Labor has called on the National Audit Office to investigate Centrelink's controversial debt recovery scheme that has been criticised for mistakenly targeting vulnerable Australians.
The Government has defended the scheme — which cross references employment data from the Australian Tax Office and Centrelink — despite the Opposition claiming it was brutal and poorly designed.
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Labor's Human Services spokesperson, Linda Burney, said the debt recovery scheme was a disaster.
"If the Government truly believes the program is working they will support an independent audit," she said.
"For months we've been hearing horror stories about the consequences of [Human Services] Minister [Alan] Tudge's bungled program, I want to get the facts straight and the system to be suspended until it can be fixed."
Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie said the debt recovery system had been designed by a "dunderhead" and was driving some Australians to the brink of suicide.
Centrelink has since referred concerned welfare recipients complaining about the letters to crisis support hotlines on social media.