The Greens have celebrated a win for people on income support payments following Labor's announcement on income support payments.
The Greens have previously called for all income apportionment debts to be waived, in keeping with the Royal Commission recommendation which would see a 6 year limit imposed on debt collection. Background on these issues here
The debts affected by income apportionment are at their most recent from 2020, and are on average 19 years old. Still no legal time limit on debt collection exists. On Monday, the Greens introduced a bill which would implement the outstanding Robodebt recommendations including the 6 year time limit.
Greens questioning in Estimates revealed the Department currently holds debts dating back to the 1970s.
As put by Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens spokesperson for Social Services:
"This is a tremendous win for the Greens and for advocates who have been calling on Labor to waive these income apportionment debts and protect people living in poverty from serious harm.
"Like Robodebt, the income apportionment scandal has shown the systemic issues with the way our welfare system brutalises people living in poverty over ridiculous errors.
"When you're living week to week on poverty payments, a debt notice from the government can cause your whole life to spiral. Tragically for some it has led them to take their own lives.
"The work unpicking Robodebt is far from done. The Greens will continue to push Labor to implement the outstanding Robodebt recommendations including the six year limit on debt recoveries, and to stop the rampant suspension of welfare payments which takes life-saving funds out of the hands of over a hundred thousand people each month."
