Centrelink saga: government insists debt recovery ‘system is working’

Human Services Minister Alan Tudge says the Government will not scrap Centrelink’s debt-recovery system, despite ongoing warnings over inaccuracies.

The automated system, which cross-references employment data from the Australian Tax Office and Centrelink, has produced nearly 170,000 notices of potential overpayments since July.

Mr Tudge, who this week returned from holidays, rejected assertions people were being issued with unfounded debt notices or having difficulties in updating their details.

He told the ABC the Government would retain the system, rejecting reports it was flawed.