plan to tackle disadvantage
Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers has indicated Australia’s welfare bill would not rise significantly under a Labor government, with the opposition instead proposing to use national cabinet to work with state and territory leaders to tackle disadvantage.
- by Jennifer Duke
Employers lukewarm on ‘DobSeeker’ hotline
Employers say they’re unlikely to use a new hotline to report unemployed people who turn down jobs while critics say it’s open for abuse.
- by Katina Curtis and Nick Bonyhady
LETTERS
Letters
The bad taste will linger long after the event ends
Age readers discuss the merits of holding the Australian Open.
Analysis
The Morning Edition podcast
Please Explain podcast: why has the government extended cashless welfare cards?
National editor Tory Maguire and political reporter Katina Curtis delve into the cashless welfare card controversy and why the government has temporarily extended the scheme.
- by Tory Maguire
Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/topic/welfare-crackdown-1n6h