Australia’s biggest debt collection agency Dun and Bradstreet will give evidence at a hearing in Hobart into Centrelink’s robo-debt program this Wednesday.
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The firm was hired by the government to chase debts determined by the Human Services Department.
Its appearance will be the first of any hearing so far during the Senate inquiry to explain procedures once a supposed debt is passed onto a private agency.
Centrelink’s debt collection program last year came under intense criticism after automatic data-matching between Centrelink and the Australian Tax Office lumped recipients with incorrect notices of supposed debt for which they would need to provide evidence to clear or have to repay.
The Council of the Aging Tasmania, Tasmanian Council of Social Service, CatholicCare Tasmania, Mission Australia, and government representatives will front the hearing on Wednesday.
Youth Network of Tasmania, the Launceston Community Legal Centre, and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre will appear at a hearing in Launceston on Thursday.
TasCOSS chief executive Kym Goodes in a submission to the inquiry said the use of private debt collectors, and the alleged conduct of some debt collectors, may constitute unconscionable conduct under law.
She said that all debts raised under the program so far needed to be independently reviewed.
The organisation with others is expected to unveil a litany of case studies from people with illnesses, disabilities, and other life stresses, impacted by the collection program.
The federal Human Services department on Wednesday is set to defend the system.
It conducted more than 980,000 payment compliance reviews in 2015-16 which resulted in more than $690 million in debts raised.
The hearings in Hobart on Wednesday and Launceston on Thursday is the first time the inquiry, which is examining the design and implementation of the debt recovery method, has visited Tasmania.
