The Greens have reacted to the government's announcement regarding compensation for Robodebt victims, warning of future pain and cost unless Labor takes their obligations under social welfare law seriously and stops punching down on poor people.
The Targeted Compliance Framework, which operationalises the Government's enforcement of mutual obligations, has been subject to inquiry by the Commonwealth Ombudsman and a commissioned report by Deloitte due to widespread issues with payment cancellation and IT issues.
The damning Commonwealth Ombudsman's report last month found over 1,000 welfare recipients had their welfare payments unlawfully cancelled by the automated system over two years.
As the Anti-Poverty Center has identified, nearly 350,000 payment suspensions were issued just in the first quarter of 2025, affecting more than 280,000 people out of the roughly 800,000 who had requirements during the period.
Last week, the Greens and crossbenchers joined in Parliament to introduce a bill to force the Government to implement the outstanding recommendations from the Robodebt Royal Commission, including a six year limit on debt recovery. The Department currently holds welfare debts dating back to the 1970s.
As stated by Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Greens spokesperson for Social Services:
"It's good news that Robodebt victims will be getting more compensation, but it sure would be cheaper and easier for everyone if the government would stop ignoring the law and punching down on poor people."
"No amount of compensation can undo the pain and the harm caused by cruel treatment of poor people that sends them into crises and in some cases to take their own lives.
"The last time the Greens asked in Estimates, neither the Minister nor the Department could confirm the current welfare compliance system is lawful. Millions of payments are suspended every year under this potentially unlawful system, with little process or oversight.
"The Greens have a Bill in parliament right now. Labor could 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. History will repeat itself until they do."
