The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) said on March 7 it feared the systemβs treatment of welfare recipients was scaring individuals away from exercising their right to claim income support.
Speaking as the Senate inquiry into the Centrelink debt recovery system began, ACT ACOSS Director Susan Helyar described the system as an abuse of government power that was undermining confidence in public administration.
βSome of our members have wondered whether individuals are being encouraged to stay out of the welfare system,β she said.
βThey are being discouraged from exercising their entitlements in the income support system by this poor public administration.
βSome people cynically suggest that might be the point of the process.β
Like the article?Β SubscribeΒ to ΒιΆΉΣ³» now! You can alsoΒ Β us on Facebook andΒ Β on Twitter.