Centrelink has been accused of threatening and harassing vulnerable
Australians into updating their personal details using letters
emblazoned with the Australian federal police logo.
Letters sent out in July under the heading “Taskforce Integrity” warned welfare recipients against deliberately withholding or providing false information to dishonestly collect payments.
Roughly 38,000 residents across four locations were told the task force – run by the Department of Human Services and AFP – was working in their community.
Mass mail campaigns have been repeatedly conducted by Centrelink threatening welfare recipients if they provide inaccurate information. The department said the co‑branded letters had been used in nine locations since 2015 as way to educate welfare recipients about their obligations and to prompt them to keep their details up-to-date.
“The majority of our customers do the right thing and tell us about changes to their information,” AFP assistant commissioner Andrea Quinn wrote.
“We also know that sometimes people make honest mistakes, however,
customers who deliberately withhold or provide false or misleading
information could be committing fraud.”
The letter lists a range of punishments including criminal records and prison sentences, before encouraging recipients to dob in suspected fraudsters.
Cassandra Goldie, from the Australian Council of Social Service, said Australia was not a police state and people should not be made to feel like criminals for claiming welfare payments.
“It is completely inappropriate for the government to send letters to income support recipients with the Australian federal police logo asking if their details are up to date,” Goldie said on Friday.
“These letters are threatening and completely disregard any mental health issue a person may have.”
Only a minority of welfare recipients are found to have intentionally committed welfare fraud each year.
Last year just 0.018% of those receiving payments were investigated for fraud, while 996 cases were referred to prosecutors and just 29 cases resulted in indictable charges, according to Acoss.
A DHS spokesperson defended the letter and work of the taskforce, which was established in 2015 and targets specific areas with high risks of non-compliance and welfare fraud.
“Taskforce Integrity isn’t about prosecuting people who make genuine mistakes, it’s about enforcing the law and deterring those who set out to commit welfare fraud,” the spokesperson said.
Opposition human services spokeswoman Linda Burney said it was reasonable to stop welfare fraud but the letters went too far.
“Whether it’s the robo-debt debacle or inserting the AFP’s logo onto Centrelink letterheads, this government is only interested in victimising and harassing vulnerable Australians,” Burney said.
Letters sent out in July under the heading “Taskforce Integrity” warned welfare recipients against deliberately withholding or providing false information to dishonestly collect payments.
Roughly 38,000 residents across four locations were told the task force – run by the Department of Human Services and AFP – was working in their community.
Mass mail campaigns have been repeatedly conducted by Centrelink threatening welfare recipients if they provide inaccurate information. The department said the co‑branded letters had been used in nine locations since 2015 as way to educate welfare recipients about their obligations and to prompt them to keep their details up-to-date.
“The majority of our customers do the right thing and tell us about changes to their information,” AFP assistant commissioner Andrea Quinn wrote.
The letter lists a range of punishments including criminal records and prison sentences, before encouraging recipients to dob in suspected fraudsters.
Cassandra Goldie, from the Australian Council of Social Service, said Australia was not a police state and people should not be made to feel like criminals for claiming welfare payments.
“It is completely inappropriate for the government to send letters to income support recipients with the Australian federal police logo asking if their details are up to date,” Goldie said on Friday.
“These letters are threatening and completely disregard any mental health issue a person may have.”
Only a minority of welfare recipients are found to have intentionally committed welfare fraud each year.
Last year just 0.018% of those receiving payments were investigated for fraud, while 996 cases were referred to prosecutors and just 29 cases resulted in indictable charges, according to Acoss.
A DHS spokesperson defended the letter and work of the taskforce, which was established in 2015 and targets specific areas with high risks of non-compliance and welfare fraud.
“Taskforce Integrity isn’t about prosecuting people who make genuine mistakes, it’s about enforcing the law and deterring those who set out to commit welfare fraud,” the spokesperson said.
Opposition human services spokeswoman Linda Burney said it was reasonable to stop welfare fraud but the letters went too far.
“Whether it’s the robo-debt debacle or inserting the AFP’s logo onto Centrelink letterheads, this government is only interested in victimising and harassing vulnerable Australians,” Burney said.
- This article was amended on 5 August 2017. The original version said the first mass mail campaign was carried out in December 2016.
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